A season that ended with the Chicago White Sox leading the American League in runs scored is now starting to turn into award season, and four of their young bats are in the mix for Silver Slugger honors.
The finalists were announced Thursday morning, and the White Sox landed representation at second base, third base, in the outfield and in the utility slot. The winners will be revealed by FanSided on Nov. 17.
Chase Meidroth is up for AL second base after also coming up short in the Gold Glove race. This time, though, he has a real shot.
His competition is Twins infielder Kody Clemens, and the numbers point clearly toward Meidroth. He finished ahead of Clemens in batting average (.276 to .239), on-base percentage (.350 to .298), OPS (.765 to .758), OPS+ (115 to 109) and bWAR (4.5 to 2.7).
Clemens brought the bigger power line with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs, while Meidroth posted 16 homers and 63 RBIs. The voters will have to decide whether they value power more than the broader offensive profile, but Meidroth looks like the favorite.
For the White Sox, it would be another sign that he’s already become the second baseman of the future.
Miguel Vargas is also on the ballot at third base, and even with how strong his 2026 season was, this one looks like a long shot. That has less to do with Vargas than with the player standing in his way: Rays third baseman Junior Caminero.
Caminero piled up the kind of season that usually wins awards, leading third basemen in several categories and earning an AL MVP finalist nod, even if Yordan Alvarez of the Astros is the heavy favorite there. Caminero finished ahead of Vargas in average, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs, RBI and hits.
Vargas did have the edge in OBP, walks and stolen bases, but the gap is still hard to ignore. Even so, just getting to this point says plenty about Vargas’ rise, and he’s now firmly in place as a franchise cornerstone in Chicago.
Tristan Peters’ path is even tougher, simply because the Silver Slugger doesn’t separate outfielders by spot. If it did, his case for center field would look a lot better.
Instead, nine outfielders are in the mix and three will win, no matter where they play. With Randy Arozarena, Riley Greene and Mike Trout among the finalists, Peters would be a surprise winner.
Still, his season was impossible to miss. He went from barely making the roster after being acquired for cash to making the All-Star team and finishing with a .774 OPS at a premium position.
That kind of climb is rare. His next step is clear: he needs to hit left-handers more consistently.
But an All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger nomination already mark a major leap.
Sam Antonacci rounds out the White Sox group as a finalist for AL utility, a category MLB only began handing out in 2022. Luis Arraez and Brandon Drury were the first winners, and Antonacci now has a chance to join that list after a strong rookie year.
He debuted in April and finished at .277 with eight home runs and a .766 OPS. He also set the White Sox franchise record with 29 hit-by-pitches and became a valuable table-setter at the top of the lineup.
Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle, the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, is also in the running, so Antonacci is not the likely winner. But the recognition fits the season he put together.
His defense in the outfield has been an issue, and how the White Sox handle that heading into 2027 will be worth watching.
Chicago also has a shot at the Team Silver Slugger award, which goes to the best lineup in each league. After leading the American League in runs scored, the White Sox are a finalist there too.
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