I’m Sam. I’m Sam. Sam-I-An-tonacci.
That Sam-I-An-tonaaci! That Sam-I-An-tonacci! I love that Sam-I-An-tonaaci!
Do you love speed with a splash of power?
I love them so much, Sam-I-An-tonacci.
I like the speed that comes with a sprinkling of energy.
Would you like them here or there?
I would like it here and there.
I want them anywhere.
I like the speed that comes with a sprinkling of energy.
I love them, Sam-I-An-tonacci.
Sam Antonacci of the Chicago White Sox is 23 years old, 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, and bats from the left side. Chicago selected him in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB draft.
Last season in the minor leagues, he scored 519 runs at two levels, coming out of Double-A. During that time, Antonacci produced five home runs, 78 runs scored, 57 RBIs, and 48 stolen bases. The walk rate was 13.3%, the strikeout rate was 14.1%, and the ISO was .118. A .291 batting average was fueled by a .341 BABIP.
To open this season, he spent 14 games in Triple-A and earned 67 plate appearances. The walk rate was 22.4%, the strikeout rate was 11.9%, and the ISO increased to .167. The batting average was .313, topped off by a .342 BABIP.
On April 15, Antonacci received a call to the big club.
In the first 16 games, Sam Antonacci was batting sixth or seventh in the order. Over 57 plate appearances, the slash was .271/.368/.458 with a 7% walk rate, a 7% strikeout rate, and a .188 ISO. He collected two runs, two triples, a home run, seven runs scored, and seven RBIs. He did not steal and was caught twice.
On May 3rd, Antonacci was installed in the lead role. From then until the end of the month, Antonacci collected 105 plate appearances. He had three doubles, 14 runs, six RBIs, and stole eight bases. The slash was .278/.369/.311 with a 5.7% walk rate, a 20% strikeout rate, and a .033 ISO. BABIP was .362.
Since June 1st, the slash is .313/.421/.531 with a 9.2% walk rate, a 15.8% strikeout rate, and a .219 ISO. BABIP is once again high at .347. In 76 plate appearances, Sam Antonacci produced five doubles, three home runs, 14 runs, nine RBIs, and three stolen bases.
In those three segments of the season, the ISO showed a lot of variation, while the bat speed remained constant at 70 mph. In terms of ISO, that difference is not surprising since Antonacci has never been known as a power hitter.
Most interesting is what looks like a change in direction.
In the first two stages of the season, the draw rate was 31.% and 29.6%. In the month of June, that number is 50%. Correspondingly, the ISO is the highest at .219, the barrel rate is 9.6%, the average exit velocity is the best at 89.2 mph, and the hard hit rate is 40.4%, compared to 35% in the previous two phases.
The way I end all of this is that the first 16 games were a period of “getting used to the big things”. The White Sox didn’t put pressure on him and just put him down on the roster. The game wasn’t too big for him, and he showed good plate discipline.
He was then ranked as the leading scorer. Unsurprisingly, there was some adjustment time. It took him a while to relax, but he seems to have reached a state of nirvana – no longer just trying to survive, but now trying to wreak havoc by waiting for his voice to drive him to the seats.
Sam Antonacci’s Statcast page is great. The xwOBA and xBA are both in the 90th percentile. LA Sweet Spot% is in the 89th percentile, and rushing and hitting rate is in the 90th percentile. A running speed of 28.3 ft/sec is in the 76th percentile.
The way to do it is really neat. The overall swing rate is 40.7%. In children, that number was often in the high-30s. However, in the strike zone, he is swinging at 61.7% of pitches. The field contact rate is 90.8% while the strikeout rate is a miniscule 5.5%.
Will Sam Antonacci hit 20 home runs? Probably not. Two numbers? It’s possible, especially if he continues to pull the ball at a high rate. Adjustment time will come as pitchers try different things to expose weaknesses, but the profile is so good that I don’t see a black hole for production at that point. The stolen bases are to be had, the plate alignment is excellent, and he’s hitting for a lead. Finally, you have 2B, 3B, and OF eligibility. He is also improving in the OBP leagues.
