The post White Sox GM Chris Getz responds to mistake about calling Luisangel Acuña a switch hitter appeared first on Sox On 35th.
In an unusual start to Spring Training, White Sox GM Chris Getz has issued a tongue-in-cheek apology for repeatedly referring to the newly acquired Luisangel Acuña as a switch-hitter.
“So I probably have been getting carried away describing his versatility. He can play every position on the field. Why does it have to stop there? I called Luisangel and told him that even though he’s just right-handed, we still love him.”
The written statement comes after a viral video showed Getz praising Acuña’s supposed ability to hit from both sides of the plate, despite the former Mets prospect simply being a right-handed hitter. The original compilation, posted by Sam Phalen on X, highlighted four separate instances of the mistake, with fans also finding a few more.
Acuña, 23, was part of the return in the trade centered around Luis Robert Jr. on January 20. A former international free agent signing by the Texas Rangers, he is also the younger brother of superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. While Luisangel has appeared on Top 100 prospect lists as recently as 2024, he hasn’t done much to back those rankings up.
Across 109 games over parts of two seasons with the Mets, Acuña has hit .248/.299/.341 with a 6.0% walk rate and an 18.5% strikeout rate. Defensively, he graded out as a slightly above-average shortstop in 2024 with +3 Outs Above Average (OAA), and added +1 OAA at second base in 2025.
Baseball America’s 2023 scouting report offered a mixed evaluation of his long-term outlook:
” Acuña’s offensive impact will depend on whether he can tone down his aggression. He doesn’t swing and miss at an alarming rate, but he swings roughly 46% of the time and hits the ball on the ground at a rate higher than 50%… Acuña makes plenty of impact on contact, with a lot of high-end exit velocities hit at optimal angles. Defensively, there’s little chance Acuña sticks at shortstop because of fringy arm strength and an internal clock that doesn’t befit the position. He’d be fine at second base, though, and could be an intriguing option in center field… Acuña is an above-average runner, which helped him steal 40 bases in 49 tries.”
Those same trends have continued at the major league level. Acuña posted a 55.6% ground ball rate in 2025, limiting his offensive impact, but still found ways to contribute with his speed, stealing 16 bases in 95 games and ranking in the 97th percentile in sprint speed. Acuña does possess above-average bat speed, so the White Sox hitting duo of Ryan Fuller and Derek Shomon will see if they can help him lift the ball more consistently, in turn raising his average launch angle from last season’s 3.4 degrees to unlock more offensive production.
While he’ll only be hitting from one side of the plate in 2026, Acuña will see if he can finally prove himself as the highly touted player many have come to expect.
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Featured Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The post White Sox GM Chris Getz responds to mistake about calling Luisangel Acuña a switch hitter appeared first on Sox On 35th.