Rebuilding no longer: First-place Sox hit break with playoffs in sights

CHICAGO – The 2025 White Sox went to the All-Star break with a 32-65 record, and they sat in last place, 27 games out of first in the American League Central.

Not ideal, not really even in a rebuild, especially coming off 121 losses in 2024.

With a 9-1 victory over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon, completing a weekend sweep on a beautiful day for baseball at Rate Field, the White Sox hit this respite at 50-45 and in a virtual tie with the Guardians atop the division. (Chicago is ahead by percentage points.)

Is “What a difference a season makes” anywhere near enough to encapsulate this turnaround? No, not really close.

But with 67 games remaining and the post All-Star break playoff push on the horizon, the White Sox now expect to be in the postseason picture.

“Yeah, I think so,” said White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery, who has a team-best 23 home runs. “In our heads, we just are like, ‘How are we not going to be a playoff team if we just play like we are playing right now?’”

“We've had pretty high expectations and standards for all these guys, and they've met them mostly and done a great job,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “So we just keep trying to get better. You know, that's the focus for us.”

Better turned into best against the A’s (41-55), who took their first lead in a game since July 1 on Shea Langeliers’ first-inning homer off Noah Schultz but had it erased by a six-run White Sox first inning. Sam Antonacci launched his third leadoff homer and then was hit by a pitch for the 18th time later in the game, while Braden Montgomery connected on a three-run blast and drove in four in total.

Schultz (3-6) won for the first time since May 1 at San Diego, ending an 0-5 stretch amid six winless starts. He fanned four and didn’t issue a walk over five innings and 74 pitches (53 strikes) before giving way to the bullpen.

“It was a positive way to end things,” said Venable of turning to Jordan Hicks, Seranthony Domínguez and Tyler Schweitzer to finish the victory. “He’s been working so hard to get into the zone and be in a good spot, and today was a great job of doing that and finishing the first half strong.”

Although the White Sox have yet to release their second-half pitching rotation, Schultz becomes an important component for this young team’s outlook. Throwing strikes and attacking the zone represents a big step in the right direction for the rookie southpaw.

“We really found that I was just tensing up too much, doing some things,” Schultz said. “We kind of emphasized the whole week of just kind of being loose and being free out there. I think it definitely helped with getting ahead of guys and attacking guys early.”

Any talk of the postseason has been thoroughly earned by the White Sox, coming after a 1-5 road trip to the start the season and a 6-13 stretch over the first 19. Those are the bad numbers.

Let’s take a look at some of the many positives.

• 3: Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami and Tristan Peters are All-Stars.
• 44-32: The White Sox record since the 6-13 start, ranking second in the AL to the Rays.
• 5: Series sweeps of at least three games recorded by the team, all at home.
• 31-17: Record at Rate Field.
• 27-9: Record at Rate over their past 36.
• 3 again: Number of players with at least 20 homers – Colson Montgomery, Vargas (21), Murakami (20)
• 2021: Last time the White Sox were in first place at the break.
• 2008: Last time both the Cubs and White Sox were in playoff position at the break.

Here’s one more for the scrapbook: 10. It represents the years of Major League service time reached by Andrew Benintendi on Sunday. Benintendi is one of the key veterans who has helped this young crew not just survive but thrive.

Benintendi is one of the many who will be needed to help turn a great story into the first winning season and playoff trip since 2021.

“It’s ours for the taking. We just have to get it,” Antonacci said. “It’s not going to be easy. There’s going to be ups and downs, but you have to go get it.”

“We’ve supported our young kids,” said Jim Thome, a special assistant to general manager Chris Getz and someone who knows a thing or two about the playoffs. “We’ve really poured our hearts into them, and they’ve poured their hearts into us and how they play the game. Look at the way our club is playing right now. That’s what I really think is special where the White Sox are headed.”