White Sox prospect Antonacci eager to keep working post-Classic

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Sam Antonacci landed back at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport Tuesday evening, finishing his impressive World Baseball Classic stint with Team Italy.

The No. 9 White Sox prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, collected his belongings and made a quick call back to Camelback Ranch.

“He gets into Phoenix at 4 o’clock, and he wanted to come up to the field to hit,” said White Sox director of player development Paul Janish with a laugh. “We were like, ‘There’s nobody here. We’ll see you tomorrow.'"

That brief story encapsulates the intensity and commitment from a 23-year-old who was hit by a pitch 39 times during a breakout 2025 season covering three Minor League stops and 19 games in the Arizona Fall League. Antonacci is taking part in big league camp with the White Sox, a stretch featuring Cactus League home runs off Jameson Taillon and Tanner Bibee and a stretch interrupted by the WBC.

Antonacci was hit by a pitch three times during the WBC -- why mess with success? He hit a 403-foot homer off Nolan McLean in the second inning of Italy’s victory over Team USA, scored five runs and showed his acumen in the field through dekes on baserunners, turning a couple of routine outs into double plays.

It’s the sort of play putting Antonacci on the national stage before he has played a single regular-season Major League inning. His 2-for-19 showing at the plate also showed work to be done to consistently reach the elite level he desires.

“Obviously, not having a debut yet or not even making it to Triple-A, it was a tough decision in the offseason to make because you want to be here the whole time for Spring Training,” Antonacci said. “You’re fighting for a spot and someone who hasn’t played Triple-A yet, it’s probably not the best decision to go out there.

“But I made it for moments like that and playing in crowds like that to have experience for if I ever were to get called up, I know what it takes and I know what to expect. Definitely learning that or understanding that, I made the right choice.”

In his White Sox return during a 13-6 loss to the Padres Thursday night, Antonacci singled and drove in a run. He was back in the lineup amid the sweltering heat of Tempe, Ariz., against the Angels on Friday afternoon. Antonacci is also scheduled to play in Saturday night’s Spring Breakout game against the Dodgers prospects at Camelback Ranch, and the infielder will be appearing for a second straight day in the outfield.

News of an outfield move or even the Spring Breakout game seemed to take Antonacci off guard. But he was quickly ready for work.

“Hopefully I get to play with some younger guys that I haven’t met yet, so that should be fun,” Antonacci said. “They tell me to grab an outfield glove, I’ll go out there. I always like to say I never got drafted to just be a shortstop or second baseman for the White Sox. I got drafted to help them win. If that’s in the outfield, I’m more than happy to do it.”

“What I would say is who Sam is, it has been conveyed and that doesn’t always happen in the first Major League Spring Training,” Janish said. “He hasn’t really shown us, our [player development] staff, a whole lot that we didn’t know.”

Twelve of the top 15 White Sox prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, are set for Spring Breakout action. That list currently includes outfielder Braden Montgomery, who is the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 36 overall, infielder Caleb Bonemer (No. 3 White Sox, No. 61 overall), southpaw Hagen Smith (No. 4, No. 72) and shortstop Billy Carlson (No. 5, No. 73).

Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero and Chase Meidroth once were part of this Spring Breakout level talent. Now, they are leading significant Major League steps forward for the White Sox, or so the team hopes, during the 2026 season. There seems to be another layer or two of prospects beyond this crew, with Antonacci part of that next group playing Saturday.

“We feel really good about the players, their talent, their ability and how they can add value to a Major League team,” Janish said. “I’ve said this before: The Major Leagues is not the push/play league.

“Guys’ level of comfort and adjustment to the Major League level is always going to be different. We’ll be here to try to get them as ready as they can be, and if they end up coming back to the Minors, we’ll support them... But you do feel good about the next tier that’s coming.”