CWS · LF

Sam Antonacci

Age 23 B/T L/R 5′11″, 193 lb USA MLB debut 2026

40-man FV 45 · #8 in org

The White Sox’s roster as it stands starts at DH · 472 PA · 1.8 WAR in the role
Trade read Unlikely to be traded: Young, controllable regular (age 24, control through 2032): the kind of player clubs build around.

xwOBA .347 wOBA .357

2026 fWAR 2.3

Projected 2027 WAR 2.0 at 479 PA · 1.8 in his 2027 role

Hitting · 2026 percentiles

vs. MLB hitters with 300+ PA · 557 PA

xwOBA .347

Swing decisions +0.51

Contact value +0.17

Bat speed 69.6

Squared-up / swing 28%

Blasts / swing 5%

EV90 101.4

Barrel % 5.0%

Chase % 21.9%

Zone contact 90.1%

Strikeout % 14.7%

Walk % 7.5%

Platoon splits · swing path

By pitcher handedness

vs	PA	wOBA	xwOBA	K%	BB%	Chase	Decisions	Contact
LHP	115	.288	.290	21%	4%	25%	−0.56	−1.10
RHP	442	.374	.362	13%	8%	21%	+0.79	+0.45

Attack angle: 7.7° (47% in 5–20°)
Attack direction: +7.3°
Swing length: 6.6 ft
Fast-swing rate: 7%
Pull-air %: 10.9%
Hard-hit %: 33.7%
Slash · wRC+: .277/.370/.396 · 122

Zone map · 2026

Where he does damage, and where to pitch him

Does the most damage down and in (+1.6 vs. league per 100; 0.7 standard errors on 80 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).

Weakest down over the middle (−1.9), but only 0.9 standard errors from average on 122 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.

Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average LHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 1,987 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).

Most similar hitters

Swings like Antonacci: bat path, contact quality and approach

Similarity	Player	xwOBA	’26 WAR	’27 proj	2027
71	Luke Keaschall MIN · ’02	.323	3.0	2.9	Pre-arb
61	Xavier Edwards MIA · ’99	.312	2.3	2.4	Arb
60	Myles Straw TOR · ’94	.297	0.7	1.0	Club option $8.0M
60	Wade Meckler LAA · ’00	.318	2.0	1.8	Pre-arb
58	Carson Kelly CHC · ’94	.310	1.6	1.7	Free agent

Carson Kelly (similarity 58, 1.7 WAR projected for 2027) is a free agent this winter: a similar swing available without trading talent, at a free agent’s price. Opportunity Finder →

Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.

Fielding

2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.

2027 rating by position · best fit first, on the total with the position’s worth

LF −5.8 −13.3

RF −7.8prior −18.3

2B −18.4 −18.9

1B −5.3prior −20.8

Outs Above Average by position

Season	Pos	OAA	Range	Arm, DP	Runs	Batters
2026	2B	−2	−2	−0.4	−2.4	618
2026	LF	−7	−6	−2.5	−8.5	3,945

Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.

Range by direction (OAA at LF)

2026 · LF In (charging) −2Back 0Toward 3B line −4Toward 1B line −4vs. RHH −4vs. LHH −5

At LF in 2026, the biggest loss came toward 3B line (−4 outs): a coaching target.

Tools (percentile; arm among LFs)

Arm at LF 87.2 mph · 64th

Sprint speed 28.2 ft/s · 73rd

Reaction −0.6 ft · 29th

Burst −0.5 ft · 31st

Route +0.1 ft · 52nd

Catch difficulty (latest season)

Play	Made	Chances	Rate
★★★★★	0	11	0%
★★★★	1	8	13%
★★★	5	7	71%
★★	12	18	67%
★	27	30	90%

Zone rating (Keystone expected outs)

Season	Zone	Balls	Outs vs. exp.
2026	LF	364	+0.8
2026	2B	55	−1.9

The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.

Compare in the Fielding Lab →

Contract & projection

Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR

2027 2.0 WAR Pre-arb $780K*

2028 2.2 WAR Pre-arb $803K*

2029 2.3 WAR Arbitration $3.9M*

2030 2.3 WAR Arbitration $7.7M*

* projected arbitration or minimum salary. Contract Studio →

Minor leagues

MLB Stats API · public box-score data

SeasonLevel	Level	Team	Age	G	PA / IP	PA / IP ·Line
2026AAA	AAA	Charlotte Knights	23	14	67 PA	67 PA · .313/.500/.479 · 2 HR · 11.9% K · 22.4% BB
2025A+	A+	Winston-Salem Dash	22	64	288 PA	288 PA · .279/.425/.412 · 4 HR · 12.8% K · 13.5% BB
2025AA	AA	Birmingham Barons	22	49	217 PA	217 PA · .292/.435/.381 · 1 HR · 14.7% K · 12.9% BB
2025ROK	ROK	ACL White Sox	22	3	14 PA	14 PA · .500/.571/.750 · 0 HR · 28.6% K · 14.3% BB

FanGraphs: FV 45 · ETA 2026. Public pitch tracking exists only at Triple-A and some Florida State League parks.

ABS challenges · 2026

Baseball Savant

As batter 42% 13/31 won · −0.1 runs