The White Sox have spent most of the 2026 season sitting on top of the AL Central, and the Guardians have played a part in making that cushion a little more comfortable.
Chicago is trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 2021, and a first-round bye is in play if it can keep Cleveland behind it. As of Wednesday morning, the Guardians trailed by three games. They’ve been hotter lately, going 8-2 over their last 10, while the White Sox are 6-4 in that same stretch.
That gap could shrink or grow depending on how the final month unfolds, and Chicago’s schedule gives it a real chance to keep pushing. Cleveland, meanwhile, has drawn attention for not making a move that could have given its lineup a needed jolt.
“But the White Sox otherwise have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the majors, while the Guardians aren't even being serious in their pursuit of the postseason, opting against using one of their September callup spots on Ralphy Velazquez-who hit .356/.433/.867 with 15 home runs in August-presumably because they want him to continue playing in the minors if there is a lockout, which players cannot do if they are on a 40-man roster,” Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote.
Power has been an issue for Cleveland, and Velazquez would have been a clear answer in that area. Outfielder Angel Martinez leads the Guardians with only 14 home runs.
Even with that hole in the lineup, Chicago still has reasons to feel good about where this race is headed. “Even if Cleveland had promoted its top prospect, though, the White Sox have had astounding staying power with Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas all on the brink of 30 home runs,” Miller added. “They'll stay ahead, and they'll secure the No. 2 seed.”
In Other News...
White Sox Just Lost A Bullpen Piece They Once Counted On
Jordan Leasures latest setback leaves the White Sox trying to keep building a bullpen that had once hoped to feature him in a meaningful late-inning role. The right-hander underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Aug. 17, and the recovery timeline pushes his return all the way to Spring Training 2028, a harsh turn for a pitcher Chicago acquired in 2023 and believed could become part of the relief mix.
The timing stings because Leasures 2026 season had already been interrupted by both performance issues and injury troubles before the surgery ended his year and wiped out the next one as well. For a White Sox club still sorting out who can be trusted in the bullpen long term, losing a pitcher with that kind of prior organizational investment is another reminder of how quickly relief plans can unravel. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Prospects Are Heating Up At Exactly The Right Time
The White Soxs farm system keeps sending up reminders that its better days may not be far off. On Tuesday night, several affiliates delivered another round of encouraging performances, highlighted by home runs from Kyle Teel, Anthony DePino, Colby Shelton and Kyle Lodise, while Triple-A Charlotte got steady work on the mound from Noah Schultz and Shane Smith.
Schultz set the tone by starting for Charlotte and holding the opposition without an earned run across 4.2 innings, the kind of outing that keeps a top prospect moving in the right direction. With the system producing at multiple levels on the same night, the White Sox have reason to keep an eye on what is building below the majors, even if the bigger picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Roster Shuffle Shows How Unsettled Their Depth Still Is
The White Sox made another small but revealing move in their ongoing roster churn, designating Tyler Gilbert for assignment to clear a 40-man spot for Tommy Pham. Gilbert had only arrived in the organization on Jan. 1, 2025, when Chicago sent Aaron Combs to Philadelphia in a trade for the left-hander, a reminder of how quickly the clubs depth chart can change when it is trying to piece together usable big-league depth.
For a team still sorting through the edges of its roster, moves like this matter because they show how little is settled beyond the most obvious names. The shuffle also comes against the backdrop of a busy stretch across the farm system, where affiliate results and player performances continue to shape the conversation around who might be next in line when the White Sox need help. [Read more 🡒]