Luisangel Acuna looked like the kind of return that leaves a fan base shrugging.
The White Sox brought him in from the New York Mets over the offseason in the deal that sent oft-injured center fielder Luis Robert Jr. the other way, and the early reaction made sense. Robert had already underperformed in 2024 and 2025, so a reset felt useful for everyone involved.
But Acuna’s track record did not exactly spark confidence. He posted a 65 wRC+ in 95 games with the Mets in 2025, hit .234/.293/.274, and had not shown much more in the minors, either, never finishing a level in the Mets system with a wRC+ above 100.
Then the White Sox doubled down and put him in center field.
That only made the skepticism louder. Acuna had played there just once in 2025, and his more natural spots were second base and shortstop.
Still, he made the Opening Day roster as the starting center fielder, a sign the Sox believed there was more in the tank and wanted to give him an everyday runway to prove it. Even after watching him in Triple-A in 2024, the read was the same: useful tools, but more of a speed-and-glove player than a bat you could count on, and much more of an infielder than an outfielder.
The first stretch of 2026 seemed to confirm all of that.
Acuna played 24 of 29 games in March and April and hit .181. His only extra-base hit was a double, and the defense did not rescue him.
Fangraphs had him at -2 OAA and -1 DRS in center field. By May, patience was wearing thin, and Tristan Peters was taking over playing time.
Peters was outproducing expectations with both the bat and the glove, and Acuna was hard to justify even in a platoon. He appeared in just 13 games that month, collected only four hits, and looked like he was slipping into the background.
He stayed on the roster because of his speed and baserunning, but a DFA felt like a real possibility as the Sox sorted through their outfield depth.
Now the story looks very different.
In June and July, Acuna has quietly put together a turnaround that is hard to ignore. The White Sox have shifted him into a bench role instead of forcing him into everyday outfield duty, and the results have been loud even if the usage has not. He has played only 24 games over those two months, but he has hit .420 in that stretch.
The bigger change has come with the glove. Acuna has mostly been used at shortstop, not center field, and he has looked far more comfortable there.
Fangraphs credits him with +1 OAA and +2 FRV at short, and while there is no way to prove the position switch changed his bat, the numbers are better there too. He is hitting .284 as a shortstop this season.
That matters for the Sox roster, too. They are loaded with outfield options, with four listed on the starting roster plus designated hitters Ryan Grichuk and Andrew Benintendi, both natural outfielders. Jacob Gonzalez had been the backup infielder, but after being traded to the Pirates, Acuna is now the only reserve infielder on hand.
So a player who once looked like a Quad-A piece has carved out something more useful. He may not be on track for an everyday job yet, but he is flashing the kind of ability that made him appealing in the first place.
The White Sox could keep him in a super-utility role and let him keep earning at-bats. They could also use him as a trade chip, especially with the starting infield already settled and other clubs potentially looking for a long-term second baseman or shortstop.
Even if his job settles into pinch-running and late-inning defense, that still has value. Anything he adds with the bat is a bonus.
Baseball rewards players who perform, and Luisangel Acuna is getting harder and harder to overlook.
In Other News...
White Sox Deadline Buzz With Mets Could Reveal How Serious Chris Getz Is
The White Sox appear ready to spend the next few days testing how far their deadline plans can go, and the early signs point to a front office trying to improve without stripping down the farm system. Chicago has made starting pitching the main priority as it pushes for a playoff spot, but catching has also emerged as a real need after Kyle Teels latest injury and uneven production from Edgar Quero and Drew Romo.
Chris Getzs approach is starting to take shape in a way that could define the rest of the summer. The Sox have drawn a line on their top 10 prospects, yet they are open to taking on a contract if it helps them land the pitching they want, which is the kind of deadline posture that can lead to a useful upgrade if the right deal surfaces. The Mets have come up in those catcher conversations, and the next move will say plenty about how aggressively Chicago intends to attack this market. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Linked To A Starter Who Could Change Everything
The search for pitching help at the deadline has put the White Sox in the mix for a name that would carry more than a short-term fix. Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers has drawn trade interest after returning to the rotation and pitching well this season, and Chicago is among the clubs keeping tabs as the Angels weigh whether to move controllable players and restock their farm system.
For the Sox, the appeal is obvious. Sean Burke and Davis Martin have provided strong stretches, but the rotation still feels thin and unstable overall, which makes a pitcher with club control through 2028 especially attractive. The question now is whether Chicago is willing to pay the kind of price that could pry away a starter the Angels may view as a long-term piece, and that part of the market figures to get interesting fast. [Read more 🡒]