CHICAGO -- The first pitch of White Sox right-hander David Sandlin's Major League Baseball career was a called strike that was challenged and overturned by the ABS system Wednesday night against the Twins at Rate Field.
Sandlin’s second pitch, a 97.2 mph four-seamer according to Statcast, was launched by Byron Buxton for a leadoff home run. Welcome to the The Show, young man.
But the 25-year-old from Owasso, Okla., certainly didn’t get rattled by a small moment of setback. In fact, Sandlin retired the next 18 batters in leading the White Sox to a 15-2 victory and guaranteeing at least a split in the four-game set.
“I feel like that kind of took the weight off almost,” said Sandlin after his first big league win. “I was like, ‘Man, it can’t get worse than that,’ you know. Like, ‘Let’s go now. Welcome to it.’”
“That was the best part of the day, he’s an unbelievable pitcher. I watched him with the Red Sox, electric fastball, electric stuff,” said White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth, who like Sandlin, came to Chicago in a trade with Boston. “Everything’s more explosive. It’s sick, it’s awesome playing behind him.”
With that first pitch, Sandlin became the 10th White Sox player to make his MLB debut during the 2026 season, tying them with the ‘25 Athletics for the most by a team before June since 2000, per Elias. Sandlin (Chicago’s No. 18 prospect) struck out four, topping out at 99.3 mph. He threw strikes, moved his six pitches around and attacked the zone, needing just 61 pitches (41 strikes) to get through his six innings.
His miniscule pitch count relative to the innings, not to mention his mound dominance, gave pause for Sandlin to go beyond the sixth. But Sandlin was built up through his Minor League work with Triple-A Charlotte to five innings or 85 pitches, per manager Will Venable’s pregame comments, so the White Sox didn’t want to push him.
“We have to be responsible about his buildup,” Venable said. “That was the first time he had the sixth up. The pitches were in a good spot. We’ll have him out there again shortly and hopefully can pitch even deeper.”
“Of course, I tried to get one more [inning],” Sandlin said. “But I knew, like, it was it after he talked to me. But after that it was just a surreal feeling.”
This power-packed White Sox offense knocked out 18 hits, with every starter in the lineup recording at least one. Sam Antonacci drove in three, including a two-run single for the White Sox in the second to erase the Buxton-provided 1-0 deficit. Randal Gricuk matched Antonacci’s three-hit production, adding two RBIs.
Meidroth launched his first grand slam during a five-run seventh, and Munetaka Murakami picked up his first career stolen base in the sixth. Murakami also homered after Meidroth, giving him 20 for the season, homers in three straight games and tying Houston’s Yordan Alvarez for the AL lead. He joined Jim Thome (20 in 2006) and Frank Thomas (21 in 1994) as the only White Sox players to hit 20 before June.
“One through nine, sticking with the plan, sticking with the process,” Meidroth said. “You’re going to have days like that where everyone is rolling, and those are the fun days.”
Wednesday’s win moved the White Sox back over .500 at 28-27, while improving to 12-3 in their last 15 at home. It also guaranteed the White Sox consecutive months at .500 or better for the first time since 2023, when they finished 15-14 in May and 13-13 in June. The White Sox concluded this past April at 13-13 and have a 14-10 mark for May with four games remaining.
Back and elbow soreness hampered Sandlin’s first Spring Training with the White Sox. But he certainly made his presence felt during start No. 1, taking the rotation spot of Noah Schultz, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with right knee patellar tendinitis.
Sandlin did so in front of his parents who drove up from Oklahoma, aunts and uncles, some buddies and his wife, Kadee, with his father in law. Sandlin did so with 18 straight retired highlighting the most by a White Sox pitcher making his debut over at least the last 100 years, according to Elias.
“First career batter home run and then he settled down. He threw the ball well,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “To give him credit, he threw a ton of strikes. I don't know how many first pitch outs we had.
“I felt like we squared some balls up, but we hit balls right at people. Once he got the lead, you've got to give him credit. Major League debut, he got a lead and he put the ball on the plate.”