From Pope Hats to playoffs: an ode to the '26 White Sox

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- There’s no cheering in the pressbox.

One notable exception exists when the University of Michigan football team completes a 50-yard Hail Mary with one second on the clock to win a game while you are finishing a Saturday night story at Rate Field. That oddly specific example falls under the category of another tale for another time.

While there’s no outward emotion permitted, there certainly is room for appreciation. And appreciation was one of the things I felt while covering the 2026 White Sox.

Let’s start with appreciation for covering a winning squad. I’ve described the ’26 White Sox as a great story, quite possibly the best in baseball, while also being as good a team as their 84 regular season victories would suggest. This young crew learned how to win together as the season progressed and probably played their best baseball during the first four games of the postseason.

As most White Sox fans know, those ranging from ardent to casual, there wasn’t much winning on the South Side over the past four seasons leading up to ‘26. The ’22 campaign was the definition of "mired in mediocrity"; the team never got more than five over .500 and never fell more than five under. They were never truly in the postseason picture but never really out of it coming off two straight playoff appearances.

Their ’23 team was designed to be a contender but wasn’t, starting a string of three straight seasons with 100-plus losses. That run included the 121 defeats in ’24, with that team going through a 4-41 stretch overall and a 1-29 run at home, which is almost mathematically impossible.

Those of us who cover baseball are blessed and lucky to do so. There also are times when you are searching for story angles during a run of futility such as this one.

Even without the on-field victories, things were changing under general manager Chris Getz and the hiring of Will Venable as manager really helped turn the corner. A clear team identity was set by Venable in ’25, team-first, playing for and with each other, and the players followed his lead as many have spoken about previously.

A different feeling took over the clubhouse. I could sense it talking to Davis Martin last offseason concerning his City Slickers style weekend for the White Sox starting rotation at his family’s Texas farm. I could sense it talking to players during SoxFest at the end of January.

They believed and, coupled with a strong amount of talent, they produced. It’s a lesson not just for baseball but for life in general. Don’t stop believing.

I contributed to the Cubs’ home playoff coverage in ’25 and the electric atmosphere at Wrigley Field was nothing like I had seen for a long time. It still wasn’t really the same as being a primary beat writer for a playoff team.

For starters, playoff baseball is tiring -- especially when your off-day flight from Houston to Chicago is delayed 4 1/2 hours. If that’s my biggest complaint, and those who sat near me during the playoffs know it was one of my many complaints, then it’s not too big of a problem.

Imagine how tiring it is for the players, managers, coaches and front office members who are trying to find the smallest advantage to help advance.

Covering the White Sox playoff clincher in Kansas City marked the first time I had done so since the 2008 Blackout game due to COVID limitations in ’20 and ’21. It was entertaining to watch the celebration play out in the visitors’ clubhouse and stay relatively dry.

Entertaining is one of the best words to describe the ’26 White Sox. How about entertaining and fun?

When covering something near 120 of 162 games, not factoring in Spring Training, you are lucky to come across three or four interesting stories sort of away from the diamond and moving into just cool storytelling. There were two or three of those per month for the White Sox.

Pope Hat giveaways. Mike Vasil’s magic dugout wand, purchased by Jordan Leasure for $20 off Amazon. White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf presided in his suite over the marriage of Ron Kittle, the 1983 American League Rookie of the Year and continued White Sox fixture, to his long-time girlfriend. I’ve written and talked about all of them previously, but they are worth another mention.

Don’t forget the great on-field exploits. Munetaka Murakami and Tristan Peters with home run streaks of five straight games as rookies, Braden Montgomery’s walk-off home run off Raisel Iglesias to cap off his big league debut and Edgar Quero finishing the Cubs series at home with a game-ending homer, to name a few. Don’t forget the two Blackout-theme home playoff games, with an intensity and fervor noticed by the opposing Guardians.

This team fit together talent wise, but they thrived together as people. They enjoyed life while earning a living.

I had no clear feeling going into the playoffs, knowing the White Sox didn’t play well at Daikin Park. But they dominated Houston in the sweep, leading to another clubhouse celebration. I thought they had a trip to the American League Championship Series locked down after winning the first two in Cleveland, but as I’ve learned many times and over many seasons, count out the Guardians at your own detriment.

So, what’s next for the White Sox? After four days of sleeping on and off, I’m excited to see how this team takes the next step up in ’27 and beyond. There’s no guarantees, not even a guarantee of a .500 season even after the record-breaking progress made in ’26.

Worries such as those will have time to be figured out in the coming weeks and months. For now, the ’26 White Sox should appreciate what they accomplished.