Chicago gets a rare postseason doubleheader of sorts today, with the White Sox and Cubs both playing October baseball in the same year for just the fourth time in baseball history. The White Sox head to Houston to face the Astros in the Wild Card Series, and the biggest question for Chicago’s South Side club is simple: how do they keep the offense rolling?
The answer starts at the top, where Sam Antonacci looks like the kind of tone-setter this lineup needs. Since making his MLB debut on April 15th, Antonacci has turned himself into a reliable table-setter, posting a .370 on-base percentage over 140 games while ranking among the league’s best at avoiding strikeouts.
He also swiped 20 bases. His defense in left field isn’t the selling point, so the White Sox may turn to Brenton Doyle or Randal Grichuk late if they’re protecting a lead, but Antonacci’s bat belongs in the leadoff spot.
Kyle Teel should follow him. The season didn’t unfold the way Teel wanted in 2026, but he closed it with hits in five of his final six games and may finally be finding his footing after three separate injuries slowed him down.
Will Venable moved him into the two-hole to try to jump-start the offense, and that move has already shown some life. Teel also looks set to start every game of the series no matter who’s pitching.
From there, the middle of the order is built around the White Sox’s most dangerous bats. Miguel Vargas is the obvious No. 3 hitter after a huge turnaround in 2026 that saw him lead the team in fWAR and earn an All-Star trip to Philadelphia. He’s the club’s best shot at driving in runs, and the idea is clear: put runners in front of him and let him do damage.
Behind Vargas, Munetaka Murakami brings the kind of power that can flip a game with one swing. He led the White Sox in home runs despite missing six weeks with a hamstring injury and also slogging through a rough late-season stretch. The strikeouts will always be part of the package, but he still looks like a middle-of-the-order threat against both right-handers and left-handers.
The designated hitter spot should be handled by a straightforward platoon between Andrew Benintendi and Randal Grichuk. Grichuk finished as MLB’s leader in OPS against left-handers, while Benintendi knocked in 75 runs and kept coming through in important spots. The White Sox have reason to feel good with either one in this role depending on the matchup.
Center field gives the White Sox another clean platoon. After the deadline trade for Brenton Doyle from the Rockies, Chicago has paired him with Tristan Peters, and both have the kind of blend the team wants: defensive value and offensive upside. Doyle’s strong final week and Peters’ All-Star season give the White Sox flexibility to start either one, while also leaving room to use both late.
Chase Meidroth is the kind of player who can slide under the radar, but the numbers say he matters plenty. He finished second on the team in fWAR behind Vargas and may well win a Gold Glove at second base.
Against righties, he’ll probably sit near the bottom of the order, but he could move up if the White Sox see a lefty. He hit .350 with a 1.023 OPS against southpaws, and his work against right-handers was solid enough to keep him in the mix either way.
Colson Montgomery is one of the lineup’s most divisive names, but he’s hard to leave out. He hit 31 homers, though he also finished the year at .197 and saw his strikeout rate climb in the second half.
Even with the contact issues, his defense at shortstop was among the best in the league, and his power remains rare. As frustrating as that profile can be for some fans, he should be out there for both Wild Card games.
At the bottom, Braden Montgomery rounds things out in right field. He battled through a rough stretch before catching fire to end the regular season, batting .429 over his final eight games.
He was stronger against right-handers than left-handers, but his defense should keep him in the lineup regardless of who’s on the mound. For a White Sox team leaning on young talent, he’s one of the pieces they’re hoping keeps rising.
In Other News...
White Sox Taking A Game 1 Gamble Against Houston
The White Sox are leaning into a playoff wrinkle right away, opening their Wild Card Series against the Astros with a bullpen day and rookie Hagen Smith as the listed starter. It is the kind of call that says plenty about where the staff is right now: Chicago is not trying to force a traditional Game 1 look so much as it is trying to maximize the arms it has available and keep Houston from settling in early.
Manager Will Venable and general manager Chris Getz have both framed the plan as one built on flexibility, with multiple pitchers expected to work in short bursts rather than hand the ball to a starter and a bulk reliever in the usual order. The approach puts a premium on matchups and versatility, and it also sets up an early postseason test of just how far the White Sox are willing to push that style when every inning carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Wild Card Hopes May Hinge On One Astros Problem
The White Sox are heading into the wild-card round with a familiar problem in front of them, one that has already shown up over seven regular-season meetings with Houston. The Astros took five of those games, and the matchup now brings together a Chicago club trying to find enough offense around Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami and Sean Burke against a Houston group built around Jeremy Pena and Hunter Brown.
Chicagos path is made trickier by the fact that both staffs arrive with questions, but the Astros have the kind of lineup depth that can make those issues easier to survive in October. Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez bring postseason experience that could tilt a short series, which leaves the White Sox needing their own answer to one glaring Astros advantage if they want the upset to feel realistic. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Wild Card Roster Hints At A Bold Astros Plan
The White Sox have put together a Wild Card roster that says plenty about how they intend to attack the Astros, even before a first pitch is thrown. Chicagos official group leans heavily on pitching depth, with seven right-handers, five left-handers, two catchers, five infielders and seven outfielders, a structure that points to a lot of matchup management once the series begins.
Hagen Smith is set to open Game 1 in what is expected to be a bullpen game, which already gives the opener a different feel than a standard postseason start. Anthony Kay is also on the roster after recent pitching work, a detail that suggests the White Sox may be keeping another option available on short rest as they try to piece together outs against Houston. [Read more 🡒]