Surging past .500, the South Siders are finding success through a rookie's elite contact hitting and dominant pitching performances from a revamped rotation and lockdown bullpen.
The Chicago White Sox have been one of the best stories in baseball this season.
The White Sox will enter their weekend series against the Detroit Tigers with a winning record. They currently sit second in the American League Central division with a 29-27 record and have already secured their first winning month since May 2023.
Despite some inconsistent play on the West Coast last week, the South Siders have played some really good baseball recently. Chicago has won 12 of its last 18 games.
So, which unexpected White Sox players have been a big part of this recent stretch? Here are three players playing their best baseball right now.
Sam Antonacci
The White Sox called up Sam Antonacci in mid-April to help a struggling ballclub. Unfortunately, Antonacci didn’t provide much offensive production in his first few weeks in the big leagues. He batted just .225 in his first 49 plate appearances.
But since the calendar has turned to May, the White Sox’s No. 9 prospect has posted strong offensive numbers. He’s batting .314 with four doubles, seven RBI, seven stolen bases, and six walks across 25 games this month.
Antonacci continues to display his elite contact skills at the plate. He has a hit in 17 of 25 games in May and has nine multi-game hits during this stretch. With a 100th percentile expected batting average (.319), the rookie is the perfect leadoff hitter for the White Sox moving forward.
Anthony Kay
Anthony Kay did not show many encouraging things to start the 2026 season. He had a 6.12 ERA in his first six starts and had a rough outing against the Diamondbacks on May 22 in which he allowed eight runs across 3 ⅔ innings.
However, Kay deserves a ton of credit for turning his season around. He has been a much more consistent pitcher for the White Sox. He has a 1.98 ERA in five starts this month and has allowed just two runs over his last 11 ⅓ innings pitched.
Now, these strong pitching numbers from Kay won’t last forever, as he has a concerning 5.70 expected ERA. Still, the southpaw has been a top pitcher in May. The White Sox have won each of his last four starts.
Sean Newcomb
The White Sox signed Sean Newcomb to a cheap one-year contract in the offseason. That deal is now looking like a massive bargain. Newcomb has emerged as a consistent long reliever for this team and has been nails on the mound in May.
The southpaw has a 1.32 ERA across 13 ⅔ innings pitched this month. He has not walked a batter since April 28 and has recorded more than four outs in six of his last eight relief appearances. Those are all elite numbers.
Newcomb has become a game-changer for the White Sox bullpen recently. The 32-year-old isn’t allowing much hard contact (34.8%) and has thrived in multiple roles. Just this month, he has earned one hold, one save, and has come into a game in the fourth inning.
