Sam Antonacci had just 14 games in Triple-A under his belt before getting called up to the show. Since then, few rookies have been asked to do as much as the 23-year-old. He’s adjusting to major league pitching while simultaneously learning a new position and setting the table as the Chicago White Sox everyday leadoff hitter.
That’s a tall order for any rookie, but Antonacci hasn’t just met expectations; he’s quickly emerged as a legitimate American League Rookie of the Year contender, posting a 132 wRC+ through his first 76 games, one of the best marks among AL rookies.
On Friday, Antonacci continued his impressive rookie campaign by launching a two-run homer off Blue Jays right-hander Spencer Miles for his seventh home run of the season. He added a single in the fifth inning and later scored his second run of the game in the White Sox’s 12-4 onslaught in Toronto.
By the end of the night, Antonacci was slashing .289/.382/.430. Yet despite putting together one of the American League’s best rookie seasons, he isn’t even among the top five betting favorites for AL Rookie of the Year. The current frontrunner is Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle, who entered the All-Star break as the overwhelming Vegas favorite at -245.
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McGonigle’s numbers are hardly overwhelming by comparison. He’s slashing .283/.392/.420 with just one more home run and 34 RBIs, compared to Antonacci’s 29. Unlike Antonacci, McGonigle is on a losing team, while the Italian Stallion has emerged as one of the key contributors on a first-place White Sox club.
While McGonigle does own a higher WAR and certainly deserves to be a frontrunner, what Antonacci has done is arguably more impressive considering the circumstances.
He leads the White Sox in batting average and on-base percentage and ranks third on the team with 77 hits. Not only that, he has done everything the White Sox have asked of him at the top of the lineup. He gets on base at a high clip, rarely strikes out, and keeps the line moving.
While Antonacci doesn’t draw many walks, he consistently works good at-bats and is a pest for opposing pitchers because he doesn’t expand the strike zone. He ranks in the MLB’s 89th percentile in chase rate, 92nd percentile in whiff rate, and has struck out in just 15% of his plate appearances, a mark that ranks in the league’s 80th percentile.
The fact that Antonacci owns a .381 on-base percentage is even more impressive considering he is walking at just a 7% rate, one of the lowest marks in the MLB. But he has found another way to consistently reach base by refusing to get out of the way of errant pitches. His 18 hit-by-pitches this season lead the majors, adding another layer to his ability to grind out at-bats and create opportunities for the White Sox offense.
In an era defined by power hitters willing to trade strikeouts for home runs, Antonacci represents a different type of offensive weapon every lineup needs. His hits are not coming cheap either. Antonacci’s .297 expected batting average ranks in the MLB’s 97th percentile.
He is doing all of this while playing out of position in left field. Antonacci is an infielder by trade, but has handled the outfield well, despite learning on the fly.
The White Sox have seen firsthand how difficult that transition can be. Andrew Vaughn, a natural first baseman, was thrust into the outfield after reaching the majors and struggled to adjust to the defensive demands of a new position. His production at the plate also failed to match the expectations that came with being selected No. 3 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.
As the season wore on, questions emerged about whether the added workload of playing the outfield every day was impacting Vaughn’s performance and potentially slowing his development. Antonacci has been given similar built-in excuses and hasn’t needed a single one.
Not only has Antonacci handled the position well, but he has also delivered several highlight-reel catches along the way. While his range remains a work in progress, the White Sox have been able to offset some of those limitations with Tristan Peters covering ground in center field and taking pressure off the corners.
The Rookie of the Year race will ultimately be decided by voters, not oddsmakers. And while Antonacci is making a compelling case, he’s also battling Munetaka Murakami, a media darling with serious firepower of his own.
But if you’re hunting for real value, Antonacci is the bet. The Italian Stallion has shown he belongs whether it is setting the table at the top of the order, grinding out at-bats, or adjusting to whatever role the White Sox asks of him.
