Chase Meidroth’s second season gave the White Sox exactly the kind of answer they were hoping for.
When Chicago landed him in the deal that sent Garrett Crochet to Boston in 2025, the comparisons came fast. Some saw Nick Madrigal.
Others reached all the way to Dustin Pedroia. Meidroth had built his reputation in the minors on discipline, a sharp eye and a knack for getting on base.
His rookie year in 2025 showed that part of the package, but 2026 is where he added something more.
The 2025 numbers looked a lot like the Madrigal side of the comparison. Over 122 big league games, Meidroth hit five home runs and struck out 72 times.
He put the ball in play often, but there wasn’t much impact contact, and his work at second base was mostly average. He also spent some time at shortstop early in the season.
Going into 2026, the pressure was obvious. With Sam Antonacci starting to pop up on the radar, Meidroth needed to take a step or risk seeing his role come into question.
He did more than that. In 154 games this season, he launched 16 home runs, more than tripling his total from the year before.
His doubles jumped from 15 in 2025 to 31 in 2026, turning him into a much bigger extra-base threat. His strikeouts also doubled, but that came with a 20-point jump in both batting average and on-base percentage, so the overall production rose with it.
One of the biggest gains came on the defensive side. Meidroth finished 2026 with 10 OAA, which put him in the 95th percentile at the position.
That work has now earned him a Gold Glove finalist nod. He was named a finalist earlier this week, alongside Michael Massey of the Royals and Cole Young of the Mariners.
MLB.com had already predicted back in September that Meidroth would win the award, and he’s also the current favorite on Kalshi and other betting markets.
Whether he takes home the hardware or not, the recognition fits the season he put together. Meidroth has gone from an intriguing piece to a real two-way force, and the White Sox can feel good about what he gives them at second base heading toward 2027.
That matters because the infield picture is only getting busier. Chris Getz and Will Venable can still look at Meidroth as the clear everyday answer at second, even with Caleb Bonemer and Roch Cholowksy possibly on the way next season. However the rest of the alignment shakes out, Chicago knows where it stands at that spot.
Meidroth still isn’t Dustin Pedroia - not with an MVP and four All-Star nods. But the argument can be made that he should have been an All-Star this season, and another leap forward could put him among the best second basemen in baseball. For now, the Gold Glove finalist recognition is a fitting reward for a season that changed the way the White Sox can talk about him.
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The talks got underway in late summer and have remained quiet since then, with the White Sox offering no official update on where things stand. For a player who already looks like a foundational piece after one strong season, the uncertainty adds another layer to an offseason that could shape the team's core for years to come. [Read more 🡒]