White Sox Coaches Face Key Questions Ahead of Spring Training

With a young core and high expectations, the Chicago White Sox have plenty to sort out before the 2026 season.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The Chicago White Sox are entering the 2026 season with established expectations to win games after several years of prospect development. Coaches Will Venable and Jeremy Getz face key questions around the team's young pitching staff, catching situation, and roster construction as they prepare for Spring Training.

Why it matters

The White Sox have built up an exciting young core of talent, but now need to translate that potential into on-field success. How they navigate decisions around their pitching rotation, catching depth, and roster composition will be crucial to the team taking the next step and contending in 2026.

The details

The White Sox have a number of talented young pitchers like Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz, Ky Bush, and Drew Thorpe competing for spots in the rotation, along with established arms like Jonathan Cannon, Mike Vasil, and Sean Burke. Coaches will have to manage this group and determine the best way to incorporate the future pieces. The team also has an interesting situation at catcher, with prospects Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel both showing potential with the bat. One of them could potentially move to the outfield to get both in the lineup. Overall, the White Sox have built up impressive depth, but will need to sort out the right roster configuration to maximize their talent.

  • The White Sox enter the 2026 season with high expectations to win games after several years of prospect development.
  • Spring Training will be a crucial time for the White Sox to work through key roster questions before the start of the regular season.

The players

Will Venable

White Sox coach who is making it clear the team's young players will need to earn their spots in 2026 rather than relying on past development.

Jeremy Getz

White Sox coach who is tasked with sorting through the team's pitching depth and catching situation ahead of the 2026 season.

Jonathan Cannon

White Sox pitcher who says the team is ready to start winning games after a few seasons of building up their young core.

Edgar Quero

White Sox catching prospect who could potentially move to the outfield to get both him and Kyle Teel in the lineup.

Kyle Teel

White Sox catching prospect who has a bat good enough that the team may need to find a way to get him regular playing time.

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What they’re saying

“We're going to let them know how proud of the group we are.”

— Will Venable, White Sox Coach

“We have to start at zero.”

— Will Venable, White Sox Coach

“It's time to go out there and win some ball games.”

— Jonathan Cannon, White Sox Pitcher

“We're fortunate to have a plethora of catchers that we feel are Major League capable and can be impactful.”

— Jeremy Getz, White Sox Coach

“We've got a young group of pitchers that it's a heavy load to get through a full season. It gives us a little bit more flexibility when you've got some arms that come into an organization that have done it before.”

— Jeremy Getz, White Sox Coach

What’s next

The White Sox will need to make decisions on their catching situation and finalize their pitching rotation during Spring Training as they prepare to open the 2026 season with high expectations.

The takeaway

The White Sox have built an impressive young core, but now face the challenge of translating that potential into consistent winning at the MLB level. How they navigate key roster decisions around their pitching staff and catching depth will be crucial to the team taking the next step and contending in 2026.