White Sox name Shane Smith their Opening Day starter
GLENDALE, Ariz. — It’s time to stop reading the tea leaves about the Sox pitching staff. The big brass announced Sunday that Shane Smith will be the Opening Day starter on March 26 at Milwaukee. The rest of the rotation will follow suit shortly, Sox manager Will Venable said.
The rotation could now look like this with Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay and Sean Newcomb seemingly lined up behind Smith.
“We’ve made some decisions,” Venable told the media before Sunday’s Cactus League game against the Royals at Camelback Ranch. “There are a lot of things that go on with that, though we’re getting closer to figuring out how it’s all going to shake out. There’s a lot of moving parts. We’ll announce that when it’s appropriate.”
Smith was called into Venable’s office on Sunday morning to receive the news. A video of the encounter was posted on X and reveals Smith surrounded by Venable, the pitching coaches and general manager Chris Getz.
What did he expect?
“You never know when you walk in and see your manager and general manager sitting there,” said Smith, who grew emotional. “I’ve only received good news in that office, but every time I go into that office, I’m still nervous.”
The news couldn’t have been any better. And so, Smith’s unlikely travels from the Brewers to the Sox in the 2024 Rule 5 draft to the American League All-Star team last season, to the Opening Day start in 2026 is now complete.
“Being on the team, first and foremost, is what I wanted,” Smith said. “But opening day is what I’ve been striving for. To get that was a really good feeling, but hopefully I’ll have 30 more starts. Hopefully, it’s the start of a solid year.”
Sometimes the journey is more important than results, Venable acknowledged.
“It’s really incredible,” he said. “When you think about a kid [the Brewers] didn’t even put on a Major League roster, all of a sudden he’s an All-Star and an opening day starter—that’s really cool to see. Really, it’s a tribute to a guy who works really hard. He’s got the right mentality. He’s obviously very talented, but physically, he works at this, and he put himself in this position.”
The topic of when Venable/Getz would announce an Opening Day starter, much less the rotation, has been a hot one in camp with Opening Day just 18 days away. This decision should provide much-needed clarity to the situation.
Smith has made two starts this spring, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings with two strikeouts and two walks. He’s slated to start again Tuesday against the Athletics at HoHoKam Stadium. Based on his rookie 2025, 7-8 season with a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts, the Sox brass believes Smith is ready for the challenge.
“He’s somebody that from a performance standpoint has put himself in that category of guys we want in the front of the rotation,” Venable said. “But also, as a teammate and a leader in our clubhouse, he’s a guy who sets an example for our group. He’s emerged as a leader.”
He’ll be 26 on April 6, was signed as a free agent by the Brewers in 2021, and made note this will be his first trip to Milwaukee for the opening day series. He never visited during his brief interlude in that organization.
Smith said he was never a hotshot, nor a high draft pick.
“My journey starts long before the Rule 5,” Smith said. “It would be short-sighted to look at just the last year. Since I graduated from high school my baseball career has never been the same. I’ve never been on any prospect lists. I’ve never been a Top 30 prospect for any team.
“Those things just tell me that none of that’s important. What you do on a daily basis and how you treat the people around you is a better identifier of who you are as a baseball player than anything.”