Sam Antonacci

Sam Antonacci
Antonacci with the Chicago White Sox in 2026
Chicago White Sox – No. 17
Left fielder / Second baseman
Born: (2003-02-06) February 6, 2003 (age 23)
Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 15, 2026, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2026 season)
Batting average.277
Home runs8
Runs batted in48
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Samuel Joseph Antonacci (born February 6, 2003) is an American professional baseball left fielder and second baseman for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2026.

Early life and amateur career

Antonacci grew up in Springfield, Illinois where he was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Antonacci attended Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield where he batted .533 as a senior in 2021 and had a career .477 batting average. After graduating, he played two seasons of college baseball at Heartland Community College. As a sophomore in 2023, he hit .515 with 14 home runs, 103 RBI, and 32 doubles and was named the NJCAA Division II Baseball Player of the Year. After the 2023 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and transferred to Coastal Carolina University. For the 2024 season with Coastal Carolina, he hit .367 with six home runs and 47 RBI.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Antonacci was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round (140th overall) of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team for $572,500. Antonacci made his professional debut after signing with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, hitting .333 with 14 RBI over 23 games.

Antonacci opened the 2025 season with the Winston-Salem Dash. He was named the White Sox Minor League Player of the Month in June. In July, he was promoted to the Birmingham Barons. Over 116 games played, Antonacci hit .291 with five home runs, 57 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League with the Glendale Desert Dogs. Across 19 games, he hit .378 with three home runs and was named an All-Star alongside leading the league with 28 hits and 24 runs. Antonacci was assigned to the Charlotte Knights to open the 2026 season and batted .313 with two home runs across 14 games.

Major leagues

On April 15, 2026, Antonacci was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut that night at Rate Field as the White Sox' starting second baseman versus the Tampa Bay Rays and recorded his first MLB hit, a single off Cole Sulser, in his first major league at-bat. Antonacci's first MLB home run was an inside-the-park home run at Chase Field on April 22 off of Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson. He played in a total of 140 games during his 2026 rookie season and had a .277/.370/.396 slash line with eight home runs, 48 RBI, and 25 stolen bases. Antonacci made his postseason debut as Chicago's starting left fielder in Game 1 of the 2026 American League Wild Card Series and finished the series 2-for-7 as the White Sox swept the Houston Astros.

International career

Antonacci played for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

References

  1. ↑ Kepner, Tyler (June 19, 2026). "For years, the White Sox took their lumps. Now they've found an expert in Sam Antonacci". The Athletic. New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  2. ↑ "The State Journal-Register Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts".
  3. ↑ "Sam Antonacci of Heartland named DII Player of the Year". June 26, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Sam Antonacci - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Armed with MLB's most improved system, White Sox eyeing not-so-distant future". MLB.com.
  6. ↑ "SHG graduate, Sam Antonacci, drafted by Chicago White Sox". July 15, 2024.
  7. ↑ "SHG grad Antonacci drafted by White Sox in 5th round".
  8. ↑ "White Sox's Sam Antonacci: Reaches 45 steals". CBS Sports. September 10, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Antonacci, Reyes finding consistency, success in White Sox minor leagues". July 3, 2025.
  10. ↑ Ankony, Jack (July 3, 2025). "High-A Infielder Named Chicago White Sox Minor League Player of the Month". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  11. ↑ "White Sox rookie Shane Smith's promising start turns ugly". July 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Springfield Topic Double-A Birmingham | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News". WICS.
  13. ↑ Callis, Jim. "White Sox top-ranked prospect gearing for impact in the South Side at Fall League". MLB.com. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  14. ↑ "MLB's No. 2 prospect headlines Arizona Fall League Week 3 top performers". MLB.com. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  15. ↑ Gonzales, Mark (February 22, 2026). "White Sox prospect Sam Antonacci showing how he can 'create havoc'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  16. ↑ "SCHULTZ, ANTONACCI CALLED UP TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  17. ↑ "White Sox call up prospect Sam Antonacci from Triple-A". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 15, 2026. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  18. ↑ Merkin, Scott. "Antonacci vows to give his all on South Side (you can give him a nudge if he's not)". MLB.com. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  19. ↑ Merkin, Scott. "That's one way to get your first career home run". MLB.com. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Sam Antonacci Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Antonacci fell on purpose, and the White Sox have been rising ever since". MLB.com. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ Terranova, Rob (March 12, 2026). "A full breakdown of the top prospects at the World Baseball Classic". MLB.com. Retrieved February 6, 2026.