MESA, Ariz. — Manager Will Venable described the 2026 spring training as a “good camp” for the Chicago White Sox.
“I think you come in with a plan and you hope these guys get through it healthy,” Venable said Monday morning. “(We) feel like we’re leaving ready to go and that we accomplished a lot of things that we came in looking to do.”
The Sox fell 10-9 to the Athletics in the Cactus League finale on Monday at Hohokam Stadium. Designated hitter Lenyn Sosa had a three-run double in the first inning and drove in one more with a single in the sixth during the loss. The Sox finished 15-16-1 this spring.
The next destination is Milwaukee, where the Sox open the season Thursday against the Brewers.
With another spring in the books, here are three takeaways from Sox camp.
1. Munetaka Murakami showed his ‘adjustability.’
Japan’s Munetaka Murakami hits a grand slam during the eighth inning of a World Baseball Classic game between Japan and the Czech Republic on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
The two-time MVP of the Nippon Professional Baseball Central League had a busy spring, building up for his first major-league season with his work in Arizona and also playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Murakami went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run on Monday against the Athletics. He had a .276 average, going 8-for-29 with two doubles, one home run and three RBIs in nine games this spring.
His home run came in a previous game against the A’s on March 17 at Camelback Ranch.
“It was great to see the home run. As we saw him with his first stint here (before the WBC), we saw some of the adjustability, which was great to see at the plate,” Venable said last week. “And then obviously he had a productive WBC where he got into some balls and got the barrel there.
“So to see that in person, for him to come back and be at that spot is great. He looked great physically (and) mentally.”
Murakami is adapting well to playing first base.
“It seems like he got comfortable over there really quickly,” Venable said Monday. “Really good athlete that looks light on his feet over there, making good decisions, getting off the ball. There’s a ton of nuance over there that he’ll continue to learn.”
2. The development continued for young players like Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth.
Chicago White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth finishes warming up during spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
The Sox had second baseman Chase Meidroth and shortstop Colson Montgomery in the top two spots of the batting order on Monday.
Meidroth began the game with a walk and later scored on Sosa’s three-run double. He knocked in two runs with a double in the fourth. Montgomery went 1-for-2 with a walk.
One of the keys for 2026 will be the continued development of players such as Montgomery, Meidroth and catchers Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel after each experienced the big leagues for the first time in 2025.
Teel’s season debut will be delayed as he recovers from a right hamstring strain suffered on March 10 during the World Baseball Classic. He is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Venable, in general, has noticed the group’s ability to “get back on track a lot quicker” during an at-bat.
“(They are) guys who have an understanding of what they want to do with their swings, which gives you an opportunity to go up to the plate and play the game,” Venable said.
“I think that we’re seeing that with those guys that their swings are in a good spot, and they’re continuing to learn the game. Just seeing the young guys that have grown and understanding how their skill set plays in different situations.”
3. The Sox are preparing to showcase a rotation filled with ‘different looks.’
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Anthony Kay throws during the first inning of a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Anthony Kay summed up his final spring start on Monday as a “tough one.”
“The goal in spring training that we’ve talked about all spring is to get ahead,” Kay said. “That wasn’t what I did today.”
The left-hander allowed seven runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 3 2/3 innings against the A’s.
“Definitely going to look over it a little bit with the pitching staff and see what we can change,” Kay said.
Kay will now turn his attention to the regular season. He is scheduled to pitch Sunday’s series final against the Brewers. The rotation, in order, is Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Kay, Davis Martin and Erick Fedde.
“They are all a little bit different and give us some different looks,” Venable said of the five starters. “These guys all have something different that they can offer.
“They’ve all worked extremely hard putting themselves in a good spot to throw some really big innings for us up front here. (I’m) excited to see how it works.”