First Base Up For Grabs In Final Stretch Of Chicago White Sox Season

CHICAGO –– The White Sox have rotated first basemen throughout the 2025 season, and with about five weeks left no one has emerged as the surefire choice for the future.

Perhaps the best case scenario would have been Opening Day starter Andrew Vaughn living up to expectations as the No. 3 overall pick in 2019, but he hit .189 with a .531 OPS and was traded in June to the Milwaukee Brewers for starting pitcher Aaron Civale.

As a result, there's been an audition of sorts for the position. Ten players have appeared at first base in at least one game, which is tied for the most of any position with right field and left field among the eight infield and outfield positions.

Here's the full list, following Friday's game:

• Miguel Vargas (55)
• Andrew Vaughn (31)
• Lenyn Sosa (20)
• Tim Elko (18)
• Ryan Noda (11)
• Curtis Mead (7)
• Nick Maton (5)
• Bobby Dalbec (5)
• Austin Slater (1)
• Matt Thaiss (1)

A handful of these players can be eliminated from consideration, as they're no longer with the organization: Vaughn, Noda, Maton, Dalbec, Slater and Thaiss. Elko is currently in the Minor Leagues, where his .303/.369/.603 slash line with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights differs greatly from his numbers in 67 plate appearances with the White Sox: .145/.209/.355.

That leaves Vargas, Sosa and Mead as the primary options over the final month and change of the season, unless the White Sox were to recall Elko or pick up someone off waivers. White Sox manager Will Venable plans on giving several players a chance to prove themselves down the stretch.

"We're not, obviously, committing to anyone over there at first base," Venable said Saturday. "By the end of the season, you're going to see Vargas over there, Mead, Sosa. Obviously, we still have Elko in Triple-A. We have a number of guys that are going to be over there, and we'll see what they can do."

The decision isn't quite as simple as picking the best defensive first baseman, as Vargas, Sosa and Mead can each play multiple infield positions.

Vargas has also played solid defense at third base in 65 games, and the White Sox could view him as the the third baseman of the future. At the plate, his .230/.310/.394 slash line with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs are a big improvement from last season but not overly convincing at 1.3 wins above replacement.

Innings at third base have opened up, as Josh Rojas was released on Saturday after ranking second among White Sox with 47 appearances at third base this year. Venable said they prefer Brooks Baldwin in the outfield, but his ability to play third and overall versatility was among the reasons they were willing to release Rojas.

The White Sox also aren't in a rush to pick a first baseman, in part because they want to get a longer look at Mead, who they acquired on July 31 in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Adrian Houser. Mead has appeared at first and third base with the White Sox, and he's slashing .275/.341/.275 in 44 plate appearances.

Sosa is in the midst of his best offensive season in four years with the White Sox, already more than doubling his career-high home run total with 17. He has also posted career-highs across the board with a .275 batting average, .300 on-base percentage, .443 slugging percentage and .743 OPS. But he's made a few costly errors at first base that could bring into question his defensive ability moving forward. He's also played second, third and shortstop in his White Sox career.

"We have a number of guys that are getting a look over there, and certainly, they offer different things," Venable said. "... It is a very tough position. There's a lot that's asked of you, there's a lot of understanding of defensive positioning. You're going to touch the ball a lot, so there's a lot of things you have to be involved with."

With no need to settle on a first baseman for the home stretch of the season, the White Sox could take this decision into the offseason and perhaps even during the 2026 season. Could the team's first baseman of the future not be on the current roster?

The White Sox farm system has improved significantly over the last few years, but there's no obvious choice at first base among them. There is a crop of first basemen who are potential free agents after 2025 season, per MLB.com, including Pete Alonso (opt-out), Josh Naylor, Paul Goldschmidt, Rhys Hoskins (mutual option), Carlos Santana, Justin Turner, Josh Bell, LaMonte Wade Jr., Wilmer Flores, Donovan Solano, Ty France and Connor Joe.

As White Sox general manager Chris Getz continues to rebuild the organization, first base is one of the positions up for grabs.