Seeing Brooks Baldwin, an infielder, start his second game in the final game of Chicago’s homestand against Boston in … right field … is emblematic of the White Sox’s right field woes for over a decade. Right field has been one of the most problematic positions for the Sox this season and since 2010.

This year, the Sox have more right field starters than wins this year. Five players have occupied right field in 15 games, due to injuries and experimentation — and an utter lack of quality depth. Go-to right fielders Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater are on the 10-day IL, Tauchman for the second time in 10 days due to re-straining his hamstring, and Slater due to a torn meniscus. Travis Jankowski has started nearly half of the Sox’s games in right field while Tauchman was on his first IL stint, but he was considered so vital to the club that he was released, and is now re-signed and back in the minors because no other team wanted him. The most recent two RFs — Joshua Palacios and Baldwin — are temporary stopgaps. All in all, right field hasn’t been cutting it so far.

Although frustrating, to say the least, Sox fans shouldn’t be surprised that Chicago hasn’t secured a consistent right fielder since 2009, Jermaine Dye’s last MLB season. Since 2018, the Sox have named a new right fielder on Opening Day every year:

2025 Austin Slater
2024 Kevin Pillar
2023 Romy González
2022 AJ Pollock
2021 Adam Eaton
2020 Nicky Delmonico
2019 Daniel Palka
2018 Avisaíl García

The last time the Sox had the same right fielder on their Opening Day roster in back-to-back years was 2017-18.

Trying to replace Dye, who had five Opening Day starts in right field (the most of any Sox player this century) hasn’t been easy. García has one less Opening Day start in right, but he was never that great of a right fielder; his arm was just average, if not slightly above, and his swing doesn’t quite reach the same peak as a traditional hard-hitting right fielder. Although his only All-Star appearance came while he played for the Sox in 2017 and his career slash line with the Sox was respectable at .271/.322/.424, comparing García to Dye doesn’t flatter García.

The Sox have missed having a reliable right fielder with a strong arm and hard-hitting swing for the better part of this century, and they won’t be getting help for a bit. Seeing how the Sox refuse to sign any gifted free agents in the near future, prospect Braden Montgomery is next in line for right field, but he isn’t expected to be called up until 2027, or maybe the end of next year at the fastest. George Wolkow is another option as a future right fielder, but he is a less polished prospect and doesn’t bring the defense that Montgomery does. And Wolkow will be ready no sooner than Montgomery, if that.

While the list of positions the Sox need to upgrade continues to grow, right field is the biggest concern historically and from a health perspective this year. The Sox don’t have to bring in someone like Aaron Judge, but maybe things will turn around for the Good Guys if they can get a Corbin Caroll-esque right fielder … eventually.