Sam Antonacci’s rapid rise through the White Sox farm system has turned a once-under-the-radar draft pick into one of baseball’s most intriguing infield prospects.
The 2025 season was an overall success for the Chicago White Sox organization, most notably because of the progress the team showed during the second half.
The White Sox found a way to play competitive baseball with a number of rookies and controllable contracts at the big-league level, giving fans real reason for optimism moving forward.
But another reason 2025 can be considered a success is the blossoming of several young prospects throughout the White Sox farm system.
On MLB.com’s end-of-year lists, Chicago placed five prospects inside the Top 100. They also hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and have a handful of additional prospects who could crack the Top 100 before long.
One of those players is infielder Sam Antonacci — a second baseman who will soon turn 23 and continues to outperform expectations.
Antonacci was recently named a Top 10 second-base prospect by MLB.com in its 2026 season preview, and he’s now being recognized nationally as one of the fastest-rising prospects in all of baseball. He seemingly came out of nowhere, and now has a very real path that could include an MLB debut at some point in 2026.
Antonacci was selected by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
He signed for an over-slot bonus for the 140th overall pick, receiving roughly $575,000.
All Antonacci has done at every level is produce — though being doubted has been a theme throughout his career.
Despite earning All-State honors as a senior in high school, Antonacci ended up at Heartland Community College in Normal, IL instead of a Division-I program.
By the time he was a sophomore at Heartland, he was leading the nation in batting average (.515), RBIs (103), runs (105), hits (106), doubles (32), and on-base percentage (.618).
His team won the national championship, and Antonacci was named National Player of the Year, opening the door for him to transfer to Coastal Carolina University.
With the Chanticleers, Antonacci batted .367 with a 1.027 OPS. Then it was off to the draft. As mentioned earlier — production everywhere he’s been.
Since turning pro, it’s been more of the same within the White Sox organization.
Antonacci was immediately assigned to Low-A Kannapolis after the draft and hit .333 in 23 games.
During the 2025 season, he played at three different levels and eventually reached Double-A Birmingham.
Across those stops, Antonacci posted 21 doubles, six triples, 48 stolen bases, and a slash line of .291/.433/.409 — good for an .842 OPS.
That success carried over into the Arizona Fall League, where Antonacci stood out while playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
He hit .378 with an on-base percentage of .505 and an OPS of 1.046 against elite competition. Most notably, he showed flashes of emerging power while continuing to pair his speed with savvy baserunning — three home runs and 11 stolen bases in just 19 games.
Truly, what’s not to love?
The White Sox organization remains incredibly bullish on Antonacci. He’s a player that front-office executives, including assistant GM Josh Barfield, have openly raved about as one of the most unheralded prospects in the game.
But as the production continues, Antonacci is finally starting to earn national recognition.
MLB Pipeline currently ranks him as the 10th-best second-base prospect in baseball heading into 2026. He also finished the 2025 season as the No. 11 prospect in the White Sox farm system.
Both rankings may still be underestimating him, but they’re clear signs that he’s trending rapidly in the right direction.
MLB.com even labeled Antonacci the “highest riser” of the group:
“Antonacci has raised his profile significantly since not ranking on our White Sox Top 30 a year ago. Since then, he has earned All-Star recognition in the High-A South Atlantic League, won a championship in the Double-A Southern League, ranked fourth in the Minors in on-base percentage (.429), and starred in the AFL.”
My best guess is that Antonacci opens the 2026 season where he finished 2025: Double-A Birmingham.
He’ll likely begin the year alongside No. 1 prospect Braden Montgomery, and the two appear to be on similar developmental timelines as college bats from the 2024 draft class.
With continued production, a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte should follow. And I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Antonacci making his MLB debut at some point during the second half of the 2026 season.
That does present a bit of a dilemma for the White Sox, who already have a crowded infield. Miguel Vargas (3B), Colson Montgomery (SS), and Chase Meidroth (2B) are not players the organization is eager to move off of — especially if their development continues.
What the White Sox ultimately do in the infield remains an open question. Antonacci isn’t the only prospect waiting in the wings. At some point, the Billy Carlson and Caleb Bonemer conversation will need to happen — though both remain a few years behind Antonacci’s current trajectory.
That’s a conversation for another day — and frankly, a good problem to have.
For now, the focus should remain on stacking talent and promoting it to the big-league level.
And after what we saw in 2025, Sam Antonacci is a prospect every White Sox fan needs to have firmly on their radar.