Best Crosstown Classic in 18 Years? Cubs & White Sox Gear Up for Electric Series

After four straight clunkers, which saw the Cubs score a combined three runs, they finally got back on a winning track. While it may not have been the most convincing victory, Chicago avoided the series sweep by handing the Atlanta Braves a 2-0 defeat. The win moved the Cubs to 28-16 on the season – good enough for the second-best record in the National League.

Meanwhile, over on the South Side, the White Sox were looking to keep a good thing going. Riding a four-game winning streak, one of baseball's youngest squads was on the hunt for only its third series sweep of the season. Thanks to a huge four-RBI day from the recently signed Randal Grichuk, they did just that and moved back over .500 in the process. This marks the latest into a season that the White Sox have sat over .500 since 2022.

In case it wasn't obvious, this has now set up one of the most highly anticipated and competitive Crosstown Classics in years. The Cubs have done nothing short of dominant in this iconic matchup in recent seasons, winning 13 of the last 16. To be sure, they will remain the favorite to add another series win to their resume. But it's been a long time since Sox fans truly felt like their squad could give the north siders a run for their money.

As ESPN's Jesse Rogers kindly noted, if we remove the shortened pandemic year, it has been just slightly under two decades since the Cubs and Sox were both over .500 . The last time the two faced off in a normal year as winning ball clubs was in ... *drum roll, please* ... June of 2008.

We're talking the same year that Barack Obama was elected president, the Snuggie was one of the hottest gifts around, Edward vs. Jacob tore friendships apart, and Pandora was the most popular iPhone app. Heck, there are 18-year-old Chicago kids who have never seen this happen during a regular baseball season. Maybe now is a good time to buy that first lottery ticket?

Cubs & Sox Fans Flood The Rate ...

Apr 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general view of Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Martin Perez (54) pitching to Boston Red Sox field fielder Rob Refsnyder (30) during a game at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

To little surprise, the hype around this series has built at an increasing rate. The recent hot streaks for both teams have led to a near sellout at Rate Field for the first and second games of the season. Fans can only find standing room and premium seating tickets for the opener as of Friday morning. Saturday is even more limited, with strictly standing room available in the outfield. Oh, and even that is going to cost you $120+.

You can still find plenty of tickets on the secondary market ... but not for anywhere close to the price you're used to seeing at The Rate. The cheapest on Stubhub for Friday night, as of publishing, is a $69 seat in the 507 section. The second cheapest is set at $80 in 531. As for the Saturday night meeting, there is only one ticket currently available for under $100 in the nosebleeds. As White Sox fans know well, a lot of the time these seats go for mere dollars.

To be sure, the Crosstown Classic is always one of the most expensive series of the year. But I think it's safe to say these prices reflect just how excited fans are about this particular matchup. The atmosphere is going to be electric, and tensions are going to be high. It's about dang time, right?

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