First White Sox Playoff Berth Since 2021 is Cause for Celebration

The Chicago White Sox will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after three consecutive 100-loss seasons.

Sep 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after his three run home run during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Forget all of the issues with the pitching staff. Forget everything that's happened with Luis Castillo. Forget that the White Sox didn't move back into first place in the AL Central after winning the series finale over the Kansas City Royals.

None of that matters right now.

What matters is that, against all odds, the Sox are going back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Five years might not seem like a long time, but for everything this fan base has gone through since then, it feels like a lot more time has passed.

YOUR 2026 CHICAGO WHITE SOX ARE HEADING TO THE POSTSEASON! pic.twitter.com/2ndXpkoqwU

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 24, 2026

White Sox Return to Playoffs After Long Road

Sep 24, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel (8) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fresh off a division title, the White Sox slipped to .500 in 2022 and lost at least 100 games in each of the subsequent three seasons. The franchise hit rock bottom in 2024 with 121 losses, the most for any team in MLB's modern era. The future outlook was as hopeless as hopeless could be.

While it seemed unlikely that a fourth consecutive 100-loss season was coming during spring training, a 6-13 start caused everyone to question whether that would happen after all. Maybe there just wasn't enough talent to avoid more embarrassment.

And yet, everything suddenly seemed to click all at once. A lot of the players who were expected to contribute suddenly did just that. A starting outfield of rookies who weren't on anyone's radar when Opening Day hit complemented an infield that could hit well.

Though May was the only month in which the Sox truly looked dominant, they have held up enough since then to be perhaps the best young team in baseball. An unlikely division title remains a possibility after they held first place for more than two months, and they hold the tiebreaker in that race.

What a turnaround by the Chicago White Sox:

2023: 61-101
2024: 41-121
2025: 60-102
2026: 82-77, postseason bound ‼️

For the first time since 2021, the White Sox will be playing October baseball! pic.twitter.com/RZ1tmso71v

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 24, 2026

After 2024, many Sox fans vowed that they would greatly appreciate the next time their team reached the postseason because it would reflect just how far they had climbed back from that nadir. Even the most optimistic Sox fan couldn't have predicted that this moment would arrive again so quickly, which is why the fan base will remember this season long after it becomes a distant memory.

There's no telling where the team that came into this season playing with house money will be when it plays its last game. But there's plenty to tell about all the moments that have made the season so special. Hopefully, there will be a few more when it's over, and this playoff clincher certainly is one.