‘A lot of different solutions to score’: Chicago White Sox hitting coach Derek Shomon sees variety in offense

Murakami, Vargas and shortstop Colson Montgomery hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in a game last week against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

Shomon said Montgomery, who is second on the team with seven home runs and 19 RBIs, can “carry an offense when he’s hot, for sure.” Four of the home runs for the left-handed hitting Montgomery have come against left-handed pitching.

“I think some of that is mindset, left-on-left, this kid doesn’t shy away,” Shomon said.

Shomon wants recently promoted infielder/outfielder Sam Antonacci to keep the same mindset that helped him get to the big leagues.

“When guys come up to the big leagues, it could happen where you start to lose yourself and you think you have to be somebody that you’re not,” Shomon said. “It’s just like, be that crazy little (person) that’s hitting your helmet and stuff all the time. And the boys are going to back you 100%.”

Antonacci is 7-for-34 (.206) in 12 games.

“(Antonacci has a) high-contact rate, puts together a good at-bat really every time,” Shomon said. “And I think he’s seeing already maybe some ways he’s going to have to adjust, because the pitching is different, but no doubt that he’ll do that.”

Shomon has similar confidence as catcher Edgar Quero and center fielder Luisangel Acuña continue to work to get going in the right direction. Quero entered Tuesday batting .169 (11-for-65).

“He’s showing flashes of it, and it’s just not showing up consistently and for sure it’s frustrating for him,” Shomon said. “It’s like, ‘I feel like I’m doing everything right and it’s just not showing up.’ But we just have to keep pounding the stone and keep chipping away and the consistency will get there.”

Acuña had a .179 average (12-for-67) coming into Tuesday.

“I know he wants to produce, and so we’re human and he puts added pressure on himself to get the job done and that influences some expansion out of the strike zone,” Shomon said. “But just come back to Earth, go do what you know to be true.”

Shomon, a Glenbrook South graduate who is in his first season with the organization after spending 2025 as the Miami Marlins assistant hitting coach, said having the opportunity to aid all of the hitters is “gratifying.”

“I love what I do,” he said. “It is stressful at times, it will keep you up at night. But it’s well worth the fight. We have a really good, truly good group of guys here, that love and care about each other.

“They’re going to work hard, and that’s fun. I love it.”