The White Sox Are Starting to Look Like a Problem
Jé Tania
May 4, 2026
The White Sox have been raking lately. They currently rank number one in MLB in runs produced via the long ball. While that can be feast or famine, and hitting can be streaky, the Sox have found different ways to win. Sometimes it’s pitching, sometimes it’s hitting, sometimes it’s defense, and sometimes it’s all three working together. While it’s too early to mark them as contenders,
Drew Romo runs the bases after a HR against the Angels. Photo via The Chicago White Sox Instagram.
let's just say they are looking real "contender-ish."
Currently sitting in third in the AL Central, two games below .500 and 1.5 games back from both Detroit and Cleveland, they arrived for a two-series West Coast road trip on a high after sweeping the Angels at home. Taking three from an underperforming team might not be remarkable. Even if Mike Trout is being Mike Trout, it still matters. But taking two of three from a 20-13 Padres team with arguably the best bullpen in baseball is another story.
Wins against San Diego found the Sox building early leads. Their pitchers went deep into games, allowing the bullpen to rest after heavy overuse to start the season. The first game was won on moon shots, with Mune and Montgomery going yard. The second game was won with small ball, with all hits being singles. The White Sox found the formula for beating the Padres.
Stay out of the bullpen.
On Sunday, the Sox saw an early 1-0 lead slip away after starter Kay gave up two solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to Miguel Andújar and Manny Machado, respectively. But the Sox evened the score in the top of the seventh on the back of a Chase Meidroth single and a pinch-hit home run from Derrick Hill. The Padres scratched across a run in the eighth on a passed ball, and the door was closed in the top of the ninth by Padres closer Mason Miller. He secured his 11th save in 11 opportunities, the best mark in baseball.
As Hawk Harrelson used to say, it’s not always about who you play, but when you play them. San Diego has not found a way to consistently hit home runs yet. Tatis Jr, an international player signed by the White Sox and traded for James Shields before he ever saw the field, has yet to hit a ball out of the park in 2026.
On the Sox side of the field, production is coming from up and down the lineup. Murakami is “must see TV,” according to Chicago play-by-play announcer John Schriffen, and just about everyone who watches baseball. He has set the table for second-year player Colston Montgomery, who is also hitting the lights out of the ball. Mune and Colston have homered together in seven games this season, the most by any teammates through 35 games in MLB history. As of publication, Murakami is tied with Aaron Judge for the MLB home run lead at 13, and Montgomery has nine on the season.
There is also heavy production coming from the bottom of the lineup. Newly called up catcher Drew Romo has hit his first three major league home runs in the last five days.
But it hasn’t just been the bats.
None of this would be possible without White Sox starting pitching and the bullpen starting to settle in. The Sox look to have a solid rotation in their top three starters: Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and 6’10” rookie Noah Schultz. Bullpen arms Bryan Hudson and Grant Taylor have also stepped up. They have moved from starting games to being reliable bridge guys. Seranthony Domínguez is beginning to show why the Sox finally invested in him as a closer.
While the bullpen is starting to look good, there are still questions with Leasure, Newcomb, Bido, and Hicks. They saw heavy usage early in the season when starters struggled to get out of the fourth inning. They still need to prove they can be reliable to keep all arms in the pen fresh. At the same time, starters Fedde and Kay, who had a great start on Sunday, need to prove they can even out the back end of the rotation.
Even in Sunday’s loss, this team has proven it has fight. Regardless of who they are facing, they feel they can win or at least be in every game they play. That confidence is important for a young team still trying to find its identity.
If they keep minimizing mental errors, play with consistent hustle, and lean on each other, the sky is the limit.
The Final Cut
This young core continues to be fun to watch and easy to root for. They are clicking at the right time, right before next week’s first meeting of the season with their crosstown rivals, the extremely hot Chicago Cubs. If this team can figure out how to consistently beat teams by any means necessary, like they have been, it might be scary hours for both teams in Chicago.
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