After a historic turnaround from record-breaking losses, the White Sox return to Chicago, aiming to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since 1906.
The silence of Guaranteed Rate Field has been a long time coming to an end. It has been a week and a half since the White Sox last played in Chicago. closing out a regular season that drew 1.986 million fans—the highest attendance in four years. For a franchise that suffered through the worst season in modern MLB history just two years ago. that support serves as a visceral reminder of what has been restored.
Manager Will Venable knows the psychological weight of an empty stadium. “When you’re a player and there’s no one in the stands. you kind of question who you are. ” Venable said. “When you’re on the field and there’s a bunch of people there. that gives you confidence that you’re a good club that people are paying good money to come see.”.
As the sixth seed, the team’s postseason path was uncertain. They secured their spot after a Wild Card sweep in Houston. where the celebration in the visitor’s locker room quickly turned toward the prospect of playing in front of their own city. Starter Sean Burke, who debuted in 2024, is bracing for the atmosphere. “We’re expecting the most rowdy crowd I’ve ever played before in my entire life,” he said.
This is a team defined by its rapid evolution. Players like Erick Fedde. a survivor of the 2024 club. point to the massive turnover in personnel as the catalyst for the current success. “There is a big change in personnel, this is a very, very different team,” Fedde noted. “A lot of new faces to create the success.” This roster. which produced 211 home runs this season. stands on the precipice of a milestone that has eluded the organization for over a century.
The White Sox have a peculiar history with clinching. Their 2005 championship team secured all three playoff series victories on the road. In 1959. they clinched the American League pennant in Cleveland. a moment infamously marked by Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert Quinn triggering the city’s air raid sirens. Not since 1906 has this club closed out a final postseason series victory in front of their home fans. Grant Taylor, hearing of the 120-year gap, could only offer a stunned, “120 years?. Maybe we can do it this year.”.
For a team that has lived in the underdog role throughout their historic climb from back-to-back-to-back 100-loss seasons. the transition to being a home favorite brings a new challenge. Venable acknowledges the comfort the team finds as the underdog, yet he insists the narrative is secondary to the moment. “I don’t think any of it matters,” the manager said. “We get to play a playoff game at home and that’s all these guys are really thinking about.”.
Outfielder Tristan Peters, like many of the team’s 20-somethings, is looking past the historical statistics toward the immediate opportunity. “This could be a once in a lifetime thing for us,” Peters said. “You’ve got to be excited.”
As the team prepares to face the crowd that has endured years of rebuilding, the stakes are clear. They are one win away from the American League Championship Series, playing for a fan base that All-Star third baseman Miguel Vargas says simply “deserve baseball in October.”
White Sox MLB playoffs Chicago baseball Will Venable American League postseason