The White Sox continued their good off-season today, as they made another quality signing. This time, help was added in the outfield, as the White Sox have reportedly signed outfielder Austin Hays to one year deal with a mutual option for 2027.
This is exactly what the doctor ordered, as the White Sox did not have much major league experience in the outfield. Hays will now likely join Andrew Benintendi and Luisangel Acuna in the outfield, with Everson Pereira rotating in as a fourth outfielder. This move could push Brooks Baldwin into a superutility role, but we will get more clarity with his role as Spring Training progresses.
With the addition of Hays, the White Sox have one of their better lineups since they last made the playoffs. According to his Baseball Reference projections for 2026, they have Hays slashing .263/.316/.428, adding 13 homeruns and 53 RBIs. This would be a nice addition to the White Sox lineup and it would take a lot of pressure off the younger guys to have to produce like that right away. I personally believe that he will hit more than 13 home runs, as Guaranteed Rate field is one of the more hitter friendly ballparks.
In 2025, Austin Hays had two games in which he hit two home runs and two games in which he had four RBIs.
I really like his attitude! pic.twitter.com/v1j2wJ0VNP
— White Sox Now (@WhiteSoxNow) January 31, 2026
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As we sit here on January 31st, there is a real possibility that 7 players hit 15 or more homeruns for the team next season. I would expect Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami, Kyle Teel, Andrew Benintendi, Austin Hays, and Lenyn Sosa all to hit over 15. This is something that White Sox fans aren’t used to.
Outside of that, Edgar Quero could surprise people with some pop, as he has always taken a bit of time to acclimate to a new level before starting to hit with some power. The only two mainstays that may not make it to 15 are Chase Meidroth and Acuna, but Acuna hit four home runs in one game in the Winter League, so you never know.
Por si se lo perdieron… Aquí les traemos el resumen de la noche histórica de Luisangel Acuña 😮💨
📹 @ivcnetworks#UnavidaUnaliga #LVBP pic.twitter.com/ngEaBf6TuR
— #UnaVidaUnaLiga ⚾️🇻🇪 (@LVBP_Oficial) January 11, 2026
While there may not be any AL MVP level hitters on the team this season, the most important thing is for the young players to continue to develop and make their way towards being all-stars, and hopefully to that MVP level. If Montgomery can continue to hit for power like he did last year, that would be huge, as he could easily put 35+ home runs on the board. I also believe that Teel will break out this season, and 20 home runs could be in his future, which could really help transform this lineup.
For the first time in a while, there isn’t going to be an “easy out” in the lineup, as the lineup is littered with solid veterans or former top-100 prospects. The White Sox may not make the playoffs this year, but they will certainly put up some runs.
