One of the most exciting promotions the White Sox unveiled on Friday is an alumni home run derby, set to take place after the team’s July 11 matchup against the Athletics.
Now the question remains: who will participate?
The franchise has a long list of power hitters, with 23 players who have hit 100-plus home runs in a White Sox uniform and five who have eclipsed the 200 mark. With that in mind, here are some of the best fits to take part in the derby.
Jim Thome
Jim Thome is one of just 27 players in MLB history to reach 600 career home runs. Of his 612 homers, 134 came with the White Sox. While Thome is best known for his years in Cleveland, he still maintains strong ties to Chicago, serving as a special assistant to general manager Chris Getz.
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Thome also delivered some of the most memorable swings in White Sox history. He hit his 500th career home run with a walk-off against the Angels, and in the 2008 “Blackout Game,” he launched a solo shot—the team’s only run—in a 1–0 victory over the Twins, clinching the division and a postseason berth in a winner-take-all Game 163.
The 55-year-old Peoria, Illinois, native can still swing it, as evidenced by clips of him taking batting practice during Spring Training over the past couple of years, and he would be an exciting addition to the derby.
Carlos Quentin
Carlos Quentin may not have the star power of some of the other names on this list, but he made the most of his four seasons on the South Side.
In his first year with Chicago, Quentin made an immediate impact. Through 130 games, he led the American League with 36 home runs, drove in 100 RBIs, posted a 5.8 WAR and a .965 OPS, and hit .288—production that earned him a fifth-place finish in MVP voting.
Quentin was arguably one of the most unlikely MVP candidates in White Sox history and may have had a legitimate shot at the award if not for one infamous moment. On Sept. 1, 2008, Quentin fouled off a pitch he believed he could have crushed. Frustrated, he struck his own wrist with the bat, fracturing it and ending his season.
While Quentin finished the game, the injury was revealed the following day and sidelined him for the remainder of the year. The White Sox still managed to sneak into the postseason—thanks in part to Jim Thome’s heroics—but Quentin’s injury remains one of the biggest “what if” moments of that era.
Quentin went on to hit 20-plus home runs in each of his final three seasons with Chicago, earning two All-Star selections along the way. His 107 home runs with the White Sox rank 20th in franchise history, a reminder of how impactful his brief but memorable tenure was.
José Abreu
While Abreu took what appears to be his final MLB at-bat in 2024, he remains one of the most prolific hitters in White Sox history.
The White Sox brought Abreu back last season to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, opening the door to potentially welcoming him back again for a home run derby.
Abreu’s 243 home runs across nine seasons on the South Side are the third most in franchise history.
On March 31, 2014, a 27-year-old Abreu stepped into a major league batter’s box for the first time and ripped the first pitch he saw into right field for a double.
Nine years and 1,445 hits later, Abreu collected an American League Rookie of the Year Award, the 2020 AL Most Valuable Player honor, and three Silver Slugger Awards. He also ranks 14th in franchise history in games played, fifth in RBIs, fourth in doubles, and sixth in slugging percentage.
While Abreu’s teams didn’t always find success, there was no denying his ability to deliver in big moments. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Abreu hit .310 with 264 RBIs and 33 home runs. In close, late-game situations—often against an opponent’s top relievers—he recorded 189 hits, 31 of which went for home runs.
Add in his power, experience, and legendary status on the South Side, and Abreu is a natural choice to make the derby must-watch television.
Frank Thomas
It would be hard to justify a home run derby without the Big Hurt.
Thomas is arguably the greatest player in White Sox history and one of baseball’s premier sluggers of the 1990s and early 2000s. Over 16 seasons with Chicago, Thomas amassed a franchise-leading 448 home runs, drove in 1,465 RBIs, and posted a .307 batting average.
His combination of power and consistency made him a perennial threat at the plate, earning five All-Star selections, four Silver Slugger Awards, back-to-back MVP honors in 1993 and 1994, and eventual induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Even at 57, Thomas still looks capable of launching homers, and the alumni derby would be the perfect opportunity to see if all those Nugenix commercials he’s appeared in have any real effect.
Paul Konerko
Can you really justify having an alumni home run derby without Paul Konerko?
The former White Sox captain and franchise icon was a cornerstone of Chicago’s lineup for 16 seasons, leaving a mark that few players can match. Konerko ranks second in franchise history with 432 home runs and was a central figure in the team’s 2005 World Series championship, famously catching the final out to seal the title.
Over his career, he earned six All-Star selections, captured the ALCS MVP award, and delivered unforgettable moments on the biggest stage, including a grand slam in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series.
Known for his consistency, power, and toughness, Konerko was a steady force in the middle of the lineup for more than a decade.
Konerko returned to 35th and Shields last season to take a few swings for the Savannah Bananas in front of a crowd of 80,000 fans. Why not bring him back and let him go head-to-head with some of his fellow White Sox legends in the alumni home run derby?
