Andrew Benintendi Hits Career Milestone During Powerful Start To 2025 Season
CHICAGO – Andrew Benintendi has experienced both ends of the baseball spectrum, winning the 2018 World Series with the Boston Red Sox and losing a modern-era record 121 games last season with the White Sox.
That's impacted the mindset he approaches the game with in his 10th MLB season and third on the south side.
"I try to be the same guy," Benintendi said. "Obviously there’s times when I’m frustrated but it’s baseball, it’s part of the game. You can do everything right and still get an out. You can do everything wrong and get a hit. You just kind of take it for what it is."
Benintendi hit Minnesota Twins' starter Chris Paddack's changeup 401 feet for a home run during Monday's 9-0 win at Rate Field. He didn't realize initially that he had just reached a milestone, hitting the 100th home run of his career.
But for Benintendi, a strong start to the 2025 season means more than the career achievement.
"Not too much, to be honest. At the time, I didn’t really know until Austin Slater said something," Benintendi said of his 100th home run. "But I don’t know. It’s cool to see."
Through four games, Benintendi has two home runs, three hits, six RBI, a 1.026 OPS and just two strikeouts. Though the sample size is still very small, it's an improvement from his 3-for-32 start at the plate in 2024. It's also the first time in his career that he's hit two home runs in the first four games of a season.
"I usually get off to a super slow start," Benintendi said. "... So it’s good to get that number already."
"I feel pretty good. I think that, all things considered, it’s going pretty well. I know I'll have to sprinkle in a single every once in a while because you can’t rely on the homer. I’m hitting the ball hard, but a few balls hit hard for outs."
Benintendi's career numbers have gone up and down too. He averaged 16.5 home runs per season from 2017-21, excluding the 2020 season when he played just 14 games. On Tuesday, Benintendi recalled his first career home run off of Detroit Tigers' closer Shane Greene on Aug. 21, 2016.
"I was kind of surprised when that one went out because I got jammed on a little bit and I was like, ‘Oh, these are big-league baseballs,'" Benintendi said. "I remember that being my thought. It was a long time ago and finally got to 100."
Benintendi had a .273 batting average across his first five MLB seasons and posted a career-high .304 average in a 2022. Despite being an All-Star that year, Benintendi's home run total dropped to just five across 126 games. He hit five home runs again in 151 games during the 2023 season, his first with the White Sox after signing a five-year $75 million contract, but maintained a .262 average.
After prioritizing batting average, Benintendi focused more on power in 2024 and belted 20 home runs, tied for the most in his career with his 2017 season. So far, Benintendi's 2025 season has come with more slug, .692, but a lower average, .230. That speaks to the evolution of his approach at the plate and the awareness he's gained over the course of 1,035 big-league games.
"I think I either have to hit .300 or run some homers out," Benintendi said. "And I think the pitching now is so good. Bullpens are so good, starters throw so hard. It’s not that I can’t hit .300, but I think it’s more attainable for me to hit for a little more slug than average. Ideally, you want to do both, which is obviously possible. If I can hit 25-30, that’d be awesome."
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Jack Ankony is the beat writer for “Chicago White Sox on SI.” He has been with the Sports Illustrated network since 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism in 2022. Follow Jack on Twitter @ankony_jack