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It’s not supposed to happen this quickly. Not long ago, the Chicago White Sox were coming off a 121-loss season with little to look forward to. But less than two years from that forgettable time in Sox history, a team of young and hungry players looking to turn the tides on the South Side has emerged.
And they’ve emerged not just as a good team but also as one of the American League’s best.
“You should stop thinking of this as a surprise,” White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery said this week. “Because we're consistently winning, we're consistently in every game. ... It doesn't matter what team it is, we're not going to overlook them. We're going to go out there, and we're gonna just try and play our ball. I think those days [of being a surprise] are kind of over.”
So far in 2026, the White Sox have been arguably the best story in baseball. Coming off a third consecutive 100-loss season, Chicago is 38-34 and tied for first in the AL Central. It’s the team’s best start to a season since 2021, and this squad has already changed the narrative on what they can be this year.
If you broke the season down into quarters, the White Sox’s first 40 games (they went 19-21) were a surprise to most. An incremental step forward was expected, but they weren’t supposed to be a team playing .500 ball. Yet in May, Chicago took off, winning 18 of 28 games. The Sox began to play inspired baseball, led by rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, who was the first player in MLB to hit 20 home runs this season.
And they’ve emerged not just as a good team but also as one of the American League’s best.
“You should stop thinking of this as a surprise,” White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery said this week. “Because we're consistently winning, we're consistently in every game. ... It doesn't matter what team it is, we're not going to overlook them. We're going to go out there, and we're gonna just try and play our ball. I think those days [of being a surprise] are kind of over.”
So far in 2026, the White Sox have been arguably the best story in baseball. Coming off a third consecutive 100-loss season, Chicago is 38-34 and tied for first in the AL Central. It’s the team’s best start to a season since 2021, and this squad has already changed the narrative on what they can be this year.
If you broke the season down into quarters, the White Sox’s first 40 games (they went 19-21) were a surprise to most. An incremental step forward was expected, but they weren’t supposed to be a team playing .500 ball. Yet in May, Chicago took off, winning 18 of 28 games. The Sox began to play inspired baseball, led by rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, who was the first player in MLB to hit 20 home runs this season.
