White Sox to Give Shane Smith Full-Circle Moment with Opening Day Start

The Chicago White Sox will have an All-Star on the mound for Opening Day.

Ahead of their Spring Training meeting with the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon, the organization announced that Shane Smith will be on the bump in a few short weeks. The team is set to kick off its season on March 26 against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. The Opening Day start will be the first of Smith's career and will come in only his second season of big league action.

Likewise, the opportunity will represent a full-circle moment for the right-handed pitcher. Smith went unselected in the 2021 MLB Draft before inking a deal with the Brewers. He worked his way all the way up to the franchise's Triple-A system, only to be snatched by the White Sox in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft.

Smith proceeded to make the Sox selection look like a stroke of genius. He was easily the franchise's best arm in 2025, recording a 3.81 ERA in his 29 starts. He also posted 145 strikeouts and just 58 walks while going 7-8 on the year. The performance was strong enough to earn him a historic spot on the 2025 MLB All-Star team. Only Dan Uggla has ever managed to make an All-Star appearance the season after being a Rule 5 Draft pick. Smith was also just one of two rookies to suit up in the big event.

For what it's worth, Smith's stellar first year did hit a speed bump in the second half. He wasn't as effective over the final couple of months, but the overall productivity still spoke for itself. Smith has the makings of an extremely dependable and mature arm. While he may not be the most versatile thrower, he offers a very steady fastball and improved his change-up significantly last season.

Above all else, though, Smith seems to represent the kind of development and leadership that the organization is hoping to see from its many other young players.

“Someone from obviously a performance standpoint has put himself in that category of guys we want at the front of the rotation, but also as a teammate, he’s a guy that sets an example for our group and is really emerging as a leader in the clubhouse," Will Venable told reporters following the announcement.

White Sox Share the Moment Shane Smith Found Out

To celebrate the big news, the White Sox also shared a video of the moment Smith learned the news. Will Venable called him into his office, praising him for both his continued growth on the mound and in the clubhouse. When he finally shared that they wanted him to represent the squad on Opening Day, Smith was noticeably emotional.

"I wanted that so bad ... Thank you. I'm excited beyond belief," Smith says as he seems to fight off tears.

Ready to set the tone 🤝 pic.twitter.com/vtCWXWAxHB
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 8, 2026

For what it's worth, Smith's time in Arizona thus far has been a tad rocky. His first start, in particular, saw him lacking command and hitting two batters. Nevertheless, he settled in during his second go at things and allowed just one run and threw a pair of strikeouts.