White Sox Spring Training: Here Comes Acuña, Is Murray in the Mix? Bullpen Buzz, More
In this story:
The Chicago White Sox play a game this month!
With March 26 creeping up fast, the White Sox continue to show some serious signs of life during Cactus League play in Arizona. To be sure, no one will blame fans for entering the season with extremely cautious optimism, but there have been plenty of positives to discuss as spring training ramps up.
Let's get into a few of those, starting with another long ball for a suddenly hot White Sox batting order.
Luisangel Acuña Goes Yard
One of the White Sox' potentially underrated offseason additions returned to the lineup on Monday afternoon. Luisangel Acuña is back in the mix after missing a brief time with a cut above his eye. Only making his second start of spring, Acuña made the most of his first few opportunities with three hits and a stolen bag coming into Monday's matchup.
The 23-year-old can now add two more hits to his spring training stat sheet, as well as his first home run in a Sox uniform. The former Mets prospect took a high fastball for a strike before connecting on a sweeper that was low in the zone. He put some impressive power behind the swing, sending the ball 419 feet to left center field with a 104 mph exit velocity. In other words, the ball left the field FAST.
Unfortunately, the game isn't being broadcast for all to see (come on, CHSN), so fans will have to live with this still shot of Acuña's swing. It's a pretty one!
Luisangel Acuna goes deep for the first time this spring. 104 mph and 419’. 5-3 White Sox. pic.twitter.com/Hg71nrVzR3
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) March 2, 2026
Brooks Baldwin has put together his own strong spring, which will make the center field battle interesting as we head toward Opening Day. But there appears to be no doubt that Acuña has both the attention of this front office and coaching staff, and giving him ample playing time seems to be part of their plan for the youngster.
For what it's worth, Acuña struggled during his time in the majors last season. He recorded 175 at-bats with a lackluster slash line of .234/.293/.274. Still, he has more pop to his swing than last season's results suggest, and there is no denying his speed and potential versatility. The youngster projects to be one of the fastest players on the roster. With that in mind, it will be important to keep a close eye on him over the coming days. He should see plenty more playing time with five Sox players headed to WBC rosters.
Andrew Benintendi Injury Update
The White Sox got a scare when veteran Andrew Benintendi was scratched from the lineup this past weekend due to right-side soreness. Nevertheless, the outfielder gave an update to MLB's Scott Merkin ahead of Monday's game, saying that he has been swinging a bat and has his sights set on a return later this week. Benintendi even said that he would likely play on the injury had it been the regular season, eliminating much of the concern.
Andrew Benintendi took swings yesterday and plans to do so again today. Said he would be playing if it was regular season, but no reason to rush things on March 2. He should be back after Wednesday's off-day.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 2, 2026
Obviously, a lot of the attention during this 2026 campaign will fall on the Sox' long list of young players. But Benintendi can not be overlooked. If anything, his presence is even more valuable now with so many developing players in the mix. He can be a real leader both in the locker room and in the dugout. Speaking of which, he has already put together a decent spring with five total bases in his seven at-bats. Four of those bases have come off a pair of doubles.
Is Tanner Murray Officially in the Mix?
Acquired in a trade this winter with the Tampa Bay Rays, Tanner Murray was immediately touted by GM Chris Getz for his versatility. It's something the front office leader has clearly wanted to invest in over the last handful of months, and Murray has so far made it look like a smart move. The infielder has experience playing all over the infield, and the Sox have already started him at two of those positions this spring.
All things considered, this flexibility and defensive reliability will surely stand out as the team weighs the Opening Day roster. But that isn't the only reason Murray has given the Sox reason to seriously consider him for an immediate big league role.
Only three White Sox batters have hit two balls over the fence in Arizona, and one of them is Murray. He now has four hits, six RBIs, and two walks over his seven games played. Is it the most impressive game log? Not necessarily, but it's enough to strengthen his argument.
Tanner Murray continues to mash. White Sox tied at 2, as Braden Montgomery (1B) scores on the blast. pic.twitter.com/Ig2FIKnGem
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) February 26, 2026
Murray also saw quite an impressive jump in his power during his Triple-A play in 2025. Over his 137 games played, he hit a career-high 18 homers to go along with 58 RBIs. To be sure, he doesn't project to be the most explosive bat, but there is a well-roundedness to Murray's game that is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Will he be an everyday guy for the Sox this season? No, but he certainly feels like someone they may be able to trust moving in and out of the lineup.
Bullpen Buzz
While plenty of questions remain about the White Sox' starting rotation, the bullpen could have almost all the answers.
The Sox will enter 2026 with no shortage of high-octane young arms who are ready for a taste of big league action. Grant Taylor remains the headliner, coming off a strong 2025 season where his wicked fastball was on full display. His spring has picked up right where he left off, as he's recorded four strikeouts with only three hits and zero earned runs allowed. On Monday, he made his third appearance of the spring and threw three pitches that clocked in at 100+ mph.
Grant Taylor pitched today!
— Sean Anderson (@Sean_W_Anderson) March 2, 2026
Graph: @Tjstats pic.twitter.com/ef1TLNKWlW
Mike Vasil is also a popular name who many expect to take another step in the right direction this season. Appearing in 47 games during his rookie campaign, Vasil can attack batters in numerous ways. He essentially uses five pitches but can go as deep as six with his change-up, and this is a big reason why he finished 2025 with a 2.50 ERA.
To be clear, both Taylor and Vasil are viewed as starters in the making. They both have the stuff to take on a meaningful rotational role as soon as this season. However, it's more than likely that both spend the majority of the year in the bullpen, where they should be called upon plenty.
Seranthony Dominguez, Jordan Hicks, and Jordan Leasure are three other names that fans should expect to see throwing heaters late in games. Sean Newcomb could also find himself in the mix later in the year, as his best stuff in 2025 came in a relief role. The White Sox, however, seem to be testing him out as a rotation piece for now.
And we haven't even mentioned the farm system yet! Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, Tanner McDougal, and David Sandlin are all guys who could finally get a taste of the bigs in the coming months. All in all, this is a franchise overflowing with options out of the bullpen, and it very well could prove to be their ultimate strength this season.
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.
Follow Schuster_Elias