Joey Wiemer brings power and a history of success against left-handed pitching to the organization after signing a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.
Over the weekend, the Chicago White Sox added to their outfield depth by signing 27-year-old Joey Wiemer to a minor league contract.
Wiemer is a former top 100 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization who has played in 212 MLB games from 2023 through 2026 with the Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, and most recently, the Washington Nationals.
Wiemer was claimed off waivers by the Nationals over the offseason, then made the Opening Day roster as an outfield specialist against left-handed pitching. In 32 games with the Nationals, he hit three home runs with 12 RBIs and a .912 OPS. That stint included back-to-back games with a home run to open the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Wiemer's longest run in Major League Baseball came during his rookie season in 2023, when he played in 132 games and hit 13 home runs for the Brewers at 24 years old. But contact and strikeouts have always been problems for him in the early stages of his career. His .216 career batting average over 212 games lowers his career OPS to .676, even with his recent success in Washington in 2026 and Miami in 2025.
But when used appropriately, as the Nationals used him this season, Wiemer can be productive because he has always been able to hit lefties. Throughout his MLB career, Wiemer has a .273 batting average and an .860 OPS against left-handed pitching, compared to a .563 OPS against righties. He brings a powerful bat that can fit neatly into a platoon situation. But as we've seen from Wiemer in the minor leagues so far in 2026, the floor is extremely low.
After a strong stint with the Nationals to begin the season, Wiemer was still optioned to Triple-A Rochester on May 19. He struggled mightily after the demotion, posting a .534 OPS over 42 games, which ultimately led to his release from the Nationals organization.
He now lands with the White Sox, likely serving as organizational outfield depth in the upper levels of the minor leagues. That is an area that has been depleted over the last few months.
Derek Hill and Nolan Jones were both traded. Everson Pereira was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. And Austin Hays was released and became a free agent. The White Sox have significantly thinned out their outfield depth, so I'd expect Wiemer to report to Triple-A Charlotte, where they'll try to make adjustments and tap into his power.
Wiemer's best chance of returning to the big leagues is to continue crushing left-handed pitching and utilize the natural power that landed him on a top 100 prospect list in the first place.
Does that mean he'll contribute to Chicago's big league roster in 2026? I'd definitely bet against it. But it's always an interesting signing when you see a potential platoon bat with demonstrated success at the MLB level, even if that success has come in small doses.
