The White Sox are in San Francisco, for my first MLB TV series blackout of the year! Here are the series details,
• Friday, 7:15, RHP Davis Martin (6-1, 1.61) vs. Trevor McDonald (2-0, 2.37)
• Saturday, 1:05, RHP Erick Fedde (0-4, 4.30) vs. Adrian Houser (2-4, 5.25)
• Sunday, 1:05, LHP Noah Schultz (2-3, 4.93) vs. Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.28)
Like the Giants, the White Sox had Thursday off.
The White Sox are one of only 5 teams in the American League with a winning record. At 25-24, they are 3½ games back of the Guardians. Remember, they were 60-102 last season. So, who are these guys?
⚾️ 1B Munetaka Murakami (33, 17 HR), 2B Chase Meidroth (11), SS Colson Montgomery (31, 13 HR), 3B Miguel Vargas (29, 11 HR)
⚾️ RF Jarred Kelenic (4), CF Tristan Peters (12), LF San Antonacci (9)
⚾️ C Drew Romo (7), DH Andrew Benintendi (21)
⚾️ bench: C Edgar Quero, IF Luisangel Acuña, OF Randal Grichuk, OF Derek Hill
⚾️ rotation: Martin, Fedde, Schultz, Anthony Kay (3-1, 4.27), Sean Burke (2-3, 4.08)
⚾️ co-closers Seranthony Dominguez and Grant Taylor, set up Sean Newcomb
The rest of the bullpen includes Jordan Hicks, whom the White Sox got from the Red Sox by trade last February, agreeing to take $16M of the remaining $24M on the contract he signed with the Giants. Hicks has 20 appearances, 17.2 IP, a WHIP of 2.09, all of which saddens me. I loved that guy’s grit, and hope he can turn it around.
And we will get a look at slugger Munetaka Murakami, late of the Tokyo Swallows, whom nobody in MLB offered a very good deal to, so he took a 2/$34M deal with the Sox. Here’s a Sarah Langs level factoid, but from Wikipedia: “He hit his first MLB double on May 4 after 14 previous home runs, setting the record for most home runs hit to begin a career before hitting a double or triple.”
Note also the name Tristan Peters, whom the Sox got from the Rays for “cash considerations” or “PTBNL” last December. You may remember his name, as when the Giants flipped injured reliever Trevor Rosenthal to the Brewers in 2022, they got Peters in return and sent him to AA. Because of a Rule 5 crunch in Tampa, Peters was traded to the Rays that fall, in return for their 40-man player Brett Wisely. Peters got a promotion to the Rays late in 2024, going 0-12 in 4 games, and was released that fall. Traded, as mentioned to the Sox for peanuts, but he made their team, and got his first MLB hit in 2026, against his original Brewers. Circle of life story, that. And it shows what perseverance can do. He’s a regular, appearing in 46 games so far.
The Giants have recently activated two relievers from the injury list. Sam Hentges has been with Cleveland long enough to have been an Indian, and signed a 1/$1.4M deal with the Giants last winter. He’s back now from shoulder and knee surgeries, and as a lefty, figures to be important to the Giants as the year continues. Joel Peguero was an international signing by the Rays back in 2015, and played in multiple minor league systems: Rays, Rockies, Nationals, Tigers, before signing a minor league contract with the Giants in 11/2024. He pitched for the R’Cats until the Giants bullpen was decimated by trading deadline deals, and thus made his MLB debut for the Giants on August 10th last year. Ten years in the minors! Never give up on your dreams!! Baseball Savant ranks Peguero in the 99th percentile for speed, as his fastball averages 99.2 mph. He has made 7 appearances in 2026: 7.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 walks (WHIP 0.71) with 2 strikeouts. That’s a promising return, so let’s give Joel the Picture of the Post, to wish him well as the season progresses.
