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EspañolChicago White Sox fans can’t be too upset with how spring training has kicked off in 2026. The Sox have gotten breakout performances from a handful of young players, and as a team they’re currently 6–4 with a +19 run differential — tied for the best mark in the Cactus League.
Of course, spring training stats are never the end-all, be-all — especially when it comes to breakout performances from players fighting to earn a roster spot. These games can be about as predictive as a coin flip.
Still, it’s hard not to get excited when a young player or reclamation project with upside is thriving in the early weeks of camp. And on the flip side of that metaphorical coin is the familiar dread: seeing a player who departed your organization suddenly look revitalized in a new uniform.
White Sox fans, unfortunately, have plenty of experience in this department.
Just last year, first baseman Andrew Vaughn was batting .198 with a .531 OPS through 48 games in Chicago. After being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, the 27-year-old hit .308 with an .869 OPS the rest of the way and fully revived his MLB career.
In three seasons with the White Sox, infielder Romy Gonzalez appeared in 86 MLB games and posted a .222 batting average with a .600 OPS. The talent was always there — it simply never translated consistently at the big league level in Chicago.
Over the last two seasons in Boston, though, Gonzalez has developed into a meaningful contributor. In 2025, he played in 96 games, hit .305 with 53 RBIs and an .826 OPS, all while providing tremendous defensive versatility for the Red Sox.
Gavin Sheets also found new life, hitting a career-high 19 home runs with the San Diego Padres in 2025 and extending his MLB career with a bounce-back season.
It has happened often in recent years. So who might it be next in 2026? Which former White Sox player could land elsewhere and suddenly thrive?
A handful of candidates are already flashing signs during the early stages of spring training. Let’s take a look.
Eloy Jimenez – Blue Jays
It has been mostly downhill for Eloy Jimenez since he was traded by the White Sox in 2024. He appeared in 33 games for the Baltimore Orioles and hit just one home run with a .586 OPS following the deal.
Jimenez spent time in the Tampa Bay Rays organization at the beginning of 2025 on a minor league contract before being released and eventually joining the Toronto Blue Jays in the final weeks of the season. After playing in the Dominican Winter League, he arrived at Blue Jays camp this spring and is off to a surprisingly strong start.
In six games, Jimenez has six hits, including two doubles and a home run. He leads all Blue Jays hitters in total bases during spring training and owns a 1.171 OPS in the Grapefruit League.
Eloy Jimenez in his #BlueJays Spring Training debut:
— White Sox Roundtable (@WhiteSoxRTB) February 22, 2026
2-for-3, double, home run, 2 RBIs#WhiteSoxpic.twitter.com/dgYQJW2XI8
At the end of the day, this is still the reigning American League champion we’re talking about, and even with Anthony Santander dealing with injury, it may be difficult for Jimenez to crack the Opening Day roster. But if he keeps swinging it like this, Toronto could give him another MLB opportunity.
He’s still only 29 years old and possesses effortless power that can make him a force in any lineup when healthy. That’s a significant “if,” but it’s been an impressive start to the spring — and White Sox fans are quietly bracing for the possibility that Jimenez could finally realize his full potential elsewhere.
Mike Tauchman – Mets
I was openly critical of the White Sox when they chose to non-tender outfielder Mike Tauchman earlier this offseason.
Yes, there were legitimate concerns about his health at 35 years old. But it’s undeniable that Tauchman was one of the more polished and professional hitters in the White Sox lineup last season.
He posted a .756 OPS, consistently put together quality at-bats, and served as a respected veteran presence in the clubhouse.
Ultimately, Chicago decided it couldn’t justify rostering both Tauchman and Andrew Benintendi — two aging corner outfielders with limited defensive value at this stage. With Benintendi owed $17.1 million this season, the financial commitment made the decision fairly straightforward.
Tauchman signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets and has wasted no time making noise. In three spring games, he’s 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, three RBIs, and a 1.771 OPS.
Roster spots won’t be easy to come by, but injuries happen — and teams always need steady veterans who can grind at-bats. If an opportunity opens, Tauchman feels like the obvious choice. His early success only reinforces the feeling that the White Sox may have let a dependable piece walk away.
Cam Booser – Rays
Another non-tendered player this offseason was left-handed pitcher Cam Booser, who spent just one year with the White Sox after being acquired in a regrettable trade with the Boston Red Sox.
Chicago sent right-hander Yhoiker Fajardo to Boston. Fajardo went on to post a 2.25 ERA over 19 minor league outings, reached Low-A as an 18-year-old, and was later traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was considered a top-10 prospect in both farm systems along the way.
Booser, meanwhile, struggled to a 5.52 ERA in 2025. He was an easy player to root for and flashed legitimate dominance at times, but the walk rate proved problematic. Despite multiple years of team control remaining, the White Sox opted not to bring him back.
Booser signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays and has thrown three hitless innings this spring. He has walked two and struck out two.
Given Tampa Bay’s bullpen construction, he stands a real chance of making the Opening Day roster. The Rays’ track record of revitalizing pitchers makes this one particularly intriguing — and potentially painful for White Sox fans if it works out.
Jesse Scholtens – Rays
Another former White Sox arm generating buzz in Rays camp is right-hander Jesse Scholtens.
The Rays claimed Scholtens off waivers in August 2025 after the White Sox designated him for assignment. He last pitched extensively in the majors for Chicago in 2023, posting a 5.29 ERA over 85 innings. He missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and was still working his way back for much of 2025.
After being claimed, Scholtens made two appearances out of Tampa Bay’s bullpen and logged a 5.40 ERA over 8.1 innings.
This spring, however, he has thrown three scoreless innings with four strikeouts and just two hits allowed. That’s 12 strikeouts per nine innings, and reports out of camp suggest noticeable improvements in the shape and vertical movement of his off-speed pitches.
The underlying metrics from his small MLB sample in 2025 were encouraging, and the early 2026 returns are even better. This has all the makings of a classic Rays pitching lab success story — where a 32-year-old suddenly becomes a meaningful contributor.
Bryan Ramos – Orioles
It has been a chaotic offseason for 23-year-old infielder Bryan Ramos.
Roster math forced the White Sox to designate Ramos for assignment at the end of January. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for cash on February 1, designated for assignment again less than a week later, claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals, DFA’d once more, and ultimately landed back in Baltimore on the 40-man roster before the start of spring training.
Despite the instability, Ramos has gone 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in three spring games. He ripped a double earlier this week off Pirates starter Mitch Keller.
Even in camp, though, playing time has been scarce. With Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg dealing with injuries, there is at least a path — but Blaze Alexander, Coby Mayo, and Jeremiah Jackson present stiff competition.
The wrinkle here is that Ramos has no minor league options remaining. To send him down would require exposing him to waivers again, and there’s a real chance another club would claim him. Mayo and Jackson still have options, which could make roster flexibility the deciding factor.
However it shakes out, Ramos simply needs a consistent opportunity. It became clear that opportunity wasn’t going to come in Chicago given the organization’s infield depth.
It’s always bittersweet watching a former White Sox player thrive elsewhere — especially when the departure wasn’t acrimonious.
Part of you roots for their success. Another part cringes at the thought of unrealized potential finally clicking in a different uniform.
Ultimately, it’s a case-by-case situation. But if we’re searching for a 2026 breakout candidate who could rediscover himself outside of Chicago, these are the names worth monitoring closely.