The Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox are set to face off against one another in the ALDS.
The American League Division Series matchup is set.
The Cleveland Guardians have been waiting the last few days to see who their opponent will be in the ALDS, and now it’s official: Cleveland will face off against their division opponent, the Chicago White Sox, after they won two of three games over the Houston Astros in the Wild Card series this week.
Game 1 of the ALDS is on Saturday at 1:00 PM EST, and Game 2 is on Monday at 5:00 PM EST.
The top two teams in the American League Central are now set to square off to see who gets the chance to advance to the American League Championship Series, and potentially the World Series after that.
Needless to say, Cleveland knows its ALDS opponent well. The Guardians most recently faced the White Sox from September 14 to 16. Cleveland won that three-game set but lost the season series against Chicago.
Even though the White Sox won more in the head-to-head matchups against the Guardians, the games themselves couldn’t have been any closer. Cleveland’s run differential against Chicago was -1, with the White Sox winning seven of the 13 matchups.
Looking at the two rosters, they clearly match up well.
Sep 16, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Petey Halpin (0) is congratulated by catcher Austin Hedges (27) after hitting a three-run home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Newcomb (15) during the sixth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn ImagesWhen manager Stephen Vogt was asked earlier on Tuesday about the potential of facing the White Sox, he noted the lineup's power as being something the team must keep an eye on.
The number of southpaw relievers Chicago has in the bullpen doesn’t bode well for Cleveland’s heavy left-handed lineup either.
The Guardians and White Sox have been attached at the hip for the majority of the 2026 season. Cleveland found a way to track down Chicago to win the division during the penultimate game of the regular season, after the White Sox held a lead for the majority of the second half of the season.
The Chicago clubhouse will certainly have extra motivation to handle some unfinished business after the way its regular season ended. From the Guardians' perspective, they’re set to prove they truly are the top team in the division by winning the best-of-five series.
In terms of Cleveland’s pitching plan against the White Sox, Vogt said nothing had been finalized as of Wednesday.
That said, the Guardians will likely start either Gavin Williams or Parker Messick in Game 1 on Saturday, with the other pitcher starting Game 2 on Monday.
