{"id":589620,"date":"2026-02-24T06:12:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T06:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/589620\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T06:12:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T06:12:28","slug":"chicago-white-sox-newcomer-labeled-as-dark-horse-to-make-2026-opening-day-roster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/589620\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago White Sox newcomer labeled as dark horse to make 2026 Opening Day roster"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago White Sox are one of the more intriguing teams throughout Spring Training, as there is a lot of roster variance heading into Opening Day. With such a young team, there are going to be opportunities for a lot of players to get playing time in the bigs. However, there are only 26 players who can be part of the Opening Day roster when the team heads to Milwaukee to begin the season.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a deeper dive into who could be the team\u2019s dark horse to make the Opening Day roster.<\/p>\n

Jarred Kelenic is labeled as the dark horse to make the Chicago White Sox roster
\n\"JarredApr 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Jarred Kelenic (24) hits a single against the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

MLB\u2019s Scott Merkin wrote how he believes outfielder Jarred Kelenic is the dark horse candidate<\/a> to make the White Sox roster on Opening Day. Below is his snippet explaining why he believes this:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been past moments when the left-handed hitter has jooked like the sixth pick overall in the 2018 Draft that he was, but the White Sox want greater consistency across a full season from Kelenic. They believe their squad is the right fit, with Kelenic working with Ryan Fuller, the team\u2019s director of hitting, during much of the offseason. He\u2019s in a battle to make the active roster but could be a significant contributor if he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelenic was limited to only 24 games last season with the Atlanta Braves, but as a story of his young career, he has been unable to hit in the big leagues. He is entering his sixth season and has a .658 OPS with 49 home runs, 156 RBI, 161 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases on 45 attempts across 407 career games with the Braves and Seattle Mariners.<\/p>\n

He would wind up signing a Minor League deal<\/a> with a non-roster invite last month. The outfield for the White Sox is going to be a tough battle as he is competing for a roster spot with names such as:<\/p>\n

Andrew Benintendi
\nBrooks Baldwin
\nAustin Hays
\nLuisangel Acuna
\nEverson Pereira<\/p>\n

It will be intriguing to see how the White Sox decide to create their roster out of Spring Training. This also lies on Kelenic\u2019s ability to have an excellent spring to make the decision even more difficult for the White Sox brass.<\/p>\n

\"Colson<\/p>\n

Colson Montgomery reflects on his 2025 season with the Chicago White Sox
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