The Chicago White Sox are chasing a finish they haven’t reached since 2021, but the last week of the regular season could still get messy.
Chicago sits one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central race and holds a three-game cushion over the Houston Astros for the third and final Wild Card spot. The math is simple enough: the White Sox need four wins in their final six games to lock up a postseason berth. The bigger prize, though, is the division title.
Their closing stretch comes against the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies, two clubs sitting well below .500. That should work in Chicago’s favor on paper. But the Rockies may have enough bite left to make things interesting when the season reaches its final series.
“The Rockies have the most compelling final week schedule of any of the bottom-tier teams, as they face the D-backs and White Sox, two teams fighting for their playoff lives," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote. "The season finale against the White Sox will be at Coors Field, where they have been a more competitive 32-46 on the year."
If Colorado can steal a game or two, Chicago could end up stuck as the No. 6 seed in the American League. That would likely send the White Sox into a matchup with the AL West winner, either the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros.
Still, the White Sox are in control. They’ve got the stronger roster, and they’re facing two teams with little left to play for beyond pride.
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A big part of the plan is sharpening his swing decisions, something he is tackling with Rockies third-base coach Andy Gonzalez in Puerto Rico. Tovars issue was clear enough during the season: too often, he chased pitches outside the strike zone and put himself in bad counts. The challenge now is turning targeted practice into better judgment, because for a player with his talent, the difference between a promising step forward and a full breakout may come down to a better approach pitch by pitch. [Read more 🡒]
