The White Sox may have slipped out of first place, but their path to October is still very much alive.
After dropping two of three to the Cleveland Guardians, the Sox lost the AL Central lead for the first time in nearly two and a half months. That’s the headline change. The broader picture, though, is that they would still hold the third and final AL wild-card spot if the season ended today.
That’s why the focus has shifted. The magic number to clinch a playoff berth is 9, and it stayed there after the Texas Rangers picked up two wins and moved ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays as the first team out in the AL race. If Toronto had remained in front of Texas, that number would have looked different.
The division race is still alive too. The Sox’ magic number to win the AL Central remains 10, unchanged since their lone win over the Guardians in the series gave them the tiebreaker.
Cleveland’s number is also 10, which makes sense because the Guardians have played one more game and the two teams are tied in the loss column. With the tiebreaker in hand, the Sox and Guardians are as tight as a race can get.
The schedule gives Chicago a chance to answer right away. Cleveland is off Thursday, while the Sox open a four-game home series against the Detroit Tigers, who just saw their six-game winning streak end. If Chicago wins the first game, it would pull back into a first-place tie with Cleveland and, thanks to that tiebreaker, become the de facto division leader.
So the Sox no longer have the clean control they had before this latest stumble. They can’t count on Guardians losses to do the work for them. At this point, winning is the only way to keep moving up in the AL picture.
They’re not out. Not by a long shot.
The real question is whether they can handle the pressure that comes with the ground they just gave back. This season says they can.
The next step is proving it again.
In Other News...
Chris Getz Hinted At A White Sox Draft Reset Fans Should Watch
The White Soxs scouting operation is in the spotlight again after amateur scouting director Mike Shirley resigned amid an internal investigation tied to allegations of verbal harassment involving inappropriate racial and sexist comments. Shirley had been placed on administrative leave in August after an anonymous tip, and his departure came after an HR investigation, leaving another significant change at a department that plays a major role in the clubs long-term rebuild.
General manager Chris Getz has already hinted that the scouting setup may not look the same going forward, though he has not gone into detail about Shirleys exit. For a team trying to reshape its pipeline and restore some stability, the next move in that department matters almost as much as the departure itself, because the White Sox are now left to decide how they want to structure the group responsible for finding the next wave of talent. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Prospects Headed To Arizona Could Shape Chicagos Next Wave
The White Sox have settled on the group headed to the Arizona Fall League, and it gives a useful snapshot of where some of the organizations next interesting names stand. Pitchers Nick Altermatt, Jonathan Clark, Pierce George, Mathias LaCombe and Garrett Wright will be joined by catcher Grant Magill, infielders Anthony DePino and Colby Shelton and outfielder Caleb Bonemer, a mix that reflects both depth and a few players pushing to separate themselves from the pack.
For Chicago, the Fall League is less about the standings than the stage. Relievers Pierce George and Mathias LaCombe, along with Bonemer in the outfield, are among the prospects worth tracking after recent minor league showings, and this next stretch will let them test themselves against other top young talent. It is the kind of assignment that can quietly shape how a farm system is viewed, especially for a club still building its next wave. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Get A Colson Montgomery Scare At The Worst Time
Colson Montgomery gave the White Sox a scare in the middle of a game against the Guardians when he was hit on the forearm by a pitch and later left with a left wrist contusion. The good news came quickly after the game, when Chicago announced that X-rays were negative and Montgomery was listed day-to-day, but anytime a young player exits with a wrist issue, it tends to hang over the clubhouse for a bit.
Montgomerys timing hardly could be worse for a White Sox team trying to keep its playoff hopes alive, especially with the infielder already having a tough season at the plate. Chicago has been trying to piece together offense wherever it can find it, and now it has to wait and see how much time Montgomery might miss before figuring out what his absence could mean in the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]