Anthony Kay was part of the White Sox magical 2026 season, appearing in more than 30 games so far.
Congratulations are in order for the Chicago White Sox, who clinched a playoff berth on Thursday with a win over the Kansas City Royals.
With the win, the White Sox are now 82-77. Right now, they hold the third and final wild card spot, but they still have a chance to win the American League Central over the final weekend of the season. They trail the Cleveland Guardians by one game.
As noted by ESPN, the White Sox are the first team in MLB history to have three consecutive 100+ loss seasons and then make the playoffs. Chicago went 60-102 in 2025, 41-121 in 2024 and 61-101 in 2023. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2021.
There have been a lot of heroes for the White Sox, including infielders Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth, but also heavily involved is UConn Huskies product Anthony Kay.
About Kay
Now 31 years old, Kay is a six-year veteran of the majors, having pitched with the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and White Sox. After appearing in just 44 games from 2019-23, Kay spent the 2024-25 season in Japan before returning to the big leagues in 2026. With Chicago, he's gone 9-9 with 32 games (30 starts), posting a 4.53 ERA.
It's unclear what role Kay will have in the playoffs at this point.
About Kay at UConn
Kay spent two years with the Huskies before becoming a first round pick of the Mets in the 2016 MLB Draft.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay (18) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Rate Field. Patrick Gorski-Imagn ImagesIn 2015, Kay went 8-5 with a 2.14 ERA, striking out 85 batters in 92.2 innings. In 2016, he went 9-2 with a 2.65 ERA, striking out 111 hitters in 119.0 innings. Hitters hit only .213 against him for his career. He was a Second-Team All-American in 2016 and earned American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. He was also a First-Team All-Conference selection in 2015 and played on Team USA's Summer Collegiate team in 2015.
About other UConn baseball alums
Kay is going to be the only active Huskies alum to get to the playoffs this year, though there are former Huskies in the minor leagues for organizations that will be playing in the playoffs.
George Springer, perhaps the most notable baseball alum, was eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday as a member of the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays got to the World Series in 2025, losing in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
