Thursday, September 24, 2026 — two years after the worst season of the modern era, the White Sox are going to the playoffs.
The White Sox beat the Royals 9-1 at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday to clinch at least an American League Wild Card spot. It is their first postseason berth since 2021 — and a feat no team had ever pulled off.
No club in major league history had reached the playoffs immediately after three straight 100-loss seasons. Chicago lost 121 games in 2024, a post-1900 record, and 102 more in 2025. This year’s team clinched with three games to spare.
The Clincher
The Sox put the game away early, scoring six runs in the first two innings with a pair of three-run frames. Kansas City helped with errors, including a throw that pulled Vinnie Pasquantino off first base.
Sam Antonacci led off the game with a single and scored three times. Miguel Vargas and Andrew Benintendi each drove in two runs, and Kyle Teel added his fifth homer of the season. On the mound, rookie David Sandlin pitched six innings of one-run ball with a career-high seven strikeouts. The only Royals run came on a Salvador Perez solo homer.
Nobody Saw This Coming
Before the season, the White Sox were 16-1 long shots to make the playoffs. They started 6-13. Then they found a formula built on resilience: 11 walk-off wins, 35 come-from-behind victories, and a creative pitching staff that used an opener 31 times.
Manager Will Venable said the clinch came with the expectation that it was going to happen — which, considering where this franchise was two years ago, is a remarkable thing to be able to say.
It was also a historic day for the city. The Cubs clinched a Wild Card spot on Thursday too, the first time both Chicago teams have clinched on the same day.
The Division Is Still in Play
The White Sox are not done. The win moved them within a half-game of Cleveland in the AL Central, setting up a final weekend with a division title and a first-round bye still on the table. Benintendi put the goal simply: he hopes the team gets to celebrate twice in the next few days.
The Read
Rebuilds are supposed to take years and come with no guarantees. The White Sox went from historically bad to October in two seasons. Whatever happens next, the 2026 team has already earned its place in franchise history.
Add a comment