Sam Antonacci Earns First Award with White Sox, And It's Very Fitting
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Amid what has been a surprising season for the Chicago White Sox, one player has especially stood out for his hustle and hard work: Left fielder Sam Antonacci.
Granted, the whole team has shown the kind of hustle and heart that has been lacking in previous years, but Antonacci has been on a different level.
MLB announced its annual Heart and Hustle award winners for each team on Friday. To little surprise of fans, Antonacci was Chicago's recipient. He has shown extra effort on the base paths and in the field all year, even if it didn't necessarily go Chicago's way.
He's been caught stealing six times this season and has been thrown out at the plate more times than you want, but he's offered the energy that Will Venable and Chris Getz like to see.
Congratulations to the recipients of this year's @MLBPAA Heart & Hustle Award! 👏 pic.twitter.com/l8bkz4IHVb
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 7, 2026
Sam Antonacci's Well-Deserved Win
It's impressive as a rookie to show this level of leadership, hustle, and grit. And that was evident in the MLB's announcement. Antonacci was the only rookie in the American League to win this award and one of three rookies in MLB to win it, with St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt and New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge joining him.
Antonacci was a fifth-round pick by the White Sox in 2024 out of Coastal Carolina University. After his quick rise through the minors, Antonacci was called up early in the 2026 season. In 2026, Antonacci has been one of Chicago's best hitters. Through 94 games, he is slashing .278/.366/.410, with increasing power and the ability to hit lefties.
After not hitting a home run out of the park through his first couple of months (he hit an inside-the-park home run earlier in the year), he has hit seven home runs since June 14. Pair that with 14 stolen bases and the ability to consistently get on base, and you've got yourself a sparkplug at the top of the lineup.
Part of this honor is also likely about his effort in left field. Antonacci had not touched the outfield grass until this year, and while he hasn't thrived (-5 Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant), he has done an admirable job for someone who was never a true outfielder.
He isn't the fastest (74th percentile sprint speed) or the strongest (29th percentile hard-hit rate), but he gets the job done and plays with great hustle, awareness, and heart. He makes great contact with the ball and doesn't strike out, as well.
Antonacci has proven himself as a mainstay in the future White Sox lineup with his great play, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Could more awards be in his future?
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Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer has a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He loves sports more than anything in the world.