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Former Hogs' Star Benintendi has Hot Start with White Sox

Collegiate superstar again relevant for fantasy leagues with productive early season
Bob Stephens|
Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi (23) singles during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday.
Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi (23) singles during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Arkansas RazorbacksChicago White Sox

Andrew Benintendi has been written off as a flash-in-the-pan, an overrated No. 1 pick, and a former All-Star who'll never find his way back to the mid-summer classic known as Major League Baseball's All-Star game.

Other folks, and we'll call them the more informed bunch, point to Benintendi's sizzling second half last season and his productive start in 2025.

What is undisputable are Benintendi's statistics through seven games. The Chicago White Sox outfielder is hitting .320 with hits in six of seven starts.

He bashed two home runs while collecting six RBIs and four runs scored. He's walked twice and boasts an OPS (combining on-base percentage with slugging average) of .930.

MLB average is just .700, so the 30-year-old is enjoying a satisfying start. The former Razorback All-American wasn't even expected to answer the bell for opening day after suffering a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch in a spring training game.

But the tough-minded Cincinnati native set a goal of being ready for Game 1 and was able to meet that challenge much to the delight of first-year White Sox manager Will Venable.

He exceeded all expectations by healing in less than the 4-6 week time frame and was in the line-up, hitting third on March 27.

Most Arkansas fans at least remember hearing of Benintendi. The lucky ones are those who saw him post what is arguably the finest season ever by a Razorbacks hitter.

He won the most prestigious honor in college baseball in 2015 when he was named winner of the Golden Spikes Award.

His phenomenal 2015 numbers while playing for coach Dave Van Horn's Hogs included a slash line (average, on-base, slugging, on-base plus slugging) of .376/.488/.717/1.205. He had 20 home runs, 57 RBIs, 62 runs, 50 walks and stole 24-of-28 bases.

He was the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, taken by the Boston Red Sox.

The White Sox were counting on his production at the plate this season as they figure he's a cornerstone of their rebuilding project.

Benintendi had a terrific second half in 2024 with a .263/.328/.502 slash line to go with 13 home runs, 12 doubles and 38 RBIs. He was playing like an All Star, like the feared hitter he was at Arkansas.

He's enjoyed several highly productive seasons that included:
* Second in 2017 Rookie of the Year for American League.
* Gold Glove in 2021 for left field in American League.
* All Star in 2022 with AL's Kansas City Royals.

He was runner-up for Rookie of the Year to Aaron Judge, who'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

In many years, Benintendi would've won the award easily. He had 20 homers, 90 RBIs, 84 runs, 70 walks, 26 doubles and stole 20-of-25 bases. His slash line was .271/.352/.424/.776.

In his first two-plus seasons, Benintendi played in five postseason series with the Red Sox, three when they won the 2018 World Series. In 21 postseason games, he hit .272 with an OPS of .729, two homers, nine RBIs, 18 runs and two steals.

Benintendi is in the third season a five-year, $75 million deal. He's owed $47.5 million for the remainder of the contract.

So far, the sweet-swinging lefty has been earning that hefty paycheck as the most productive White Sox hitter. He's entrenched as the team's third hitter in the line-up and looking to post career numbers in 2025.

HOGS FEED:

• Despite being iced by SEC, major injury, Arkansas advances

• Arkansas claims best win In Deifel era; topples No. 2 Florida

• Hogs’ star freshman guard announces his decision

• Razorbacks' series opener against Missouri postponed due to poor weather

• Pittman impressed by Saili's emergence, DL finds depth with stars out

Published
Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56