Several White Sox Players Already Making Their Mark on World Baseball Classic

A handful of Chicago White Sox players are competing for something a whole lot more important than a Cactus League Championship.

The World Baseball Classic is currently in full swing, with a pair of teams already advancing to the knockout round. Japan, who represent the defending champions, have unsurprisingly booked their ticket with a dominant Group C win. Korea has also advanced after being the group's runner-up. They shocked Team Australia in the final inning of their most recent matchup, securing the five-run margin of victory to move forward.

Speaking of which, this meant that Curtis Mead was the first White Sox player to see his WBC dreams come to an end. The Australian native was a key piece of the puzzle, starting each far at third base. He led his squad with five hits over the four contests, which included a monster homer in Australia's 5-1 win over Czechia.

While he may be headed back to Arizona earlier than expected, there is no question that his WBC run should have the Sox encouraged. The former Tampa Bay Rays infielder had a very strong spring after arriving in Chicago midway through the 2025 season. As congested as the Sox' infield is, Mead is expected to remain a part of the mix and likely see plenty of action at third base. The Sox even chose to send Tanner Murray down to Charlotte on Monday, further solidifying Mead's role on the big league roster.

More White Sox Making Noise in WBC

Curtis Mead's time may be done, but White Sox fans still have several players to keep a close eye on in the coming days. Team Italy features both Kyle Teel and Sam Antonacci, and each has come through huge during their start to the tournament.

Teel began his journey with a homer in Team Italy's exhibition matchup against the Cubs. He proceeded to start Game 1 of Pool Play against Brazil, recording two hits. One of those singles came after an impressive seven-pitch at-bat where he drew a full count. All things considered, it was an encouraging performance after his underwhelming camp. Fellow catcher Edgar Quero made far more of an impact over the first few weeks of Spring Training, raising some questions about who might see more playing time to begin the season.

As for Antonacci, his big-play attitude from Arizona made the trip to Houston. The second baseman had arguably the play of the tournament so far in Italy's win over Great Britain. Standing at the plate with a runner on first and a 1-1 count, he proceeded to rip a ball down the first base line for a triple. As he slid to the bag, however, the ball bounced past the Brits and into foul territory. Antonacci got right up, made a break for home plate, and completed the little league homer.

Sam Antonacci comes all the way around and it's now 7-2 Team Italy! 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/44AHsA7JHf
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026

Over in Miami is the White Sox' newest pitcher, Seranthony Dominguez. The former Blue Jays closer inked a surprise deal with Chicago this summer and will arguably be their most important bullpen arm. And, fortunately for manager Will Venable, he is looking the part with the Dominican Republic.

Dominguez has appeared in two games thus far, including Monday's dominant 10-1 victory over Israel. He came in to close things out in the bottom of the 9th, recording two quick strikeouts before running to first to assist on the final out of the game.

Seranthony Domínguez vs. Israel:

1.0 IP
0 H
0 R
0 BB
2 K

pic.twitter.com/NFx7aS5XWn
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) March 9, 2026

So, who is the fifth and final player fighting for the WBC crown? You got to save the best for last!

Munetaka Murakami didn't even need to do much to help Japan advance to the knockout round. He recorded a pair of hits and walks over his three performances, watching teammates Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki do most of the heavy lifting.

With that said, we all know Murakami has a knack for showing up when it matters most. He was a fundamental part of Japan's WBC win in 2023, hitting a home run in both the semi-finals and the championship. White Sox fans have yet to see him go yard since joining the team, so what better time for the first one than in a do-or-die game on the global stage?