Where White Sox Players Finished in AL Rookie of the Year Voting

Major League Baseball is announcing its annual awards this week. And while the Chicago White Sox didn’t have a finalist for American League Rookie of the Year, three of their players received votes.

Rookies were one of the biggest stories for Chicago in 2026. Fifteen players made their MLB debuts with the White Sox during the season, starting with Munetaka Murakami on Opening Day and continuing into August, when left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith debuted on Aug. 9.

By the time the playoffs arrived, Murakami and Smith, along with a handful of other rookies, had their fingerprints all over this White Sox team. And that doesn’t even include someone like Tristan Peters, who debuted during a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025 but fully established himself as a major league player in 2026.

It’s only fitting that the White Sox had some representation in Rookie of the Year voting. First baseman Munetaka Murakami, utility man Sam Antonacci and center fielder Tristan Peters all received votes for the award. And there’s an argument to be made that they deserved more recognition than they received.

Murakami finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers, Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians and Payton Tolle of the Boston Red Sox. Murakami appeared on 17 of 30 ballots, with two voters placing him second and seven placing him third.

He likely would’ve received even more support and might’ve been a favorite for the award had he stayed healthy. Murakami finished with 35 home runs, but at one point he looked like he might flirt with 50. It’s fair to wonder whether the time he missed with a hamstring injury contributed to his second-half slumps.

Peters finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting, appearing on seven ballots and receiving two third-place votes. He was a surprise breakout player for the White Sox in 2026. He made the AL All-Star team, hit for the cycle and homered in five consecutive games.

Antonacci tied for ninth in Rookie of the Year voting and appeared on just one ballot, receiving a fourth-place vote from Bruce Levine. 

Antonacci probably didn’t get the credit he deserved here. He was a versatile utility man for the White Sox, hit 25 doubles, stole 20 bases and posted a .766 OPS. He was a catalyst for Chicago’s offense all season, having a similar effect on the White Sox lineup to the one McGonigle had in Detroit, yet he received nowhere near the same level of attention.

While none of the White Sox rookies are taking home the hardware, having three receive votes says a lot about the young core Chicago is building. That’s an exciting thing for White Sox fans after seeing how much those rookies contributed to a playoff team in 2026.