White Sox polled on team’s top first-half players, moments — and how far they’ll go from here

Before he got hurt May 29, there was zero question who was putting the “M” in MVP of the surprisingly competitive White Sox: Japanese rookie Munetaka Murakami, only the third Sox player to slug 20 home runs pre-June, joining Frank Thomas (1994) and Jim Thome (2006).

Since then, the Sox have had several pairs of hands on the wheel, steering them into a first-place tie with the Guardians in the American League Central entering their final series before the All-Star break.

So, who is the team’s first-half MVP? Is it 20-homer infielder Miguel Vargas, who will represent the team at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia? Infielder Colson Montgomery, with his 23 bombs? Starting pitcher Davis Martin, who has held things down with nine wins and a team-high 3.0 WAR? Someone else?

The Sun-Times poked around Rate Field asking for top threes.

Center fielder Tristan Peters and pitchers Grant Taylor and Erik Fedde each had Vargas and Martin 1-2. But Peters went with Taylor third, Taylor with rookie left fielder Sam Antonacci and Fedde with Peters.

“Sam is my sleeper pick,” Taylor said. “He brings something different to the clubhouse.”

“We weren’t sure what we were going to get in center this year, and [Peters] has been an unbelievable asset,” Fedde said.

Infielder Chase Meidroth’s top three: Montgomery, Murakami and Vargas. Pitcher Noah Schultz’s: Martin, Montgomery and Vargas.

Injured pitcher Mike Vasil, the cheerleader-in-chief, had it Murakami, Vargas and Antonacci, whom he called a “complete motor in this lineup.”

Said longtime TV analyst Steve Stone, “It’s Davis Martin, Vargas and you probably go, because of the power numbers, with Colson Montgomery. However, honorable mention certainly goes to Sam Antonacci.”

THE first-half moment

We also asked which play, win or other occurrence belongs at the top of this team’s list so far.

Meidroth kept to a broad stroke — “just giving ourselves a chance in the second half” — while Taylor pointed to the Sox’ seven walk-off wins.

“It sets the standard for what we’re doing because we’re never out of a game,” Taylor said. “We always have the chance to fight back. Bottom nine, we’re coming to play.”

One of those walk-offs came on Braden Montgomery’s two-run homer in the 10th inning to beat the Braves 6-5 at Rate Field on June 9 in the outfielder’s very first big-league game.

“That was the play for me,” Schultz said. “A guy gets called up and makes an immediate impact like that? Such a huge deal and really brought the team together.”

Peters and Fedde opted for the series win against the Cubs in mid-May. It ended with another two-run, 10th-inning blast, this one off the bat of catcher Edgar Quero to take the rubber match 9-8 in a wild scene on the South Side.

“I think that was one of the first times we all had belief that we were coming together well and playing good baseball,” Fedde said. “The whole hype of the city came out, and winning that series kind of cemented the thought that we were going to compete.”

Vasil threw a bit of a curveball, impressive for a guy recovering from Tommy John surgery.

“The easy one to say is the Quero walk-off against the Cubs, but I honestly think the biggest swing that took us in the right direction was the [Andrew] Benintendi home run [in the ninth inning on April 23] in Arizona. A three-run bomb in a tie game on the road? That was when it sort of turned for us for the year.”

What happens from here?

When Murakami finally re-entered the lineup Friday, his hamstring trouble hopefully behind him, it felt almost like a major trade-deadline acquisition. Of course, it wasn’t one, and general manager Chris Getz soon will be on the clock to show how willing the Sox are to improve their roster from outside the organization.

Stone — who predicted on Opening Day the Sox would be much better than the 66 or 67 wins most analytics models projected for them — isn’t offering a second-half forecast this far out from the Aug. 3 deadline.

“I don’t think there is any way Chris Getz wants to break up a farm system that he worked so hard to put together,” Stone said, “but it’s probably no secret they could use a starting pitcher [and] maybe another arm for the bullpen.”

The Guardians, Twins and Tigers all could be in play for the division title. A wild-card spot could be there for the grabbing in an AL with only two teams — the Rays and the Yankees — well clear of .500.

How are Sox players sizing up their chances?

“I easily see the talent of this team going into the playoffs,” Meidroth said. “At this point, it’s up to us.”

“We can win our division,” Peters said. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”

According to Fedde, anything less than a division title would be a “disappointment.” Sox fans who have witnessed three straight 100-plus-loss seasons might be more inclined to welcome any old postseason berth.

A couple of pitchers stuck their necks out even further.

“With Mune back, I think we’re going to play similar or better ball as we go forward, continue to build on what we’ve gone and grow and get better, and then we want to be playing deep into October,” Taylor said. “That’s the goals I have and what I expect from this team.”

Schultz put it all the way out there.

“Win the division, host playoff games, win the World Series,” he said. “If you’re not shooting for that, then you’re not playing the right sport.”