I am enjoying this team for what it is right now - ahead of schedule and still continuing to grow as a team. There are still holes on the roster and the depth isn't quite there yet even though the farm is in a much better place. This is a fun team to watch and root for and has actually made me excited for baseball again.

But this team isn't winning the division this year. I fully expect them to be in WC contention all year due to the state of the AL as a whole. I don't see this team falling off a cliff and going through a long losing streak but they will struggle at times. It's going to be a fun summer of White Sox baseball.

35 minutes ago, Bonerko4Konerko said:

I am enjoying this team for what it is right now - ahead of schedule and still continuing to grow as a team. There are still holes on the roster and the depth isn't quite there yet even though the farm is in a much better place. This is a fun team to watch and root for and has actually made me excited for baseball again.

But this team isn't winning the division this year. I fully expect them to be in WC contention all year due to the state of the AL as a whole. I don't see this team falling off a cliff and going through a long losing streak but they will struggle at times. It's going to be a fun summer of White Sox baseball.

I think they have a better chance to win the division than a wild card. The AL Central is bad, and I don't see any team (the Sox included) going on a tear and breaking away from the pack. There are probably enough other teams in the AL that will start playing better and possibly add at the trade deadline to get a wild card.

All that said, I'm not sure the Sox are quite there to be a playoff team, or at least not a team that would go anywhere in the playoffs. As you said, there are still holes. And this is a young team that will likely be streaky. They could do some minor adding at the deadline, but I don't see anything dramatic happening.

The AL is so bad right now. 15 teams and 10 of them are under .500.

The Sox are also 24-17 VS teams with a losing record currently (including 12-5 VS the Central) and are 9-12 against teams with a winning record currently.

This next stretch will say a lot about the team, sucks they wont have Mune for it.

Edited yesterday at 02:18 PM1 day by T R U

32 minutes ago, hogan873 said:

I think they have a better chance to win the division than a wild card. The AL Central is bad, and I don't see any team (the Sox included) going on a tear and breaking away from the pack. There are probably enough other teams in the AL that will start playing better and possibly add at the trade deadline to get a wild card.

All that said, I'm not sure the Sox are quite there to be a playoff team, or at least not a team that would go anywhere in the playoffs. As you said, there are still holes. And this is a young team that will likely be streaky. They could do some minor adding at the deadline, but I don't see anything dramatic happening.

I can't see them overtaking Cleveland in the division.

1 hour ago, hogan873 said:

I think they have a better chance to win the division than a wild card. The AL Central is bad, and I don't see any team (the Sox included) going on a tear and breaking away from the pack. There are probably enough other teams in the AL that will start playing better and possibly add at the trade deadline to get a wild card.

All that said, I'm not sure the Sox are quite there to be a playoff team, or at least not a team that would go anywhere in the playoffs. As you said, there are still holes. And this is a young team that will likely be streaky. They could do some minor adding at the deadline, but I don't see anything dramatic happening.

Are we sure Cleveland isn't "going on a tear" right now? I mean, they've been doing nothing but win lately, are already on a 93-win pace, just beat the Yankees...if they keep playing the way they are they could well end up with one of the best records in the AL.

57 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

Are we sure Cleveland isn't "going on a tear" right now? I mean, they've been doing nothing but win lately, are already on a 93-win pace, just beat the Yankees...if they keep playing the way they are they could well end up with one of the best records in the AL.

Time will tell. It's early. Cleveland is 5-5 in their last 10 but 12-8 in their last 20. The Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 and 11-9 in their last 20.

Cleveland is the better team and has the better chance to win the division. But right now, the Sox are playing about as well as them.

Sox remain 8th in wRC+ at 106 and 8th in position player fWAR at 9.2. The Dodgers and than the top 8 are starting to separate there. There's a big gap from the Dodgers (15.2 ) to 2nd (NYY 12.4) and then from 8th to 9th (Mariners 8.2).

Defense for Sox remains slightly above avg since middle of May or so. 17th at -8.7 runs below avg.

Up to 15th in pitching fWAR at 6.0. There's some underlying metrics that suggest pitching won't keep this up, but so far so good.

Edited 22 hours ago22 hr by chitownsportsfan

2 hours ago, Bonerko4Konerko said:

I can't see them overtaking Cleveland in the division.

Their pitching is much better. I agree.

I don't think the Wild Card is unrealistic though, not scared of the As, Rangers, Orioles, Twins Astros

So anyway...Isn't it crazy we might make the playoffs this year? 😆

On 5/31/2026 at 11:17 PM, richig761 said:

So, here's my little story with this team. I live in SoCal and cancelled MLB.TV during the 121 loss season. I still followed team news, every box score, etc. I was asked constantly asked by friends when I'd cave and order it again. Well, I made it to this season and back in March. I said "I don't think we'll be THAT bad this year. However, I will order MLB.TV again when the White Sox are .500 or better in June".

I made it to May. lol. I'm really enjoying this club.

Put it this way. The gauntlet of a schedule that we face in June? With no Murakami as well? (I do like Gonzalez, FWIW) If we play .500 or better in June? We're probably going to be in this for the long haul. I don't know if we have the firepower yet to beat Cleveland for the division. Given the outlook of the AL right now, though? We can certainly hunt down a wild card spot if we win 85-86 games. I would think. That would be a big victory for this team.

Playoff baseball!? Don't get my hopes up, but I get excited thinking about it.

Welcome !!

On 5/24/2026 at 4:58 PM, Lip Man 1 said:

Another lost bullpen season it appears.

It's a 10 day sample size. You can find a few 10 day sample sizes this year when it was good too.

On 5/20/2026 at 10:19 PM, hi8is said:

Yea, I looked at the calendar when the other poster mentioned the Braves / dodgers / yankmes run and included the Phillies as the start in my own thinking too.

It’s clear that this team has already proved they are vastly different, heading in the right direction, and are respectable across the league.

We’ll know definitively after that June run if we are seriously in the hunt for a playoff run or not once the Yankme series is over.

I actually don't think that part of the schedule will give a definitive answer. The Braves and Dodgers are the 2 best teams in baseball .Yankees are a pretty good team. Phillies strong lately. Guardians are good too. But there's Detroit, KC and Orioles too.

If they stumble a bit in June they have guys coming back in July. Maybe Gonzalez proves he's worthy to stay, Braden Montgomery , Teel Murakami , Schultz, Hagen Smith, Ben Peoples, Hays, Pereira,Shane Smith are all players who may be joining the team before or after the TDL.

Might be a few surprises too. Plenty of the season left to recover and surge again if they stumble a bit before game 81 on June 26th.

Passan floating Reid Detmers as a type of pitcher who could fit in the Sox plans.

2 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I actually don't think that part of the schedule will give a definitive answer. The Braves and Dodgers are the 2 best teams in baseball .Yankees are a pretty good team. Phillies strong lately. Guardians are good too. But there's Detroit, KC and Orioles too.

If they stumble a bit in June they have guys coming back in July. Maybe Gonzalez proves he's worthy to stay, Braden Montgomery , Teel Murakami , Schultz, Hagen Smith, Ben Peoples, Hays, Pereira,Shane Smith are all players who may be joining the team before or after the TDL.

Might be a few surprises too. Plenty of the season left to recover and surge again if they stumble a bit before game 81 on June 26th.

Yea it’ll be a good test that will tell us a lot but it isn’t make or break.

The bottom line is they’ll need to continuing playing good at home, beating other central teams, and ultimately… they will have to take care of business against the Indians.

Judge will be out for the Yankee series, so that should help.

2 hours ago, WestEddy said:

Passan floating Reid Detmers as a type of pitcher who could fit in the Sox plans.

Wow, blast from the past name there. Member when he was the Angels top prospect and a #20 prospect in the entire MLB? Not a free agent until 2029. Would definitely make sense for the Sox.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by WhiteSox2023

7 hours ago, slysarahsmooth said:

So anyway...Isn't it crazy we might make the playoffs this year? 😆

What'd I miss here?!

Baseball never ceases to fascinate:

Gray column is xwOBA. And 2nd to last is defensive runs relative to what fangraphs has as "average". Sox are 8th in xwOBA same as cubs really and cubs are 22 runs (2.2 wins roughly) above Sox by FG's defensive metrics, and the teams are basically tied. Defense is nice, hitting and pitching matter a lot more on a team.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by chitownsportsfan

Who do the Sox have to trade for Detmers, though?

Can't even part with Gonzalez at this point.

Would have to be mostly A ball prospects...not sure what worth Bergolla Mogollon Jeral Perez have...same with Wolkow/Zavala.

Lottery tickets...

2 hours ago, ron883 said:

What'd I miss here?!

I’m wondering the same thing. 😆

15 hours ago, Bonerko4Konerko said:

But this team isn't winning the division this year.

It’s hard to say that with confidence… which is actually unbelievable.

7 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Who do the Sox have to trade for Detmers, though?

Can't even part with Gonzalez at this point.

Would have to be mostly A ball prospects...not sure what worth Bergolla Mogollon Jeral Perez have...same with Wolkow/Zavala.

Lottery tickets...

Quero & Bush

12 hours ago, WestEddy said:

Passan floating Reid Detmers as a type of pitcher who could fit in the Sox plans.

How about a package deal, Detmers and Soler? Detmers would be under control, and Soler would have a 1/2 season to rock before he is a free agent in 2027. Soler as the DH could be another masher in the line-up.