The Chicago White Sox are heading into 2026 with a very different look - and for fans on the South Side, that’s welcome news. After several winters of relative inactivity, the front office finally hit the gas pedal, reshaping the roster with a flurry of moves that signal a new chapter in the team’s rebuild.
Let’s start with the pitching staff. The Sox added lefty Anthony Kay and right-hander Erick Fedde to the rotation - two arms with very different recent paths.
Kay returns stateside after a stint in Japan, looking to prove he can be more than just a depth piece. Fedde, meanwhile, is coming off a solid season overall, but his late-year dip raises some questions about durability and consistency.
Add in swingmen Jordan Hicks and Sean Newcomb, plus a bullpen boost in Seranthony Domínguez, and it’s clear the White Sox are trying to build a more versatile, deeper pitching corps.
But here’s the thing: they still don’t have a true frontline starter. And that’s where the pressure really starts to mount.
Right now, the rotation is expected to be led by Shane Smith - a Rule 5 success story who turned heads as a rookie in 2025. Smith gave the Sox 146.1 innings of competitive baseball last season, but asking a second-year arm to anchor a rotation? That’s a big ask, no matter how promising the talent.
Unless the front office pulls off a surprise move - say, landing someone like Zac Gallen, which seems unlikely this late in the offseason - the focus now shifts to internal development. That means it’s time for the White Sox to double down on their pitching pipeline.
Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Tanner McDougal headline a group of young arms that could be the key to unlocking the next phase of this rebuild. Schultz, the towering lefty with electric stuff, has long been viewed as a potential ace if he can stay healthy and refine his command.
Hagen Smith brings swing-and-miss potential, and McDougal has shown flashes of dominance when everything clicks. These are the types of arms that can change a franchise’s trajectory - but only if the development process delivers.
The White Sox have had their struggles in this department in the past, but there’s a real opportunity here. If even one or two of these prospects can make a leap - the way Shane Smith did last season - the ceiling for this team rises dramatically.
And timing matters. With the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on the horizon, Chicago is in position to add another cornerstone talent to the mix. Combine that with a wave of young pitching that’s ready (or nearly ready) to contribute, and suddenly the rebuild starts to look a lot more like a resurgence.
Offensively, the team didn’t sit still either. The additions of Austin Hays and Luisangel Acuña bring speed, athleticism, and versatility to the lineup - two traits that have been sorely lacking in recent years.
But the headliner here is Munetaka Murakami. The Japanese slugger arrives with a big bat and even bigger expectations.
If he can adjust quickly to Major League pitching, he could be the centerpiece of the lineup for years to come.
Put it all together, and the White Sox have something they haven’t had in a while: momentum. They’re not a finished product - far from it - but they’re building something. And if the arms develop the way they hope, this could be a team that forces its way back into the conversation sooner than expected.
For now, the spotlight is on the farm system. The White Sox don’t just need their prospects to develop - they need them to hit.
Because if they do? Watch out.
This rebuild might just be ready to take off.