Antonacci, Reyes finding consistency, success in White Sox minor leagues
Cliché as it sounds, consistency is key. This is especially true when climbing the rungs of minor-league baseball, where reaching the big leagues is the ultimate goal but is rarely achieved quickly.
A good game, series or week can turn heads, but promotion to the next level requires even more.
“I think there’s a lot of good players and all have a chance to make it to the show,” White Sox minor-leaguer Sam Antonacci said in a Zoom new conference Thursday. “It’s just a matter of whether they can be consistent on a daily basis. That’s what I’m striving for right now.”
Antonacci, alongside pitcher Luis Reyes, maintained such consistency across June. Antonacci, an infielder and 2024 fifth-round pick, earned the White Sox minor-league player of the month award, while Reyes, a right-hander signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2023, took home pitcher of the month.
Across 20 games in June, Antonacci hit .286 with an .882 OPS at High-A Winston-Salem. Coming off a finger injury, the 22-year-old collected 2 home runs, 6 RBI, 11 walks and 11 runs. For the season he’s hitting .298 with a .902 OPS.
Reyes, pitching for Single-A Kannapolis, sported a 0.36 ERA and 18 strikeouts across four starts spanning 25 innings. Over 13 starts this season, the 19-year-old holds a 4-5 record with a 3.95 ERA, limiting opposing hitters to a .225 average.
“I’ve been working harder on my daily routine with different drills,” Reyes said through White Sox translator Billy Russo. “Attacking more in the strike zone, trying to command all my pitches in the strike zone, working on my balance and my hips.”
This year is Reyes’ first in affiliated minor-league ball after appearing in 28 games across the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League the past two seasons. Aside from building a solid routine, Reyes said he’s also found confidence in his slider, a pitch he says he throws no matter the count. With only 21 walks this year, Reyes has an improved command.
“Being more consistent with my mechanics,” Reyes said. “I also think that the relationship I’ve been developing with the catchers, it’s been good and that’s made me feel more comfortable. I’ve been able to bring that to the games.”
After playing 23 games in Kannapolis last season, Antonacci, a third baseman at Coastal Carolina, moved up to Winston-Salem, where he split time between third and second with a handful of games at first and shortstop. He’s committed only 3 errors this season.
At the plate, Antonacci knows his role when hitting in front of White Sox top-20 prospects Braden Montgomery and Jeral Perez — get on base. Six hit-by-pitches and 17 walks in June are evidence of such a mindset.
“Some people get mad at walks, some people are wanting to hit,” Antonacci said. “But I take pride in getting those walks. I won that at-bat and can pass the torch on to the person behind me.”