White Sox at Mariners (2/24): First Look at Anthony Kay, Can Sam Antonacci Stay Hot?

The White Sox' perfect spring training came to an end on Monday.

In a stroke of irony, the only team with a worse record than Chicago last season handed them their first exhibition loss. The Colorado Rockies edged them out with a 5-4 walk-off win. Nevertheless, the Sox' offense remained encouraging, as they finished the afternoon with 11 hits and a few more big plays.

Munetaka Murakami recorded two hits, including an impressive opposite-field double down the line off a lefty. Andrew Benintendi also had his best day yet with a pair of hits. The first start for reigning All-Star Shane Smith, however, left something to be desired. He started things off by hitting Brenton Doyle, then allowed a single to Ezequiel Tovar that advanced Doyle to third. This led to a quick score after the Hunter Goodman ground ball. Willi Castro proceeded to double to right field to score another run.

Did Smith finally gain some control from there? The opposite! Trey Johnston was the second hit batter of the inning. Smith may have been able to muster one more out, but his day was over before the first inning of his debut even came to an end.

Good thing it's only spring, huh!?

Game Info

Who: White Sox (3-1) vs. Seattle Mariners (2-2)
Where: Peoria Stadium
When: 2:10 PM CT
Watch: MLB.TV
Listen: ESPN 1000

White Sox Lineup

1. Curtis Mead, 1B
2. Edgar Quero, C
3. Austin Hays, LF
4. Lenyn Sosa, 3B
5. Sam Antonacci, 2B
6. Derek Hill, CF
7. Brooks Baldwin, RF
8. LaMonte Wade Jr., DH
9. Tanner Murray, SS

Who to watch?

Prospect Sam Antonacci got off to an electric start in Arizona. He already has 5 total bases to his name, as well as 3 RBIs, over his two games. The infielder sent a rocket over the outfield wall in his first contest of the 2026 campaign. When it comes to youngsters who could find themselves in the bigs sooner than later, Antonacci has to be on that list.

Speaking of long balls, Brooks Baldwin hit one of his own against the Athletics this weekend. The 25-year-old has become the forgotten man amid all the other young talent in this Sox system. Luisangel Acuna, in particular, has been talked about a lot as potentially stealing significant playing time in the outfield. Can Baldwin start to put an end to that noise?

Mariners Lineup

1. Brendan Donovan, 3B
2. Cal Raleigh, C
3. Julio Rodríguez, CF
4. Josh Naylor, 1B
5. Randy Arozarena, LF
6. Luke Raley, DH
7. Dominic Canzone, RF
8. Michael Arroyo, 2B
9. Colt Emerson, SS

On the Mound

White Sox – Anthony Kay, LHP

Anthony Kay is back in the States and ready to make his mark. Starting his career with the Toronto Blue Jays before stops inside the Mets and Cubs organizations, Kay found himself pitching overseas in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. Following a solid 2024 with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Kay had a full-blown breakout in 2025.

The left-handed pitcher started 24 games with a ridiculous 1.74 ERA. His ground ball rate sat at a staggering 55.8 percent, while his career-high 130 strikeouts ranked 11th-best in the NPB. Of course, no one expects Kay to post anywhere near the same elite numbers back in the majors, but there was enough there to warrant an extended look in an MLB rotation.

For what it's worth, White Sox have found success in the past giving players like Kay a chance. Many fans will remember the Sox taking a chance on Erick Fedde, who joined the team in 2024 after his short yet successful stint overseas.

Seattle Mariners – George Kirby, RHP

George Kirby has become a staple in the Seattle Mariners rotation over the years. He has recorded a 3.58 ERA in his 112 starts for the franchise, as well as a walk rate that sits at a mere 3.6 percent. The righty has some incredible versatility, recently balancing his pitches evenly between a fastball, slider, and sinker. All things considered, he represents the toughest starter this lineup has faced thus far in Spring Training.

With that said, Kirby is also coming off his worst season in the bigs. His ERA was bumped up to 4.21 over his 23 starts last season. The inconsistency was a surprise, but it may have also spoken to his injury trouble to begin the year. Will he return to form in 2026?