Samuel Joseph Antonacci (born February 6, 2003) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2026.
| Sam Antonacci | |
|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox – No. 17 | |
| Infielder | |
| Born: February 6, 2003 Springfield, Illinois, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 2026, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics (through June 3, 2026) | |
| Batting average | .291 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 14 |
| Teams | |
| |
Amateur career
editAntonacci attended Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois, where he batted .533 as a senior in 2021 and had a career .477 batting average.[1] 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.[2] After the 2023 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League,[3] and transferred to Coastal Carolina University.[4] For the 2024 season with Coastal Carolina, he hit .367 with six home runs and 47 RBI.[5]
Professional career
editAntonacci was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round (140th overall) of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.[6] He signed with the team for $572,500.[7] 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.[8] He was named the White Sox Minor League Player of the Month in June.[9][10] In July, he was promoted to the Birmingham Barons.[11] Over 116 games played, Antonacci hit .291 with five home runs, 57 RBI, and 48 stolen bases.[12] After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League with the Glendale Desert Dogs.[13] 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.[14] Antonacci was assigned to the Charlotte Knights to open the 2026 season and batted .313 with two home runs across 14 games.[15]
On April 15, 2026, Antonacci was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[16] 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.[17] 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.[18]
International career
editAntonacci played for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.[19]
References
edit- ↑ "The State Journal-Register Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts".
- ↑ "Sam Antonacci of Heartland named DII Player of the Year". June 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Sam Antonacci - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ↑ "Armed with MLB's most improved system, White Sox eyeing not-so-distant future". MLB.com.
- ↑ "SHG graduate, Sam Antonacci, drafted by Chicago White Sox". July 15, 2024.
- ↑ "SHG grad Antonacci drafted by White Sox in 5th round".
- ↑ "White Sox's Sam Antonacci: Reaches 45 steals". CBS Sports. September 10, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Antonacci, Reyes finding consistency, success in White Sox minor leagues". July 3, 2025.
- ↑ Ankony, Jack (July 3, 2025). "High-A Infielder Named Chicago White Sox Minor League Player of the Month". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ↑ "White Sox rookie Shane Smith's promising start turns ugly". July 3, 2025.
- ↑ "Springfield Topic Double-A Birmingham | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News". WICS.
- ↑ Callis, Jim. "White Sox top-ranked prospect gearing for impact in the South Side at Fall League". MLB.com. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
- ↑ "MLB's No. 2 prospect headlines Arizona Fall League Week 3 top performers". MLB.com. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ↑ Gonzales, Mark (February 22, 2026). "White Sox prospect Sam Antonacci showing how he can 'create havoc'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
- ↑ "SCHULTZ, ANTONACCI CALLED UP TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
- ↑ "White Sox call up prospect Sam Antonacci from Triple-A". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 15, 2026. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Merkin, Scott. "That's one way to get your first career home run". MLB.com. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ Terranova, Rob (March 12, 2026). "A full breakdown of the top prospects at the World Baseball Classic". MLB.com. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference
- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers bio