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For the first time since July 4th, the Chicago White Sox now sit in second place.
Full disclosure, I really don’t want to write about this, but I am so angry right now that I can’t think of anything else to go in its place. I’m sitting here on Wednesday, writing this column as I usually do, and have just watched the Sox fall 6-3 to Cleveland to surrender first place in the AL Central to the Guardians.
I wish I could say I’m surprised.
The writing has been on the wall for weeks now. As August flipped to September, with other teams in the playoff hunt rising to the occasion to try to make it to October, each Sox game felt like watching a team try to fix a leak in a boat with band aids. Sure, it might plug up the problem for a second or two, but as things get more intense, the holes are going to become more and more apparent.
With 10 games left and the team now barely holding onto a playoff spot, I can’t help but be extremely angry. Now, part of me does feel pretty ridiculous for saying that. This is a team that has lost 100+ games three years in a row, including the infamous 121 loss season in 2024. The 2026 Sox still have a really good chance at making the playoffs and finishing above .500. That’s a major step up.
While part of me is extremely thrilled to have a reason to actually watch my team this year, it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room. It was obvious in June and early July that this was a team capable of winning the division. With how the rest of the American League has played this season, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility to think this team could be in a pennant race.
But instead of doing anything to improve those chances, the White Sox and general manager Chris Getz largely stayed still during the trade deadline. The one big move the team made was trading for starter Luis Castillo from the Mariners. In the seven games he’s appeared in since, he’s given up 26 earned runs in 29 innings. He’s been a net negative to the point where the team is starting multiple games a week with bullpen openers. The bullpen has been outstanding all season long, so I don’t blame them for this collapse one bit. Their arms are about to fall off.
Couple the pitching disasterclass with the fact that every meaningful bat on the team belongs to a young player who is expected to win meaningful games at the big league level for the first time in their careers.While I’d like to see these young guys step up in these massive moments to give me some confidence that they can produce like this for the foreseeable future, I have not seen that at all. The only two players to have a meaningful hit over the past week are Randall Grichuk and Tommy Pham. No disrespect to either, but you have three All-Stars on the team who have largely disappeared down the stretch. Munetaka Murakami started the season as one of the best stories in baseball. His OPS in September is .500. The Sox had to bench him in the biggest game of the season on Wednesday!
There was a chance to make some serious noise this season, and while you can consider this year a step in the right direction, nothing about the team taking advantage next season is even guaranteed. Forget about the fact that there might be a lockout that takes baseball away entirely in 2027, how many times have we seen a team put together a great year only to look like a shell of themselves the next season. Just ask Toronto. The Blue Jays were outs away from winning the World Series last October. Now they might not even make the playoffs. Who’s to say this great season by the White Sox wasn’t the outlier? Would other fans really be that surprised if they went right back to the basement of the Central? I wouldn’t!
(Yes, I do realize they can still make the playoffs. But after what I’ve seen for the last couple of weeks, how can I expect it to matter?)
Watching this collapse in real time has hurt me far worse than a 121-loss season ever could. The result is this rant that feels more like me just getting all of my feelings out as opposed to an actual well-thought out article. But I just can’t think about anything else right now. Both of my football teams won this week and I’m still irate. That should tell you enough. Anyway, speaking of football, I guess we can pick some games. At least it’ll take my mind somewhere else.
FAVORITE FAVORITE
Seattle Seahawks (-4.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals pulled off the most improbable win of any team in Week 1, going to Los Angeles and absolutely taking it to the Chargers. They’ll be at home for a divisional game this week against the reigning Super Bowl champs, who will be without quarterback Sam Darnold after an injury he suffered in the opener. Drew Lock (MIZ) will look to pick up another win, and I think he does so here. The Cardinals look like they might be better than people were giving them credit for this offseason, but in a divisional matchup like this, I think the Hawks should be able to take care of business. If Arizona had lost last week like many thought they would, this line would be a lot higher. Either way, I like the visitors.
The Pick: Seahawks -4.5
BIG DAWG GOTTA EAT
Carolina Panthers (-2.5) at Atlanta Falcons
I don’t know why this of all games was the one that stuck out to me the most when putting this together, but I took that as a sign that I need to go with my first instinct. The good news for the Panthers is that they lit up the scoreboard for 37 points last week. The bad news is that they gave up 59. I don’t think Atlanta has the capability to score that much, especially if Cooper Rush is still starting at QB, but for whatever reason, I like the home team here. These NFC South matchups are usually such a coin flip, but my gut is telling me the Falcons are going to end the day flying high.
The Pick: Falcons +2.5
BEAR DOWN
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (-4.5)
If you’re a Bears fan, how can you not be drooling after that offensive performance the team put up last week in Charlotte? To put it in perspective, Chicago did score its 59th point of Caleb Williams’ rookie season until Week 4. This is an offense that is going to need to put up points in bunches because the defense is certainly still figuring it out. Minnesota had an interesting opening game, going down big to Green Bay, losing their starting quarterback Kyler Murray before Carson Wentz came in and led the Vikings to a comeback win. This is a huge early divisional game with both teams at 1-0, and this is a rivalry that always finds a way to come down to the bitter end. I don’t think that’s the case this time. Call me biased, but it’s really hard for me to pick against the team that dropped nearly 60 their first time out.
The Pick: Bears -4.5
THIS IS OUR COLTS
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5)
Boy did the Chiefs look like they are all the way back after a dominant showing against the Broncos on Monday night. They’re back in prime time here, and they’re going against a Colts team that looked downright uncompetitive at times during their loss to the Ravens. It’s really easy to look at this one and say that the trends of Week 1 will continue. I would usually push back against that, but how can I? This is a week I can see going very poorly for me, as the overreactions after the first game of the season are a real thing. However, I think the Colts being bad might be a real thing too, and asking them to go into Arrowhead and pull off a win is tough.
The Pick: Chiefs -6.5
GAME OF THE WEEK
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos (-2.5)
I know Denver looked pretty bad in the opener last week, but this is still the team that was the best team in the AFC last year. The Jaguars were pretty dang good too, and they picked up right where they left off with a thrashing of the Browns last weekend. Trevor Lawrence is looking good, he’s got the weapons, and the defense might be the best he’s ever had. Is Jacksonville a sneaky title contender? It’s way too early to make that claim, but I’ll say this: I think they’re going to be 2-0. It won’t be easy to go into Broncos Country and come away with a win, but I think they do. Keep your eyes on the Jags this fall.
The Pick: Jaguars +2.5
Like I said earlier, this is a tough week to predict without getting wrapped up in overreactions. I might have, but I tried to go with my guy wherever I could. Hopefully the end result is another winning week.
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 3-2
Season Record: 3-2
