4 Reasons for Hope After White Sox Split Series With Royals
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Despite what their 6-10 record might suggest, this season continues to feel a little different for the Chicago White Sox. They have put together a more balanced roster and continue to create room for their top prospects to make an impact. In fact, the team is fresh off trading Lenyn Sosa to the Toronto Blue Jays to open up playing time.
Whether this will all work out remains to be seen, but there is no question that fans have more reasons to be optimistic than in recent years. Their recent split series with the Kansas City Royals served as another example of that. Speaking of which, let's go over four reasons why this recent trip to Kauffman Stadium provided fans with some additional hope.
Only 8 Runs Allowed
Let me preface with this: The Kansas City Royals have been far from baseball's top scoring threat. They are currently tied as having the eighth-fewest hits and fourth-fewest RBIs. They may not be stacking up the Ks, but this offense has really struggled to make consistently good contact. With that in mind, the Sox' pitching staff was always going to look slightly better in this series.
Still, when we consider how ugly things were to begin the year, this felt like the kind of series that can give a team some confidence moving forward. They watched both Anthony Kay and Davis Martin go deep into the game and pitch arguably their best performances of the season. Both have now looked like genuinely dependable rotation members during their last two starts.
Even more notable, the bullpen was not a complete disaster! They have set a low bar for themselves early on this season, but it was still encouraging to see them limit the damage and ever close out a pair of games. The series finale, in particular, was an encouraging display for almost everyone.
Chicago went a staggering nine pitchers deep: Grant Taylor, Sean Newcomb, Jonathan Cannon, Brandon Eisert, Jordan Hicks, Bryan Hudson, Jordan Leasure, Lucas Sims, and Seranthony Dominguez all saw the mound. Newcomb, Cannon, and Eisert were responsible for all five of the team's runs. After that, the bullpen managed to hold the Royals scoreless for five innings and put the Sox in a position to steal the game late.
You also have to tip your cap to this Sox front office for not sitting on their hands. The pitching woes were blatantly obvious to begin the season, and they have not hesitated to go the trial-and-error route. We have watched them shuffle a lot of pieces over the last couple of series, calling up several arms in hopes of finding the right combination.
Of course, this will continue later this week, as Noah Schultz will officially make his MLB debut. The No. 2 prospect in the White Sox system will start the series against Tampa at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Colson Montgomery Trending Up?
Colson Montgomery may not look like the star the White Sox need him to be yet, but he provided some flashes this series. The infielder was a fundamental part of both victories against the Royals.
He first hit a sharp double to right field in the series opener that scored Munetaka Murakami, who showed some beautiful base-running. Then, in the finale, Montgomery recorded six total bases on two hits. He first hit another double in the third inning before a Tanner Murray homer brought him around the bags. Montgomery went on to send the first pitch he saw in the top of the fourth deep into right field for his third home run of the year.
All things considered, Montgomery has pretty easily been the Sox' best hitter with runners in scoring position. He is always a threat to make some very hard contact, but that's also worked against him at times. While you're always going to want someone with his power to swing with confidence, the walk rate remains incredibly low. He swings at a lot of early pitches and must cut down on the strikeouts to take the next big step forward.
By the way, Montgomery was hit by a pitch in the wrist on Sunday, which will be something to watch over the next couple of days. The good news is he had a day off on Monday and told reporters after the game that he was only experiencing some soreness. Still, not something you ever want to see right as a player gets going!
Dustin Harris Stands Out
When Austin Hays went down, the White Sox decided to go with Dustin Harris. While fans may not have been doing jumping jacks for his call-up, the former Texas Rangers outfielder deserves credit for making the most of his opportunity thus far.
No, Harris hasn't looked like a true game-changer, but he has checked a lot of the right boxes since first entering the lineup against Baltimore. Harris recorded a hit in two of his three outings against the Royals, which included a lead-off double in the seventh inning on Sunday. He would eventually advance to third on a sac bunt before scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Overall, Harris has three hits, three walks, two stolen bases, and only one strikeout over his first 11 at-bats. And that's to say nothing of his defensive effort! Known for his versatility in the outfield, Harris has been a needed presence for a young White Sox squad that has been known to make mistakes in the past.
During their latest victory, Harris single-handedly kept the Royals from tying things up late with a fantastic home run robbery of Michael Massey. He timed his jump perfectly and snagged the ball right atop the padding in right field.
Dustin Harris says, "MINE"
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) April 12, 2026
WHAT A CATCH 💪 pic.twitter.com/vEpHPEwdPC
When we consider that Brooks Baldwin has been lost for the season and Andrew Benintendi is destined to play less and less in the field, Harris may have an opening to carve out a long-term role. Everson Pereira and Austin Hays will eventually make their way back, but could Harris steal Derek Hill's spot moving forward? It sure feels like it if he keeps this up.
The Reinforcements Are Coming
It should only be a matter of time before the White Sox start to welcome back some key faces. Both Everson Pereira and Austin Hays were off to a good start this year, and Pereira's potential window for a return should open up later this week. Hays' hamstring issue could certainly prove more troubling, but the Sox determined it was only a Grade 1 strain.
Speaking of which, Kyle Teel should be inching closer to his 2026 debut after sustaining his hamstring strain in the World Baseball Classic. We have yet to receive a meaningful update on his status, but the original timeline gave fans reason to believe Teel could debut at some point in mid-August.
A handful of the Sox' top minor leaguers are also on the verge of hearing their names called. Noah Schultz has already earned himself a start this week, while rumors are swirling about Sam Antonacci joining the mix soon. Of course, a big league adjustment will come with some growing pains for these youngsters, but it's still exciting to know the Sox are finally ready to give guys a shot.
Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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