Thursday, October 01

GLENDALE, Ariz. –  The heat is on.

No, this Newsletter is not a tribute to the great Glenn Frey or the equally great Eagles, although I can’t believe I’ve missed out on them performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

It’s also not a commentary on the sweltering temperatures in Arizona, with Thursday’s game-time temperature at Camelback Ranch checking in at 100 degrees. This is an alert focused on Cactus League action coming to an end and the 2026 regular season beginning this Thursday in Milwaukee for the White Sox.

With that conclusion coming Monday, let’s look at three White Sox stories before games officially count in the standings.

Gordon Beckham was Colson Montgomery long before Montgomery arrived in the Majors last season.

As a rookie and highly touted prospect in 2009, Beckham joined the team on June 4 and finished with an .807 OPS, 14 home runs, 63 RBIs and 28 doubles while playing third base. So, Beckham, who was in camp and in uniform with the White Sox for one week in March, is a reliable source of advice concerning what’s next for Montgomery, who hit 21 homers in 71 games as a rookie.

Beckham addressed the highs and lows from his 11-year career, as well as what worked and what didn’t work.

“I remember going into the second year and how there were some struggles for me,” Beckham told MLB.com. “But it was mainly because I kind of focused on the mechanics of my swing vs. going out and competing.

“We had what I think was a good conversation about going out and competing. It was about being who he is and allowing that to play out and not overthink it.”

Montgomery focused purely on getting ready for the upcoming season and getting better overall during this Spring Training, with a roster spot never in question. He appreciated the talks with Beckham and learned from the conversation.

“One of the biggest things he kind of helped me with was, don’t get away from who you are type of thing. You have success,” Montgomery said. “A lot of the time, it’s not even you. It’s just the pitchers are making adjustments on you. And they are pitching you a different game.

“Just keep adapting to what the pitchers are doing and stay within yourself. It was good hearing that from him, being a really good player and just having him around.”

There are some in the White Sox organization who thought a healthy David Sandlin, the team’s No. 18 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, could have challenged for a roster spot out of camp.

Unfortunately, the right-hander acquired from Boston along with Jordan Hicks was hampered by back issues coming into Spring Training and right elbow soreness once he arrived.

White Sox director of player development Paul Janish said Sandlin is progressing. But there’s no set timetable for him to get into games on the Minor League side.

“He’s doing fine,” Janish told MLB.com of Sandlin. “He’s throwing off the mound. We’ll probably take it easy with him in terms of the buildup. All signs are pointing up.

“I wouldn’t feel totally comfortable sharing the timeline in terms of his return to play just yet. He is doing well relative to a little speed bump.”

• Outfielder Brooks Baldwin entered this camp with a chance to be the Opening Day starter in center field after the Luis Robert Jr. trade. In fact, Baldwin’s focus was almost entirely on the outfield. Now, there’s some uncertainty when Baldwin will return to action. The switch-hitter has been out of games since March 6 with right elbow soreness. He spoke of feeling better to me Thursday, but Baldwin still hasn’t thrown the ball and isn’t certain of the timetable for that test to happen.
• Mike Vasil’s impending Tommy John surgery is a tough break for the team and the right-hander, but his value will be immense as an ongoing clubhouse presence. The White Sox really should bring him out to the fans once per homestand for a pregame Q and A. Vasil’s personality and his baseball acumen make for entertaining sessions.
• A big thank you to everyone who called, texted, messaged, or contacted me in any other form on my 60th birthday Wednesday. A special thanks to my friend, Essie, who sent me chocolate chip mini-bundt cakes from Chicago, and the hotel where I’ve stayed the past 10 Spring Trainings, who gave me a special bottle of wine for the occasion.
• I had the chance to see Seth Meyers’ comedy show in Scottsdale last weekend. Very sharp, smart humor throughout the performance. Brooks Wheelan, his opening act, was just as funny.

“Just out of sync, bad command, no way to sugarcoat it. It was just pretty gross. I just went in and collected myself, said we’ve got to go out and get outs. Whatever we can. Started using all of our pitches and next thing you know we got some weak contact and kind of got out of some stuff.” – Starter Davis Martin on getting through a rough, somewhat wild first inning Thursday against Arizona

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