The White Sox are headed to Houston for a Wild Card Series matchup against the Astros, with game times and broadcast information now set.
The stage is now set. After watching the AL Central slip away on Saturday, the Chicago White Sox closed out the regular season with a win on Sunday afternoon.
Chicago finished the regular season 84-78 and now looks ahead toward the playoffs.
While a direct trip to the ALDS with the division title would have been ideal for setting the White Sox up to make a deep postseason run, they’ll still have a puncher’s chance starting on Tuesday afternoon in the Wild Card Series.
With things now settled across Major League Baseball as Game 162s go final on Sunday, we now have more information on what the playoff picture will look like, including an opponent for the White Sox, along with start time and broadcast information.
White Sox Visit Houston
The White Sox will head to Houston for a date with the Astros. At 81-81, the Astros took home the AL West crown and took advantage of their weak division.
While the White Sox had the better record in the regular season, the Astros are the No. 3 seed in the American League as a division winner. That means the entire Wild Card Series will be played in Houston.
It’s a bit of a concerning matchup for the White Sox. Chicago was 2-5 against the Astros during the regular season. This is just one of those teams that seems to have their number.
The last time the White Sox made the postseason was in 2021, when they lost to the Astros in the ALDS.
Experience can often be the difference in a playoff series. And even though they’ve gone through some turnover over the years, the Astros still have a number of experienced players with plenty of postseason experience. Time will tell if the White Sox are up for the task.
Pitching matchups have yet to be announced, but should become clear in the next 24 hours or so.
Start Time and Broadcast Information
On Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be four games played across Major League Baseball, with each of the Wild Card Series getting underway. If any of the series are split 1-1 after the first two games, the deciding Game 3 will be played on Thursday.
On each of these days, White Sox-Astros will begin at 4 p.m. Central Time and be aired on NBCSN and Peacock.
White Sox color commentator Steve Stone will be involved as an analyst on the broadcast.
Big looming questions for the White Sox surround who the Game 1 starting pitcher will be, the health of second baseman Chase Meidroth, and whether or not the offense can carry over some momentum from the end of the regular season into the playoffs.
If you’re looking for a positive spin on the White Sox falling short in the AL Central, it’s the opportunity to maintain momentum without having too long of a break between the regular season and the postseason, something that has plagued teams in the past.
It’s been a wildly successful 2026 season, but you’d certainly like to see that pay off with a trip to the ALDS, some October baseball (which is not guaranteed right now) along with some home playoff games at Rate Field.
