White Sox
First pitch was pushed back from 3:05 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
The Sox coughed up a seven-run lead, but they eked out a win on an ugly night of baseball in the nation’s capital.
Sometimes dominant, usually reliable and always welcoming in the Sox’ clubhouse, the 28-year-old righty is proving his value into the next stage of the team’s rebuild.
The lefty was allowed to stay in the game Thursday with a different glove because umps couldn’t tell if Gilbert’s usual one had an illegal substance on it.
While the Sox face major rotation questions heading into 2026, the 25-year-old right-hander says he has positives to take away into the offseason and spring training.
The 6-10 Oswego East product had a rocky third year in the Sox’ minor-league system, but he hopes a season of rest for a nagging knee injury could propel him to the big leagues next year.
ESPN’s last “SNB” broadcast didn’t mourn the series’ demise. Play-by-play voice Karl Ravech kept his comments succinct, given that specific plans haven’t been announced and that ESPN still has playoff games to air.
The Rule 5 Draft pick has been one of the brightest spots of another dark rebuilding year on the South Side.
In an injury-plagued year, the Palatine native was still one of the Sox’ top offensive producers as well as a vital veteran presence.
Benintendi, who ended the year with a strong month at the plate, figures to be around for the next stage of the Sox’ rebuild whether the front office likes it or not.
A roster packed with rookies has gotten a minor-league taste of the Automated Ball-Strike system that will be implemented in the majors next year. Is it good for the game? Depends on whom you ask.
Human plate umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game and get additional appeals in extra innings. Challenges must be made by a pitcher, catcher or batter.
Venable’s first season as the South Side skipper likely will finish with 100-plus losses. But he’s still as excited about the job as ever, with those in the clubhouse pointing to a long-overdue culture arriving alongside him.
The Sox have two talented young catchers, allowing the front office to dream about how that depth could benefit the team in the future.
Longstanding questions about whether Montgomery could stick as a major-league shortstop have been answered, with the rookie earning year-end praise for what he has done defensively.
Vargas has carved out a spot for himself in the budding core of Sox position players, setting him up to be the next link in a chain of Cuban-born South Siders stretching back to Minnie Minoso.
Taylor, the Sox’ second-round pick in 2023, has looked dynamite in his last two outings. While the team says he’s got what it takes to close, there’s a decision that needs to be made about what role he’ll play in 2026.
A franchise icon for his individual accomplishments and role on a pair of rare playoff teams, Abreu returned to the South Side on Friday but was noticeably coy about his present and future.
Smith, one of the Sox’ higher-rated prospects, struck out 10 in five hitless innings in Double-A Birmingham’s postseason win Thursday, conjuring visions of what he and other minor-leaguers could one day look like playing on the South Side.
Chris Getz’s rebuild is an organizational overhaul, as glimpses into the behind-the-scenes changes throughout the franchise illustrate.