Chris Getz had to be picturing a celebration in Cleveland that never came.
The White Sox general manager expected the usual playoff finish-line scene after Game 5 of the American League Division Series: cigars, champagne, the whole thing. Instead, after the club’s 2-0 loss to the Guardians in Game 5, he was the one in the visitors’ clubhouse, thanking a young roster for pushing a rebuild farther and faster than almost anyone projected.
The loss hurt. Getz didn’t hide that.
But what stuck with him most from the end of Chicago’s season was the reaction from the players.
“Almost to a player, to a man, they thanked me, they thanked us for believing in them,” said Getz during his 45-minute season-wrap Zoom on Wednesday. “Once I heard that and felt that, it certainly brought peace from a very stinging feeling from losing to Cleveland.”
It was a harsh ending to a season that started with far lower expectations. This 2026 White Sox team was supposed to be building toward something, not nearly breaking through it.
Around the organization, even a .500 record would have counted as a meaningful step. White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who was also in Cleveland after the loss, apparently viewed 2027 as a more realistic target for a playoff run.
Instead, the Sox won 84 games and went from outsiders to a club that came within one game of the American League Championship Series.
That was not how the winter chatter went. From SoxFest in late January to spring training to the early-season stretches when Chicago stumbled to 1-5 and 6-13 starts, the players kept buying in while the outside world stayed skeptical.
“Trying to make this a player-first organization and trying to support these guys both on and off the field, I felt we made strides in those spaces,” Getz said. “We were able to get more positive outcomes this year because of that.
“As a whole, it certainly stings to be eliminated from the playoffs the way that we did. But zooming out further, it’s important to recognize how proud I am of our player group as an organization, and how excited I am for the future based on what we were able to establish this season.”
Still, there’s no way to separate the good from the what-ifs entirely.
On Aug. 16, the White Sox had a 5 1/2-game lead in the AL Central and were six games ahead of a Cleveland club that was five games under .500. By Aug.
29, Chicago had reached 72-63 and still held a 4 1/2-game cushion over the Guardians. Then came the finish: Cleveland surged, Chicago slipped, and the Sox missed out on the division by one game.
The postseason offered a quick flash of why this group had become so dangerous. Chicago opened with four straight wins, sweeping the Astros in the AL Wild Card round and moving within one victory of a matchup with the Rays in the ALCS. But the Guardians shut the door with three straight wins of their own.
The deciding game wasn’t just a loss. It was a historic grind, with the White Sox striking out 21 times, a postseason and regular-season record for a nine-inning game.
Getz pointed to the learning that came from that stage as much as the disappointment.
“More than anything, I think about the emotions of playing in those critical moments. Some of our players responded really well, and there were times where they got sped up,” Getz said. “So to really learn from having to regulate those emotions on that stage, I think is only going to serve them well.
“We don’t get this opportunity to make those adjustments without experiencing it. Very grateful we got those opportunities. I can’t think of anything better to experience for future development.”
The offseason should bring continuity in the dugout. All of the coaches under Will Venable are expected to return, and Venable should get strong consideration for AL Manager of the Year.
On the roster side, starting pitching stands out as the clear need. The White Sox leaned on their bullpen in October and got strong postseason performances from that group, but only Sean Burke worked as a starter.
The infield picture, meanwhile, is exactly where the front office wanted it to be: deep in the majors and the minors, and built that way on purpose. Now the challenge becomes more specific - keep developing, keep adding, and keep pushing this core forward.
“I look at the hires we’ve made both internally, the coaching staff, that have led to the development of our young players and some of the acquisitions along the way that have really thrived in our clubhouse,” Getz said. “So, we certainly want to continue to find ways to fuel this organization and the foundation which has allowed us to get to where we are today.”
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