How White Sox Players Are Performing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

With a mix of current stars, top prospects, and past legends, the Chicago White Sox have been well represented during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The White Sox do not have any players suiting up for Team USA, which has admittedly made some of their games in pool play a bit harder for the average fan to watch given the unorthodox time zones (most of Japan's games have been played in the middle of the night).

Still, Chicago has plenty of representation throughout the tournament.

As pool play wraps up and the World Baseball Classic moves toward the quarterfinal round, here’s an update on several notable White Sox players—both past and present—competing in this year’s tournament, along with a look at how their national teams have fared so far.

There may not have been a player White Sox fans were more excited to watch in the World Baseball Classic than Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.

Murakami became a global star during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, most notably for his performance against Team USA in the championship game. Now a member of the White Sox organization, he finally delivered a signature moment in this year’s tournament after a slow start at the plate.

In Japan’s final game of pool play, Murakami broke through with a towering grand slam against Team Czechia, helping propel Japan to a perfect 4–0 record in pool play.

Overall, Murakami is just 3-for-15 in the tournament so far, good for a .200 batting average. However, the grand slam helped boost his OPS back up to .694.

If Japan is going to make another deep run, there’s a good chance Murakami’s power will have a lot to do with it.

Team Italy has played just two games so far and is preparing for a critical third matchup in pool play on Tuesday night against Team USA.

White Sox catcher Kyle Teel has appeared in one of those two games and made the most of his opportunity, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of singles.

Teel figures to be the team’s regular catcher moving forward and should see plenty of at-bats if Italy can find a way to advance to the quarterfinals.

White Sox infield prospect Sam Antonacci is also part of Team Italy’s roster.

Unlike Teel, Antonacci has appeared in both games for Italy so far, though he has logged the same number of official at-bats. Antonacci is currently 1-for-4, with his lone hit coming on a triple down the right-field line that turned into a "Little League home run."

For now, both White Sox representatives on Team Italy are sitting with an identical 1.000 OPS in the tournament.

Both Teel and Antonacci are in the starting lineup against Team USA on Tuesday night. 

Team Dominican Republic is off to a perfect 3–0 start in pool play and, alongside Team USA and Team Japan, looks like one of the early favorites to win the tournament.

The Dominicans have already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, and newly signed White Sox reliever Seranthony Domínguez has quietly done his part out of the bullpen.

Domínguez has made two appearances in the tournament and has thrown two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two and issuing no walks. He also picked up a win in the Dominican Republic’s 12–3 victory over Nicaragua, which came in their opening game of the tournament.

Curtis Mead was one of the bright spots for Team Australia during pool play.

Across four games, Mead finished 5-for-14 at the plate with one home run, three RBIs, and an impressive 1.009 OPS.

Unfortunately for Australia, a costly ninth-inning error in a game against Team Korea proved decisive in the tiebreaker scenario and ultimately knocked them out of the tournament.

Korea advances, bringing Mead’s World Baseball Classic run to an end. Still, he represented the White Sox well and now returns to Sox camp with a legitimate opportunity to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

While I won’t dive too deeply into former White Sox players—many of whom can be claimed by multiple teams at this stage of their careers—it’s hard not to acknowledge Alexei Ramírez.

Ramírez is claimed by every White Sox fan out there.

The former Chicago shortstop has appeared in one game so far for Team Cuba, which currently sits at 2–1 in Pool A and remains in the hunt for a quarterfinal berth.

Ramírez played left field in that appearance and received a ninth-inning at-bat in a loss to Puerto Rico. He battled All-Star closer Edwin Díaz in the matchup, though the at-bat ultimately ended in a strikeout.

Personally, I’m rooting for Team Cuba to advance—not just for the drama of the tournament, but because it would mean more opportunities to see the 44-year-old Ramírez step back into the batter’s box one more time.