White Sox promote Sam Antonacci for MLB debut after hot Triple-A start

Sam Antonacci did not spend long in Triple-A Charlotte before forcing Chicago’s hand. The White Sox selected his contract on April 15, 2026, after he opened the season with a .979 OPS in 14 games, then sent him straight into the majors as part of an effort to jolt a stagnant offense. His brief stop in Charlotte also included 11 games learning left field, a reminder that the club valued his bat and his ability to move around the diamond.

That versatility showed up immediately at Rate Field. Antonacci made his major-league debut the same day against the Tampa Bay Rays and started at second base because Chase Meidroth had a planned day off. The 23-year-old Springfield, Illinois native went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, and singled in his first big-league at-bat. He also made a slick play up the middle, while his parents, sister and friends from Springfield watched from the stands.

The call-up came quickly, but it was built on a much larger climb. Antonacci was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Coastal Carolina, where he hit .367/.523/.504 as a junior. Before that, he starred at Heartland Community College, won NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year honors in 2023 and helped lead Heartland to its first national championship. In 2025, he broke through across High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham with a .291/.433/.409 line, 78 runs, 57 RBIs and 48 stolen bases, while being hit by 39 pitches across the season and Arizona Fall League play.

That profile is why the White Sox moved him so fast. MLB Pipeline ranked Antonacci as the organization’s No. 9 prospect, and the club promoted him as its second key prospect in as many days after Noah Schultz also reached the majors. Manager Will Venable said Antonacci would bring energy, control the zone, play solid defense and run the bases well, exactly the mix Chicago needs while searching for answers. With Meidroth resting and the offense short on life, Antonacci stepped into a real opening, not just a ceremonial debut, and the White Sox gave themselves another athlete who can change a game with his bat, glove and legs.