They say good things come to those who wait, and it seemed like the White Sox would wait in perpetuity for Andrew Benintendi to make it worth the $75 million they invested in him, more than any other in franchise history. While he could have done worse than back-to-back 20-homer seasons in 2024 and 2025, he could have done a lot better, too.
2026 has been a different story for Benintendi, particularly since he was moved exclusively to designated hitter a month into the season. His pinch-hit grand slam to beat the Yankees in the Bronx merely is the latest example of how much his luck has changed.
June has been a particularly ridiculous month for Benintendi. Entering the Sox's road series against the Tigers, he was slashing .282/.391/.692 for the month for an otherworldly OPS of 1.084. That continues a trend in which his numbers in each slash category have improved every month. His five home runs for the month are one more than he had in April and May combined.
If the season ended after the Yankees series, his .440 slugging percentage and .741 OPS would represent his highs since joining the Sox. While it would have been nice to have those numbers much sooner than in the fourth season of his five-year contract, the timing with all the young offensive talent that has blossomed for the Sox couldn't have been better.
It's not farfetched to think Benintendi's resurgence is related to having two large weights lifted off his shoulders. It had been clear for some time that has was a liability in the outfield, and Will Venable switching him to designated hitter permanently has allowed to focus on the one thing he still can do. And with Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery taking on most of the power responsibilities, he doesn't have to push as hard to carry a struggling team.
Whether Benintendi can sustain this recent hot streak is unknown. He's about to turn 32 and much older than any other everyday position player. That always is a concern on a young team.
However, every young team needs a veteran presence, and that becomes more valuable as the expectations grow. Plus, Benintendi already has a World Series ring from his days with the Red Sox, so this team can use that guidance as the playoffs become more of a possibility.
Benintendi's contract might have been ill-advised in a lot of respects, but he finally is in the right role with this franchise. Maybe Rick Hahn was wise to invest all that money in him after all.
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