White Sox' Most Glaring Question May Come at Center Field as Opening Day Looms

The Chicago White Sox' Opening Day lineup has not been particularly hard to predict.

While there is no question they have a handful of intriguing young prospects ready for a taste of big league action, many of those players were never destined to begin the year in the big leagues. Likewise, in the few positions where there were clear openings, the Sox signed an obvious fill-in this offseason. Munetaka Murakami was going to take over at first base, while Austin Hays was destined for right field.

Might there have been some questions about the starting rotation and bullpen depth? Sure, but those were never going to be answered by Opening Day. Again, the Sox have too many young arms expected to join the fold this year. Not to mention, arguably, no position experiences more change throughout the year anyway.

The only spot on the field that feels like it could be there for taking is center field. To be clear, the recently acquired Luisangel Acuña looks primed to begin 2026 alongside Andrew Benintendi and Hays. But there is also no question that he is the least proven of the three. Chicago just added him from the New York Mets in the Luis Roberts Jr. trade.

Might he have 109 big league games under his belt? Sure, but those performances have left something to be desired at the plate (.248/.293/.273), especially in the power-hitting department. Acuña also appeared in most of his Mets games at second base and shortstop. He may be rightfully considered a versatile defensive player, but the 24-year-old has only two games played at center field during his major league career. Is that enough to give him free rein of one of the most important positions on the field?

In all fairness, Acuña did have an awesome Winter League showing before continuing the positive vibes in Arizona. He has looked more than comfortable manning the outfield and has been incredibly consistent at the plate. Acuña has 17 hits and only 5 strikeouts in his 13 games. He's also stolen four bags, which is undoubtedly a big reason why the Sox want to give him a bigger runway this season. Acuña's speed is something few on this roster offer.

Luisangel Acuna of the Chicago White Sox — Mar 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox outfielder Luisangel Acuna against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Nevertheless, spring training isn't the regular season. We all know that. It's hard to go into 2026 and safely assume that Acuña will thrive in this spot. Is that the hope? Absolutely, but only time will tell. We also can't ignore the fact that the Sox do have several other options waiting in the wings.

Brooks Baldwin has looked very good in camp and has a level of familiarity with this clubhouse and Venable. Derek Hill is a veteran who was signed this offseason and has some elite defensive chops. Particularly when we consider that this is a franchise looking to set a far more competitive tone to start the season, it sure feels like early struggles may not be tolerated as much as they were in the past.

Speaking of which, we have yet to mention Braden Montgomery. The White Sox surprised some fans by sending the No. 1 prospect to Double-A to start 2026. While this may delay his trip to the majors slightly, the full expectation is that he gets a call-up in a matter of months. If anyone in this system is the future of the center field position, it would be Montgomery. However, what would that mean for Acuña? And how many starts would Montgomery really get if the team is stacking more wins?

Once again, chances are that Acuña runs out to center field next week in Milwaukee and stays there for the games to come. But out of any spot in the lineup, it sure feels center field could be the one to watch the closest as the season progresses.