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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayChicago White Sox rookie outfielder Rikuu Nishida didn't take long to leave an impression, playing a pivotal role in the team's Memorial Day win over the division-rival Minnesota Twins.
After officially being called up to the majors earlier in the day, Nishida starred in the 3-1 win, notching his first big-league hit and also making a beautiful play in the outfield to save a run.
The White Sox improved to 27-26, marking the first time the organization has been above .500 through 53 games since 2021, when Chicago won its most recent AL Central title with a 93-69 record. (h/t Stathead)
Rikuu Nishida has impressive debut as White Sox move back above .500
On Monday morning, the White Sox announced Nishida was being elevated from Triple-A Charlotte while outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who was slashing .226/.305/.321 in 19 games (59 plate appearances), was designated for assignment.
The White Sox social media team shared the moment Nishida received the news, with the 2023 11th-round draft pick left speechless.
Rikuu experienced a (positive) rollercoaster of emotions pic.twitter.com/D8RNgJsgYX
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 25, 2026His game did a lot of talking against the Twins, going 1-for-3 at the plate. Nishida recorded his first MLB hit during his second at-bat, reaching first on a soft-hit ball up the middle in the fourth inning.
major-league debut: ✅
1st career hit: ✅ pic.twitter.com/idvUUPpvjz
The former Oregon Ducks' biggest impact, however, came in the field. Earlier, in the top of the second with runners on first and second and two outs, Nishida kept the score tied at one after fielding catcher Alex Jackson's base hit to right field by launching a perfect throw to the plate and getting Twins shortstop Orlando Arcia out at home.
It was an overall excellent debut for the diminutive 5-foot-6 Japanese-born product who shares a jersey number with Hall of Fame outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, one of the greatest Japanese players in MLB history.
sharing a jersey number with a legend: Ichiro pic.twitter.com/U79xQkLTPk
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 25, 2026His teammate, former Japan Central League star Munetaka Murakami, has also been a bright star as a rookie after signing a two-year, $34M contract with the White Sox in December 2025. Against the Twins, he hit his 18th home run of the season, the most in the AL and only two behind Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead.
Mune knew.
We knew.
Everyone knew. pic.twitter.com/UAjSNPiXV3
Nishida's strong start builds on the moment Chicago generated across its first 50 games. As Chicago Sports Network White Sox anchor Chuck Garfien noted on Saturday, the Sox have been markedly better to start the 2026 season than the previous two, during which the organization lost 223 games combined, including an MLB modern era record 121 games in 2024.
White Sox through 50 games.
2026: 26-24
2025: 15-35
2024: 15-35
Those dog days are long over. The White Sox are currently second in the AL Central and are one of only five AL squads with a winning record. Per Baseball Reference, they have a 24.7 percent chance of making the playoffs, an increase of 11.1 percentage points over the last 30 days.
For the past few years, Chicago's season was already effectively over by the Memorial Day weekend, a sign of just how dismal those recent teams were. But this year is shaping up to be different. The White Sox finally have hope.
Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans
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