White Sox Have Unlikely Ally in American League Playoff Race

By now, it may seem obvious what the Chicago White Sox need to do and what fans should be rooting for throughout the rest of the 2026 season.

At 76-73, the White Sox hold just a half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. After sitting in first place since July 4, Chicago has watched its division lead nearly disappear.

Now, with the White Sox heading to Cleveland for a three-game series against the Guardians this week, their entire season hangs in the balance.

Throughout this recent stretch of rough baseball, which has seen the White Sox go 4-10 over their last 14 games, it’s been fairly easy to monitor scores from around the league. White Sox fans have been rooting against Cleveland and Houston at all costs.

While winning the division remains the top priority, it’s also crucial for the White Sox to secure the No. 2 seed in the American League. That would require Chicago to win the AL Central and finish with a better record than the AL West champion.

At 75-75, the Houston Astros have lost three consecutive games and currently sit 1.5 games behind the White Sox in the race for that No. 2 seed.

If the White Sox take care of business in Cleveland and ultimately win the division, they could advance directly to the ALDS and have home-field advantage in their first playoff series. And there might be another team that can help them get there.

While it might seem wise for White Sox fans to root against every other AL playoff contender, the Texas Rangers are actually a team they should be cheering for, at least to a certain extent.

The Rangers gained two games on Houston over the weekend and now sit just one game back in the AL West with a 74-76 record. The Astros hold the tiebreaker over Texas, and the two teams won’t play again during the regular season. But with only one game separating them, the AL West race is by no means over.

Why does this matter to the White Sox?

Chicago went 2-5 against Houston this season but 4-2 against Texas. That means the White Sox hold the tiebreaker over the Rangers, while the Astros hold the tiebreaker over Chicago.

A 1.5-game lead over Houston temporarily gives the White Sox the No. 2 seed. However, if Chicago wins the AL Central and finishes with the same record as Houston, the White Sox would fall to the AL Wild Card Series because of that tiebreaker.

If the Rangers win the AL West instead, the White Sox would have a much better chance of securing the No. 2 seed and advancing directly to the ALDS. That first-round bye, home-field advantage and additional rest at the end of the regular season could be exactly what Chicago needs to make some noise in October.

First and foremost, the White Sox need to take care of business themselves. If they don’t get the job done in Cleveland this week and continue falling apart at the seams, none of this will matter.

But if the White Sox can finally put a little pep back in their step and start winning some baseball games, fans should keep a close eye on the Texas Rangers over the next two weeks. Texas is a wild-card contender that could force its way into the postseason, but it could also be the team that helps the White Sox secure a first-round bye.