White Sox Opening Day Lineup: Batting Order Thoughts, Pitching Matchup, Injuries

Excuse my shouting ... THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER!

Chicago White Sox baseball is back, and the expectations are as high as they have been in years. While it's not necessarily a playoff-or-bust kind of season, the time is now for the team's young players to push the organization in the right direction. GM Chris Getz made that clear with his surprisingly aggressive offseason, which has led to the inclusion of several new names in this Opening Day lineup.

Let's take a look at the new group, as well as what we can expect from an All-Star pitching matchup!

White Sox Opening Day Lineup vs. Brewers (1:10 PM CT)

1. Chase Meidroth (2B)
2. Colson Montgomery (SS)
3. Miguel Vargas (3B)
4. Andrew Benintendi (DH)
5. Austin Hays (LF)
6. Munetaka Murakami (1B)
7. Everson Pereira (RF)
8. Edgar Quero (C)
9. Luisangel Acuña (CF)

All things considered, the Chicago White Sox starting squad looks like we thought it would for Game 1 of 162. The biggest difference comes in the order, which surprisingly features Munetaka Murakami batting sixth. While he may be set for his first-ever MLB game, most fans expected to see the slugger batting clean up. He has been arguably Japan's best power hitter for years, and manager Will Venable consistently used him in that No. 4 slot throughout spring training.

To be sure, the thought process here is most certainly to have flamethrower Misiorowski face a lefty in the most important spot in the order. But Murakami also has the potential to be the team's best fastball hitter, no matter which side of the plate he's standing on.

It was also a tad surprising to see Benintendi in the DH spot, thus making room for Everson Pereira in right field. Not many would have tagged him for the Opening Day start in the outfield, but it continues to underscore the organization's clear belief in his ability. Indeed, Pereira missed most of spring training and has struggled immensely during both his big league stints with the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox are banking on him turning a tide, and they are seemingly going to waste no time giving him the opportunity to do just that.

MLB's Scott Merkin shared one heck of a stat regarding Pereira's start: This is the 9th consecutive year the White Sox have gone with a different RF in their Opening Day lineup. The last time they had a repeat was in 2017-18 with Avisail Garcia.

So ... who should White Sox fans have their eye on the most this afternoon? While Murakami's debut will be a topic of conversation, Montgomery remains the most important player on this roster. He is trying to build off a stellar rookie campaign and finally started to find his groove at the end of camp in Arizona. On deck to start the game – where he will be consistently this season – Montgomery will have a chance to set an immediate tone for this hopeful White Sox squad.

Pitching Matchup

Chicago White Sox – Shane Smith (RHP)

Shane Smith revenge game time? The righty is coming off an All-Star rookie season, joining a short list of Rule 5 Draft picks to crack the big event in their first season. While he may not have had the highest-velocity fastball or the harshest breaking ball, Smith had good versatility and command. There is no question it was the kind of season that made his former team – the Milwaukee Brewers – regret seeing him go.

At the same time, we have to acknowledge how rough his spring training was. The good news is those games don't matter for a reason, and you'd much rather see Smith shake off the rust in Arizona than on the regular-season mound. Still, his lack of control raised some legitimate concerns, and we all know the Brewers' lineup is anything but an easy start for Smith in Year 2.

Milwaukee Brewers – Jacob Misiorowski (RHP)

The White Sox know Jacob Misiorowski's type well. A long-legged fastball throwing machine, the organization is hoping No. 2 prospect Noah Schultz can make a similarly explosive MLB splash once he is called up. Misiorowski has the potential to be one of the deadliest arms in the game, repeatedly reaching triple digits and recording a strikeout rate that sat in the league's 93rd percentile last season.

For the White Sox, today will be all about being disciplined at the plate. While they will be tempted to send one of Misiorowski's heaters deep, manager Will Venable must remind them of his control issues. The youngster has really struggled at times to keep balls in the zone, so much so that it forced him out of the starting rotation last season and into the bullpen.

Injuries Report

White Sox

- Perlander Berroa (elbow): 15-day IL
- Kyle Teel (hamstring): 10-day IL
- Brooks Baldwin (elbow): 10-day IL
- Drew Thorpe (elbow): 10-day IL

Brewers

- Akil Baddoo (quad): 60-day IL
- Quinn Preister (wirst): 15-day IL
- Rob Zastryzny (shoulder): 15-day IL
- Craig Yoho (calf): 15-day IL
- Jackson Chourio (hand): 10-day IL
- Steward Berroa (shoulder): 10-day IL