With four American League teams left and the Division Series about to sort them out, the biggest issues for each club are pretty clear. Chicago and Cleveland bring one set of problems.
New York and Tampa Bay bring another. And in every case, the matchup turns on one question that could decide whether the run continues or stops cold.
For the White Sox, it comes down to this: can the starting pitching survive long enough to let the rest of the team matter?
Chicago has already become the feel-good story of the postseason, shaking off three straight 100-loss seasons just to get here. But Cinderella stories do not last forever, and this one may run into trouble against division rival Cleveland if the rotation cannot hold up.
Nobody is doubting what the White Sox lineup can do. The concern is whether, beyond Sean Burke, there is enough in the starting mix to protect any lead they build.
That matters even more because Chicago’s bullpen has thrown the most innings of any MLB team. When a rotation keeps coming up short in October, the relief group gets exposed fast.
Cleveland’s question is the mirror image: is there enough offense to reach the ALCS?
The Guardians finished 27th in home runs and 24th in runs scored during the regular season, which makes the margin for error thin right away. The season series with Chicago was tight, with the White Sox taking it 7-6 and outscoring Cleveland by just one run overall, 58-57. That sets up what should be a close, tense ALDS.
There is at least one encouraging sign for the Guardians. September brought a real power spike, with Cleveland hitting 35 home runs in the month, its best total of any month this season.
Jose Ramirez is also a key piece to watch. He missed about a month in the middle of the year because of a left hamate fracture, and September was rough, as he posted a .501 OPS in 91 at-bats. If he finds his All-Star level in October, that would be a major lift for Cleveland’s lineup.
In the other ALDS matchup, the Yankees’ issue is simpler to frame: can the rotation keep rolling?
It would have been easy to make this about the offense or about whether Aaron Judge will play in the series, but New York’s wild-card win over Boston was built on pitching. That was the base of the whole thing.
Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Cam Schlittler give the Yankees plenty of choices over a five-game series, and that could be a real edge. New York held Boston to a .117 batting average in the wild-card round, and while Tampa Bay is likely to do better than that, the Yankees’ pitching looks like one of the strongest weapons on the AL side of the bracket.
For the Rays, the question is who else steps up behind Junior Caminero.
A first-round bye always makes the offensive timing worth watching, and Tampa Bay now has to find its rhythm quickly. Caminero put together a season that should draw plenty of MVP votes, but he cannot carry the lineup by himself. Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Diaz and Taylor Walls have all had their moments this season, and the Rays will need that kind of support if Caminero runs into trouble against New York’s pitching.
That is a real possibility, too. Against the Yankees this season, Caminero is hitting just .204/.259/.306 with one home run in 54 plate appearances.
In Other News...
White Sox Linked To A Dream Ace Fans Wont Fully Believe
The White Sox spent this season trying to show they could move from rebuilding to relevant, and that naturally puts the focus on the kind of arm that can change a franchises direction. ESPNs Kiley McDaniel, citing MLB insiders, has floated Chicago as a potential sleeper in the race for free agent Tarik Skubal, a name that would instantly transform the conversation around the club if it ever got serious.
There is obvious logic to the fit. Chicago needs help in the starting rotation, and the recent postseason success gives the front office a more believable pitch than it might have had a year ago. The question, of course, is whether ownership would ever be willing to chase a deal that could climb into a range this steep, which is why the idea feels intriguing for White Sox fans and hard to fully picture at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Are Trusting A Rookie With Their Biggest ALDS Gamble
The White Sox are leaning on Hagen Smith again as they open the ALDS, handing the rookie the Game 1 start against the Guardians after he already handled the Wild Card stage against the Astros. Smith gave Chicago three scoreless innings in that outing, and now he gets an even bigger assignment as the club turns the page to a Division Series that begins on the road.
Cleveland will host the first two games before the matchup shifts to Guaranteed Rate Field for Game 3, which only raises the pressure on Chicagos early choices in the series. For a team already willing to trust a rookie in a high-leverage spot, the opening stretch could set the tone for everything that follows. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Playoff Run Just Delivered A Chicago School Incredible Surprise
Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvales friendly playoff wager ended up turning into a big day for a Chicago school. After the Houston Astros fell to the White Sox in the American League Wild Card Series, the bet kicked in and brought an unexpected reward for St. Gabriels Catholic School, which sits near Rate Field and now gets to be part of the postseason atmosphere.
All 190 students, along with some chaperones, will attend Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the White Sox and Guardians. The principal delivered the news to the students, and the reaction was exactly what you would expect from a group suddenly handed a trip to a playoff game - a rare, memorable surprise tied directly to a White Sox run that has already reached beyond the ballpark. [Read more 🡒]