GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The White Sox started Cactus League play with two straight wins for the first time since 2022, giving those in the highly optimistic crowd something positive to push forward.
Before the World Series parade route is laid out through downtown Chicago, remember Cactus League records are rarely predictive of anything. Not when pitchers are working on things or starting lineups often are without numerous key players.
But even in just these two games, there’s a noticeable White Sox swagger and edge talked about frequently by this rebuilding crew. They have intentions of not only improving but yes, possibly contending within the American League Central during the 2026 season.
How does that happen? How does a team go from three straight seasons with 100+ losses and a 60-102 record in '25, even on the heels of a strong post All-Star break showing, to at or near the top of the division in the ensuing campaign?
Royals manager Matt Quatraro had a 56-106 ledger in 2023 when he took over in Kansas City, but followed up that subpar performance with an 86-76 mark in '24 and an eventual loss to the Yankees in the Division Series. So what was the key to their improvement?
“Pitching,” Quatraro told MLB.com during the recent Cactus League media day in Scottsdale. “We brought in [Seth] Lugo and [Michael] Wacha and then we had [Cole] Ragans for a whole season. … It’s pitching. They don’t score, they can’t beat you.”
Lugo made 33 starts with a 3.00 ERA. Wacha had 29 starts with a 3.35 ERA, while Ragans struck out 223 over 186 1/3 innings to go with his 3.14 ERA in 32 starts. Brady Singer and Alec Marsh rounded out that stellar rotation. Of course, having a superstar such as Bobby Witt Jr. in the center of the field and the lineup doesn’t hurt.
Derek Shomon, the current White Sox hitting coach, was the Marlins' assistant hitting coach in '25 when the team improved to 79-83 following a 62-100 mark in '24. The center of that change was swing decisions, per Shomon.
“This was a team 30th out of 30 teams in '24 for chase rate, so we prioritized making better swing decisions and our training environment reflected that and guys bought into it,” Shomon told MLB.com. “They trained on it on a daily basis.
“What came out of the wash was a really good offense that made good decisions and could move the ball forward, line to line, earth to sky. Had a little bit of slug here and there. You are chasing as many wins as possible but daily, how are you getting there? Miami did an exceptional job of alignment top to bottom, which I see here.”
Here, as in the White Sox, is the focus. So, how do they take that next step?
Manager Will Venable has a “start from zero” policy this Spring Training, wiping away the past failures but also building from the '25 success they found with their young crew firmly entrenched. They want to steal bases, hustle and take the extra base, be fundamentally sound and just make the most of every opportunity. It’s a style much akin to the Brewers, who were their opponents Sunday at Camelback Ranch.
Everything is open for discussion when a team is losing together but growing together like the White Sox. Improvement across the board could help in games decided by one or two runs, where the White Sox finished 15-36 and 8-22, respectively.
“We lost a lot of those one-run ballgames,” reliever Grant Taylor said. “That might change day by day in what gets us that extra run. We made some great additions with Seranthony [Domínguez] and Mune [Murakami] and [Austin] Hays and all these different guys that are excellent players and hopefully that will help us win more of those.
“It’s going to come down to the guys who were here last year, the core group of guys just continuing to get better. Continuing to be locked in every day. The consistency every day and being ready when their name is called.”
Those White Sox newcomers have been impressed by said core, in a small sample size.
“Everyone in there believes we can win a championship, 100 percent,” reliever Jordan Hicks said. “It's less like we're going to win the World Series. It's more just an energy of we're going to win this game, we're going to win the day, we're going to win everything that we do.
“That's the mentality you have to have as a winning ballclub. I'm excited."