KANSAS CITY – There was a celebration at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday afternoon, and the visiting White Sox were the guests of honor after clinching a playoff spot via a 9-1 victory over the Royals.
It was a celebration wiping away four years of bad baseball, including two seasons in 2022 and 2023 when they were thought of as American League Central favorites going into the campaign and finished well short of their goals. The ensuing two years of rebuilding weren’t any picnic either. Quite the contrary, with at least 100 losses in both.
But this party is what the White Sox hope is the first of many as they make their first move into the postseason since 2021. Here’s a look at some questions surrounding the South Siders as playoff action approaches.
Who makes the postseason roster?
C: Kyle Teel, Jake Rogers
1B: Munetaka Murakami
2B: Chase Meidroth
SS: Colson Montgomery
3B: Miguel Vargas
LF: Sam Antonacci
CF: Tristan Peters
RF: Braden Montgomery
DH: Andrew Benintendi, Randal Grichuk
Reserves: Luisangel Acuña, Tommy Pham, Brenton Doyle
Starting rotation: Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Erick Fedde, Anthony Kay
Bullpen: Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson, Sean Newcomb, Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz, Jordan Hicks, Huascar Brazobán, Trevor Richards
The position player group seems fairly settled. Luis Castillo was placed on the 15-day injured list prior to Thursday’s game, and Brazobán and/or Richards aren’t locks with Thursday winning pitcher David Sandlin also in the picture. The White Sox have a playoff prep camp taking place in Arizona, with every 40-man pitcher not on the active roster in attendance.
Can the White Sox still win the AL Central?
They certainly can. The White Sox trailed the Guardians by a half-game with Cleveland playing later Thursday, and Chicago holds the tiebreaker with a 7-6 season series edge. Cleveland finishes with one in Boston and three in Kansas City, while the White Sox host the downtrodden Rockies for three.
Who could they face?
If they are the sixth seed and third Wild Card, they are most likely to face the winner of the American League West. Houston has the edge for the division title currently and won the season series from the White Sox. The White Sox took the season series from the Rangers. Should they win the AL Central, the White Sox would almost certainly be the No. 2 seed and would receive a bye for the AL Wild Card Series.
When does the postseason begin?
A Wild Card Series for the White Sox would have them traveling to Houston or Arlington for a best-of-three set starting Tuesday. If they secure the AL Central, then they get a much needed five days off and will host the winner of the three vs. six series for two games to begin the best-of-five Division Series on Oct. 3.
Even without a postseason victory, is this season a succes?
Absolutely. General manager Chris Getz spoke of taking “meaningful steps forward” before the 2026 campaign began, and nothing is more meaningful than reaching the playoffs. But with the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox all on the other side of the bracket, the White Sox have a solid chance to push their way into the Anerican League Championship Series and see what happens.
Who gets the Game 1 nod?
Sean Burke would be the choice, but with the right-hander scheduled to go Friday against the Rockies, he probably couldn’t go in a Tuesday Wild Card opener. Davis Martin is the probable for Saturday, so he would be ruled out as well, which takes winning the division to another level to set up the rotation. Erick Fedde seems to be the Tuesday choice if the White Sox are in the Wild Card round.
Don’t overlook the usage of an opener at any point in the postseason for the White Sox. Their relievers have thrown at least 1 1/3 innings 208 times this season, surpassing the previous Major League record of 204 held by the ’18 Rays.
Player to watch
The obvious choices are Murakami, Vargas and Colson Montgomery, who each topped 30 home runs. But don’t overlook Randal Grichuk, who has been as big of a pickup for the playoff-bound White Sox as any in recent memory.
Will Pope Leo XIV attend any playoff games?
It’s a question asked by many White Sox fans and a valid one, considering Robert Prevost attended two World Series contests during the South Siders’ dominant 11-1 postseason run in ‘05. His responsibilities have grown exponentially since that point, but it’s a safe guess to say the White Sox would be happy to have the Dolton, Ill., native at Rate Field for any and all games.