GLENDALE, Ariz. — Lenyn Sosa led the Chicago White Sox with 22 home runs in 2025 while mostly playing second and first base.
As this year’s infield comes into shape, how the Sox will utilize Sosa remains to be seen.
“My goal, my mindset every year, is to get better,” Sosa said through an interpreter last week at Camelback Ranch. “To improve my game all around, trying to find ways to help this team win games. And that’s my focus.
“I don’t really pay attention to what my role is. It’s just trying to get better every day and do the best for me every day.”
Sosa appeared in 99 games last season at second base, making 85 starts. He played 42 games at first base, starting 35 games at the position. He also saw time at designated hitter (11 games, 10 starts) and third base (three games, two starts).
But Wednesday’s Cactus League game lineup against the Cincinnati Reds featured what could be the starting infield. Offseason addition Munetaka Murakami is expected to spend most of his time at first base, with Miguel Vargas at third base. Up the middle, the Sox have a double-play combination of Colson Montgomery at shortstop and Chase Meidroth at second.
Additionally, designated hitter options include Andrew Benintendi when he’s not in left field, and either Kyle Teel or Edgar Quero when the other is catching.
Manager Will Venable said it’s going to be “huge” for the Sox to find ways to keep Sosa’s bat in the lineup.
“He was one of our best hitters last year, somebody that you kind of think of him as instant offense,” Venable said before Wednesday’s game. “He can do a lot of things at the plate and help you win ballgames in different ways. So, he’s going to be a guy that we’ve got to find at-bats for.”
Sosa started at third base in Tuesday’s 12-10 victory against the Seattle Mariners in Peoria, Ariz.
“It’s good, I felt very good yesterday at third base,” Sosa told the Tribune through an interpreter on Wednesday morning. “It’s a position I’m used to. It’s just a matter of getting the reps and more game action to really feel 100 percent there, too.”
Over parts of four big-league seasons, Sosa has 54 starts at third base. Second base is the only position where he’s made more starts in the majors (172).
“(He’s) another guy where we will try to find how it all fits together and see what it looks like,” Venable said. “He didn’t touch third base a ton last year, but has in the past. So, we want to make sure he’s able to do that as well as second and first, too.”
Sosa set career highs in numerous offensive categories last season. In addition to leading the Sox in home runs, he also had the most hits (137) and RBIs (75) on the club.
“I truly enjoyed the results because the process wasn’t easy,” Sosa said last week. “You go through ups and downs, but you have to stay true to yourself and I was able to do that. I enjoyed every part, just knowing the hard work, the dedication and your routine is going to get you to the point where you want to be and I was able to prove that.”
Sosa is focused on making defensive strides. His 10 errors at second base last season ranked tied for second in the American League. That was an area of concentration in winter ball.
“The focus was on my defense, I worked on my defense to improve my range,” Sosa said of the winter league experience in his native Venezuela, where he played first, second and third base. “I worked a lot on my first step (defensively) being faster. And in order to do that, I do different drills to be more agile. It helped me.”
That work has continued this spring.
“Offensively, (I’m working on) just getting my timing and obviously getting comfortable with it,” Sosa told the Tribune on Wednesday. “Defensively, just being ready to play third, second and first, because those are the positions I’m going to be playing at. Just getting those reps and feeling comfortable at those positions.”
Sosa wants to be more consistent in his overall game and make improvements.
“There’s room for that, I know I can do it,” he said on Wednesday. “And also improve my defense just to become that complete player that I know I can be and that I want to be.”
