The White Sox are staring at a closing stretch that looks unusually friendly on paper, and the standings back it up.
Chicago enters the weekend at 66-61, and every opponent left on its 2026 regular-season schedule has a worse record. The run starts Friday with a three-game home series against the New York Mets, then continues Monday through Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.
The White Sox also begin the weekend with a 3.5-game cushion over the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. After a Thursday off day, they head to Minnesota for a three-game series from Aug. 28-31, a matchup that carries real weight in the division race.
There are only two remaining opponents on Chicago’s schedule that are not sitting below .500. The St.
Louis Cardinals are 66-63, the lone team left with a winning record, and they’ll host the White Sox from Sept. 11-13.
Houston is 64-64 and is the other non-losing club still on the slate; the White Sox visit the Astros from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3.
That Houston series matters beyond the AL West picture. The Astros lead Texas by a game, and Chicago holds a 2.5-game lead over Houston for the second seed in the AL playoffs.
The rest of the schedule is lined up with teams that have struggled. The White Sox’s remaining opponents are the Mets, Rangers, Twins twice, Astros, Pirates, Cardinals, Guardians, Tigers, Royals and Rockies. The CHSN White Sox account summed it up bluntly: “This stat is crazy”
September starts with that trip to Houston, then the White Sox come home to face Minnesota and Pittsburgh. After the three games at St.
Louis, they go to Cleveland for another three-game set. The Guardians are 4.5 games behind Chicago in the AL Central.
Then comes a six-game road swing before the White Sox return home to host Detroit, a series that could end up deciding the division. Chicago’s sweep in Detroit last weekend pushed the lead to 5.5 games.
The final road trip sends the White Sox to Kansas City for three games, and they close the regular season at home with Colorado for three games from Sept. 25-27. The Royals have the third-worst record in the AL, while the Rockies have the worst record in the NL and the second-worst winning percentage in MLB in 2026.
In Other News...
Twins Fans Should Be Careful Before Regretting This Pitching Move
Simeon Woods Richardsons path has become one of those small roster decisions that can linger around a season. The Twins designated him in late May and later sent him to Toronto for cash, and he has looked sharp enough since then to catch the eye, turning in a 0.55 ERA over six games for the Blue Jays. But the underlying picture is less tidy, with a high walk rate and a low BABIP hinting that the results may not be quite as stable as they first appear.
Minnesota also had a chance to circle back when Toronto designated him for assignment, and it passed. That call looks a little less dramatic now because the Twins have since bolstered their bullpen with other additions, giving them more relief depth without needing to revisit the old move. It is the kind of transaction that can tempt second-guessing in the moment, but the broader roster context makes the regret a bit harder to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit With Rojas In Trouble
The Twins pitching depth took another hit this week when Kendry Rojas was placed on the minor league injured list with an oblique strain. Rojas had to leave his start for Triple-A St. Paul after just one inning, adding another layer of concern to a pitching group that has already been stretched by injuries and roster shuffling as Minnesota tries to stay in the playoff race.
Rojas setback matters because the Twins have been leaning on every bit of organizational depth they can find, and this is the kind of injury that can linger and complicate a pitchers timeline. With the season now in jeopardy for one of their upper-level arms, Minnesota is left trying to patch together innings while the bigger-picture pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twin Is Making Minnesota's Trade Look Worse By The Week
Ty France has quietly turned into one of the better value stories in the National League, and his latest stretch is only making Minnesotas decision look rougher. After a down offensive season sent him to San Diego on a minor-league deal, he has become one of the Padres most productive players and has even climbed to the top of the clubs offensive leaderboard in several key categories.
For the Twins, the hard part is how directly Frances resurgence ties back to their own trade chain. Minnesota dealt him to Toronto in 2025 before the Padres landed him, and now San Diego is getting strong production from a player making just $1.35 million this year. In a game where roster decisions are judged almost immediately, France is becoming the kind of former Twin who keeps the second-guessing alive. [Read more 🡒]