Put Your Sox On – September 8, 2026
Let’s talk White Sox. The Chicago White Sox enter the home stretch of the 2026 baseball season with a 3 game lead over the 2nd place Cleveland Guardians. Can you believe this season? It’s been a wild ride, a truly unexpected, exciting journey to September. What will happen moving forward?
The Chicago White Sox are still in 1st Place in the American League Central division. They have been since June 10. That’s almost three months ago. Can you believe THIS Sox team has been in first place for three months?! After what happened the last three years, it’s almost unfathomable.
After losing 101 games in 2023, then the record 121 losses in 2024, followed by the 60-102 record last year, it is shocking to see this year’s team doing so well, so soon.
Sure, us fans hoped for the rebuild to progress, but who thought it would happen overnight? In our MLB Preview back in March, we figured it would be another small improvement. I predicted the Sox would finish in last place, again, with a 71-91 record. I thought another 11 game improvement on the victory total would be a decent bet. Now here they are, at 75-68 with 19 games left to play. Sitting 3 games ahead of the 2nd place Cleveland Indians/Guardians, the Sox have a bettor’s chance to win this division.
Here’s the remaining schedule (19 games total: 10 home, 9 away):
- 3 vs Pittsburgh (71-73)
- 3 at St. Louis (72-73)
- 3 at Cleveland (73-72)
- 4 vs Detroit (66-78)
- 3 at Kansas City (64-81)
- 3 vs Colorado (55-88)
Do the Sox need to win all 19? Certainly not. With a 3 game lead over Cleveland (73-72), at most the Sox would need to win are 15 games (15-4), which would clinch a tie at 90-72. That’s if the Indians run the table with their remaining 17 games. That is certainly unlikely.
The three games at Cleveland will be the most important, intense series this season, and most high-level series since the Sox lost in the ALDS vs Houston in 2021.
It all depends on Cleveland, of course, but you need to consider if the Sox can go 11-8, that would make the Indians need to win at least 13 of their last 17, which would be difficult. If those numbers held up, they would tie at 86-76. The division tiebreakers are simply head-to-head. The Sox have gone 6-4 over Cleveland thus far, with that huge three game series still remaining. The Indians probably need to win all three, thus winning the season series 7-6 and helping them win the head-to-head tiebreaker.
This is what pennant races are all about. I really can’t wait to see what happens. What do you think will happen???
Sure looks like the Sox will make the Playoffs.
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I sure hope so. We have two straight losses since I published this. Uh oh.
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I was waiting on a White Sox post, Reid. They’ve been pretty solid from wire-to-wire, and I expect nothing less down the stretch. I would normally be wary of the Guardians, but they seem to be a bit more inconsistent and I don’t think they will pull it together to catch Chicago. The Sox are pretty much my AL team since they took the A’s away from Oakland, so I’m going to be rooting hard for them down the stretch. Colson, Miguel, Chase, and Munetaka should lead the way to the post-season!
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Hey Bruce, Thanks for the comments. I didn’t realize you were a Sox fan too. FANtastic. I’m excited but starting to get nervous. Mune is in a MAJOR slump. He’s been striking out almost every at-bat for the last month. Over the last 30 days he is 12 for 98 (.122 avg) with only 4 HR, 8 RBI, 20 BB and 46 K’s. He needs to get his groove back. Colson is similar. But that’s ok. We can win this division anyway.
Thanks!
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Reid, they did it! In the post-season! Murakami was hysterical in the post-game celebration if you didn’t see it. He was so pumped. They all were. I simply cannot believe after the last three seasons of 100 losses they made the playoffs. Enjoy, my man!
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Simply amazing Bruce! It’s honestly hard to believe. I’m watching tonight’s game on my phone while my three TV’s have college football showing. It’s really fun. Sox are still hoping for the Indians to lose. The Central title would be even better.
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