It was a big year for infielders Colson Montgomery<\/a>, Miguel Vargas<\/a>, and Lenyn Sosa<\/a>. Montgomery, added to the 40-man roster in November 2024, had a rollercoaster season. The former first-rounder was demoted<\/a> to the ACL in the spring amidst a terrible slump, returned to Triple-A, and caught fire before moving<\/a> to Chicago.<\/p>\n Across just 71 contests, Montgomery blasted 21 home runs for the Sox, a total that nearly led the team despite the infielder not being in the Majors until July. It was the kind of performance that could make Montgomery, who elicited comparisons to Corey Seager<\/a> thanks to his size and power, the future everyday shortstop in Chicago for a long time.<\/p>\n Montgomery was one of several young hitters to join the MLB roster. Chase Meidroth<\/a> and Kyle Teel<\/a>, two of the four players acquired<\/a> in the Garrett Crochet<\/a> trade last December, were also promoted midseason. Both Meidroth (.329 OBP) and Teel (.375 OBP) had a knack for getting on base. So does Edgar Quero<\/a> (.333 OBP), also called up early in the year.<\/p>\n While Montgomery was a rookie, Sosa and Vargas were not. Both came into the year with Major League experience and were high-end prospects who hadn\u2019t established themselves as regulars. That changed in 2025, as Vargas (50 XBH) and Sosa (22 HR) were among the better power-hitters on the team.<\/p>\n For Sosa, the 25-year-old had a noticeable jump in average bat speed, from 70.8 MPH (2023) to 72.6 (2025). The 25-year-old loves to chase, still. However, he mashed on fastballs during the 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n YearHR off FastballsHR\/PA (Fastballs)202431.52025155.3<\/p>\n Vargas also saw a nearly one MPH average jump in bat speed. But aside from that, the 25-year-old \u2014 who struggled mightily in the Majors over his first two MLB campaigns \u2014 also put the ball in play more.<\/p>\n As for the pitching staff, there were many positive stories.<\/p>\n The biggest one was Shane Smith<\/a>, the first overall pick in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft<\/a>. Smith was part of a deep Brewers organization but is now a full-fledged member of the Sox after staying with the team the entire 2025 campaign. The right-hander struck out 145 over 146.1 IP, significantly limited well-hit contact, and became the White Sox\u2019s lone All-Star.<\/p>\n While Smith isn\u2019t the same kind of pitcher as Crochet, the 25-year-old became a building block. Teams had a very difficult time picking up Smith\u2019s four-seamer (.198 AVG, 25.2% Whiff%) for several reasons: it sat in the mid-90s and played up with extension, coupled with a deceptive release.<\/p>\n And, Smith had the changeup and curveball to play off it.<\/p>\n The White Sox also received quality pitching from others. Davis Martin<\/a> and Sean Burke<\/a> set career-highs in innings. Adrian Houser<\/a>, meanwhile, found renewed success with his sinker and was exceptional in terms of controlling well-hit baseballs. Houser posted a 200 ERA+ with the White Sox before he was traded<\/a> to the Rays.<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s bullpen, meanwhile, had depth. Hard-throwing hurler Grant Taylor<\/a>, along with Jordan Leasure<\/a> and Rule 5 pick Mike Vasil<\/a>, were very productive in the bullpen this season.<\/p>\n The Bad<\/p>\n Even though the White Sox\u2019s offense was much better in 2025, it still ranked among the league\u2019s worst.<\/p>\n Luis Robert Jr.<\/a> had a season to forget. The former All-Star slashed just .190\/.275\/.325 (.600 OPS) before the All-Star break, not exactly the kind of numbers one would have liked to see from the five-tool outfielder. Robert Jr. saw a lot of action outside of the strike zone; his 31 walks before the break were actually a single-season high for the 28-year-old. <\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t much of a surprise, given how thin the Sox\u2019s lineup was early on in the year. Once some of the high-end prospects came up, his numbers (.808 OPS across 125 PA) improved after the All-Star break. Unfortunately for Robert Jr., his season ended<\/a> in late August thanks to a hamstring strain.<\/p>\n Injuries were an unfortunate theme. Martin Perez<\/a> was limited to only 11 outings, while Drew Thorpe<\/a> (Tommy John<\/a>) missed all of 2025.<\/p>\n Early Projected Lineup for 2026<\/p>\n C: Edgar Quero<\/p>\n 1B: Curtis Mead<\/a><\/p>\n 2B: Lenyn Sosa<\/p>\n 3B: Miguel Vargas<\/p>\n SS: Colson Montgomery<\/p>\n OF: Andrew Benintendi<\/a> (LF), Luis Robert Jr. (CF), Brooks Baldwin<\/a> (RF)<\/p>\n DH: Kyle Teel<\/p>\n SP: Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon<\/a>, Davis Martin, Yoendrys Gomez<\/a><\/p>\n RP: Jordan Leasure, Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson<\/a>, Bryan Wilson, Steven Wilson<\/a>, Brandon Eisert<\/a>, Mike Vasil, Wikelman Gonzalez<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of room for improvement. The White Sox have two very good pitching prospects, Noah Schultz<\/a> & Hagen Smith<\/a>, on the cusp of the Majors. Braden Montgomery<\/a>, the switch-hitting power hitter acquired in December 2024 in the Crochet deal, is also close.<\/p>\n Chicago doesn\u2019t have much in the way of money on the books. Robert Jr. has two more club options, each at $20MM, that would keep him in town through the 2027 campaign. Andrew Benintendi is also under contract for two more years, while Martin Perez has a $10MM mutual option that likely won\u2019t be extended by both sides. Those are the only three players making $10+MM.<\/p>\n So, the White Sox \u2014 in theory \u2014 could add. However, would that make sense given their rebuilding status? Not likely.<\/p>\n Check out more of our MLB<\/a> coverage, including season recaps for the Athletics<\/a> and Orioles<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading\u2026<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/S-SMITH-FB-2025-1.gif\"\/)
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