CHICAGO -- Somewhere around five or six weeks back, Steve Stone made a prediction about the 2026 White Sox during one of his local radio interviews.
“I said, ‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the White Sox have a bona fide chance to get into the postseason.’ That was a while ago,” the top-notch White Sox television analyst told MLB.com during a recent interview. “They have only gotten better.
“I’m excited about the ballclub. I’m excited by the fact they don’t seem to believe they can’t win every day.”
The White Sox have a 38-32 record, are tied with Cleveland atop the American League Central and are in an even better position Wild Card-wise, if it’s permissible to check that specific playoff status at the 70-game mark of the 2026 season.
But will this prosperity last?
Here’s a look at a few intangibles the White Sox need to continue and reinforce to make Stone’s prediction a reality.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
Let’s try a 20-4 stretch over the last 24 at Rate Field and eight straight home series wins. It’s the sign of a young team getting their victory legs when the home field becomes a truly unwanted spot for the visitors.
If they win, the fans will arrive. The White Sox have six sellouts in 2026, drawing 114,261 during a series win against the Dodgers. They had six sellouts combined in 2024-25.
Tarps are off across the stadium. Fans believe as much as the players do. That home-field dominance also takes pressure off any sort of road stumbles.
“Energy was great,” said second baseman Chase Meidroth of Rate Field during the games against the Dodgers. “The fans were amazing all weekend, so it made the atmosphere feel like that playoff atmosphere. It’s awesome.”
GETTING HEALTHY
Catcher Kyle Teel and left-hander Noah Schultz departed on Monday for injury rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte. Franchise-changing first baseman Munetaka Murakami, who hit 20 home runs in 57 games, is two weeks into a 4-to-6-week absence with a right hamstring strain.
Teel, the best all-around player on the team, hasn’t played a regular-season inning this season. Think about an already potent White Sox lineup with him and Murakami back in place.
It’s adding without really subtracting.
“[The White Sox] are going to be really hard for right-handers to deal with, with those two guys back in the lineup,” Stone said. “I’ve been saying this for the last 15 years, in that we need more left-handed hitters. It was like crying into the wind.
“Well [general manager] Chris Getz realizes you start seven left-handed hitters against a right-handed pitcher, you’ll be in pretty good shape. For the first time in a long time, we have a loaded left-handed-hitting lineup.”
RIGHT KIND OF STREAKING
Winning series remains essential to climbing toward the playoffs.
For a young, developing team such as the White Sox, sweeping series builds even greater momentum. It doesn’t have to be a 10-game winning streak; their longest this season is five, accomplished twice. They have four three-game sweeps but use the 20-4 run at home as an example of the bravado developed by putting together wins.
Avoiding prolonged losing runs is also essential. The White Sox greatest streak of 2026 futility has been three games, which has happened four times. Three of those instances came by April 16, when the team had a 6-13 record.
Things are a bit different now.
ADDING ON
Getz will not completely tear apart or disrupt the meticulous work put forth to get to this point. He also wants to respect what this team has done on the field, what this team deserves.
The future remains bright, but a team can only win the season at hand. Pitching is always the focus, as Getz joked is the case for every team in the game, especially in managing workloads for their young hurlers.
DON’T STOP BELIEVIN'
Go back to Spring Training.
Actually, go back to SoxFest in late January or even the post-All-Star break action in 2025, and it’s clear that White Sox players believed something special was taking root. They know their roles. They understand the culture built by manager Will Venable and have run with it.
They don’t care about outside opinions. They don’t worry about the strength or pedigree of their opponent. It’s all about the White Sox and what’s inside their clubhouse.
That plan has worked thus far, so why change?
“[During] Spring Training, we thought this team has a lot of talent, a lot of skill,” right-hander Erick Fedde said. “Obviously going out there and proving it is a completely different thing. But on this stretch of quality teams and opponents, we're putting the league a little bit more on notice.”