The White Sox rebuild of 2017-2022 failed for many reasons, but one was the organization’s hitting philosophy. The team used more of a one-size-fits-all approach geared toward hitting line drives to the opposite field. The logic made some sense — with this goal, being early on a fastball could result in a pulled fly ball with a high exit velocity. The downside, of course, is that a hitter making his best contact to the opposite field generally leads to worse outcomes than pulling the ball or going toward center field. Opposite field approaches are generally good for hitting singles, but not for higher end outcomes.
Moreover, the idea of encouraging this for all of the team’s top prospects, as was consistently reported, made less sense. Tim Anderson, for example, may have been a good player for this, but Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert Jr. were not. While it was certainly not the only reason the White Sox had underwhelming performance in the long run from the highly-touted core, it is easy to see as a negative force.
The organization’s mindset toward hitting may have been best summarized by former hitting coach Frank Menechino‘s viral quote after Andrew Vaughn‘s first MLB home run. For those who have blocked it from their memories, Menechino said:
“I’ve told Andrew to hit .300. I don’t care if you don’t hit one home run. Hit .300, work on hitting .300. Everybody wants to see the home run. … I don’t want to get excited, but f— the home run. Let’s hit .300. Then we will worry about the other stuff later.”
Source: Sports Illustrated
Between this and similar reports about then-manager Tony La Russa instructing players that he is only “looking for a single” before their plate appearances, it is no wonder that the 2022 White Sox hit more singles than any other team since 2017, something that was worrisome even during the season:
I cannot accept that the entire White Sox roster (including the players having good seasons) suddenly forgot how to hit home runs and became singles machines that rarely strike out relative to the rest of the league. Obviously, the coaching has had an impact there.
Only one offseason change can fix the White Sox, August 29, 2022
But that is all in the past. The 2026 version of the White Sox no longer use a one-size-fits-all approach for hitting prospects. Much of this credit should go to director of hitting Ryan Fuller, general manager Chris Getz, and manager Will Venable. But the team’s new hitting coach, Derek Shomon, had a quote the other week that was striking compared with the philosophy by Menechino.
When asked about the idea of hitters prioritizing putting the ball in play, Shomon said:
There are a few guys for whom that works, and there are a handful of guys where that puts them in a really f—ed up mindset. Their swing breaks down, decisions get f—ed up, either too passive, too aggressive. We want our guys to be free when they get up there to be the athletes that they are. If that means they’re willing to take shots early — and that may come with a whiff on a secondary pitch early in the count — so be it. Such is the game of baseball.
The difference in mindset between Shomon and Menechino is symbolic of the differences between the past and current crop of young White Sox hitters. For example, the White Sox very clearly (and correctly) have developed Sam Antonacci and Colson Montgomery differently. Montgomery, of course, is a player development revelation himself, considering he looked like he was flaming out at AAA Charlotte before reworking his swing and approach with Ryan Fuller and soon emerging as one of the best power hitters in baseball.
Another counterexample from the White Sox of years past is the types of swings hitters take. The 2022 team was somewhat confounding in that even during hitters’ counts, players would often take more careful or “protect” swings. The 2026 team is willing to swing and miss or, as Shomon said, guess wrong on a pitch early in the count with the broader goal of doing damage if they guess right. This is where the league has been for some time now. The White Sox have not only caught up, but have also begun developing players with different skillsets like Montgomery and Antonacci.
That Derek Shomon is a self-described “baseball untraditionalist” and seems to be aligned with the organizational approach championed by Ryan Fuller is certainly refreshing. It does not guarantee success, but it does suggest that the White Sox are more willing than ever to adapt coaching to the skillset of a specific player and try new things when necessary. From a fan perspective, this is all you can ask for.
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Featured Photo: Matt Marton / Imagn Images
