From 121 losses to October: the White Sox finish a historic turnaround

The Chicago White Sox are going to the postseason. Their 9-1 win over Kansas City on Thursday secured at least a Wild Card berth, according to MLB's final game record and postseason tracker. This is their first playoff appearance since 2021.

That distinction matters because Chicago has not clinched the American League Central. MLB's September 24 standings show the White Sox at 82-77, one game behind the 83-76 Cleveland Guardians. Both clubs have postseason places, but the division and its October route remain in play.

A berth, not yet a division title

The clinching game supplied a clear finishing line. Kyle Teel homered, reached base five times and scored three runs. Chicago scored three in the second inning and led 8-0 after four, according to MLB's box score. The margin removed suspense from the game, not from the season that led to it.

Only two years ago, the White Sox lost 121 games. Their official regular-season records were 61-101 in 2023, 41-121 in 2024 and 60-102 in 2025. The current 82 wins are already 22 more than last year, with three games left to play.

MLB says no team had previously reached the postseason after at least two consecutive 100-loss seasons. Chicago did it after three. The comparison is about the route into October, not a claim that the White Sox have completed a worst-to-first division finish.

The scale of the reversal

There is also a citywide coincidence worth separating from the individual stories. The Cubs clinched a National League Wild Card on the same day as the White Sox. Chicago has two playoff teams, but the clubs arrived there by different routes. The Cubs are returning after a 2025 postseason appearance; the White Sox had been carrying a three-year run of triple-digit defeats.

This year's club has had its own power sources and new contributors. MLB's postseason summary names Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami and Sean Burke among its leading players. Thursday's box score put Teel in the center of the clincher. A single hero narrative would flatten a turnaround that required a whole roster to win 82 games.

The next three games are at home against Colorado. Cleveland's remaining schedule is at Kansas City. Chicago holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Guardians, according to MLB's playoff tracker, so the division race is not settled by the current one-game gap alone.

The last three games still matter

For now, the confirmed achievement is substantial enough: a guaranteed October game after 101, 121 and 102 losses in successive seasons. Seeding and the opponent can wait for the final standings. The White Sox have already changed what this season means.