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Cubs and Sox fans could gain 22 pounds this season, study finds | ChicagoNOW
A new study says Cubs and Sox fans are projected to gain 22 pounds this baseball season. Fans reportedly eat an extra 753 calories on game days, with stadium attendees consuming the most.
It's time for another step forward on the Southside.
The Chicago White Sox will open the 2026 season looking to take another step forward in their rebuild. Last year saw a plethora of top prospects join the major leagues, and the 2026 season will see immediate excitement with the arrival of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.
Here's what to know about the White Sox Opening Day roster, starters and more as the Southsiders open the 2026 season on the road against the Brewers this week.
White Sox Opening Day Starter
The White Sox are giving their All-Star the bump.
Shane Smith was named the Sox's 2026 Opening Day Starter, headlining a pitching rotation that hasn't completely arrived at the MLB level yet.
Smith earned a spot on the 2025 MLB All-Star team and will pitch against the team where he began his MLB career. The Brewers brought Smith into their organization after he went undrafted, and the White Sox drafted Smith with the top selection in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft.
He had an All-Star season in 2025 and finished the year with a 7-8 record and a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts. Smith will also be the fifth different Opening Day starter for the White Sox in the last five years.
The other side:
The Brewers are countering with their flamethrowing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.
Misiorowski made his MLB debut in 2025 and wowed Milwaukee fans by throwing fastballs over 100 miles per hour. He carried that into an MLB All-Star nod and hit a rookie wall. Milwaukee keenly moved him into the bullpen, and Misiorowski became a key part of the Brewers' bullpen in the playoffs against the Cubs and Dodgers.
He finished the 2025 season with a 5-3 record and a 4.36 ERA in 14 starts.
Who is making the White Sox Opening Day Roster?
The White Sox roster is still one that's in flux. Not because of any major decisions, it's because their top prospects have yet to arrive.
What we know:
The White Sox shook up their roster when they traded center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets. It opened up $20 million and brought Luisangel Acuña into the fold, who will most likely be the team's center fielder to start.
The bulk of the infield is here to stay. Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery return for their first full seasons on the Southside, while Munetaka Murakami comes in to add some major power to the White Sox's lineup.
The outfield and pitching rotation are the position groups to watch. Andrew Benitendi has been a fixture in the Sox's lineup for the last few years, but he and Austin Hays aren't expected to be long-term solutions for the outfield. The White Sox have also taken fliers on former first-round picks Jarred Kelenic and Derek Hill in the outfield.
White Sox 2026 Opening Day roster
Starting Rotation:
Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin and Erick Fedde
Bullpen:
Seranthony Domínguez, Grant Taylor, Jordan Leasure, Jordan Hicks, Sean Newcomb, Chris Murphy, Jedixson Paez
Infield:
Munetaka Murakami (1B), Chase Meidroth (2B), Colson Montgomery (SS), Miguel Vargas (3B) and Edgar Quero (C)
Outfield:
Andrew Benintendi (LF), Luisangel Acuña (CF), Austin Hays (RF)
Bench:
Reese McGuire (C), Lenyn Sosa (INF/DH), Tristan Peters (OF), Jarred Kelenic (OF), Everson Pereira (OF) and Derek Hill (OF)
Much like last season, the White Sox will be a different team later this year.
In 2025, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel made their major league debuts as the season progressed. It's fair to assume a similar development will happen this season, but with the pitching rotation. Tanner McDougal, Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith will all start in Triple-A, but are all knocking on the major league door.
Pitching prospects Drew Thorpe and Ky Bush could also make their way onto the roster later in the season when they're fully rehabbed from Tommy John Surgery.
The White Sox might also see outfielder Braden Montgomery much later in the season. He'll start the year in Double-A, but the White Sox have moved players from Double-A to the majors before.
This is a young roster with plenty of potential. It should get deeper as the season moves on, too. Kyle Teel has a Grade 2 hamstring strain — an injury he suffered in the World Baseball Classic — but when he returns it'll give the White Sox some options at designated hitter.
The White Sox will have Sosa, Benitendi, Murakami and Vargas who can all rotate at designated hitter, too. It was a little surprising to see the White Sox designate catcher Korey Lee and infielder Curtis Mead for assignment. Both were expected to be pieces off the bench for the Sox.