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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 04: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 04, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

The Chicago White Sox have been one of the bigger surprises of the baseball season, with the team being directly involved in the playoff race.

Chicago has turned itself around completely, going from being a bottom-dwelling team to holding a first-place spot in the American League Central. While there is still work to do, the White Sox are in a good place right now, and the rest of the season will be a good test for them.

The White Sox currently own a record of 61-57 on the season, holding a 2.5-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the division. Chicago has gone 4-6 over its last 10 games overall, but the team has maintained a strong hold on the season.

But the White Sox understand that the season still has a way to go before they can reach the goal of getting to the playoffs. It will take a collective team effort down the stretch to get into the postseason, giving the young team some good experience to build off of.

White Sox Announce Munetaka Murakami Move

The WHite Sox are currently playing a series against the Cincinnati Reds, with Chicago losing the first game of the matchup. But ahead of the second game, Chicago has dropped the lineup, with star Munetaka Murakami hitting second in the lineup.

Tonight’s starters ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/w5EUDHQEDQ

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 12, 2026

Murakami has been one of the better stories of the season following an intriguing free agency period. Chicago ended up signing the slugger to a two-year contract after concerns over his bat came up around the league.

The White Sox landed Murakami on a two-year, $34 million deal, a move that was a surprise to many around baseball. But the signing has paid off for Chicago, giving them a true power bat for the lineup.

For the year, Murakami is hitting .237 with 26 home runs and 54 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .907. Murakami has only played in 83 games this season due to injury, and he hasn’t been the same player since he returned.

The slugger has displayed a nice set of power in his limited time in the big leagues, showing many evaluators that they were wrong about his game. Many scouts believed that Murakami’s bat wouldn’t translate to the major leagues due to the increased velocity that he would face.

But Murakami has been one of the main reasons why the White Sox have found success this season. While he has slowed down at the plate from his electric start to the year, Murakami is still a feared commodity that opposing pitchers have to deal with.

White Sox Postseason Outlook

For the White Sox, these last few weeks of the season will be very telling. This team is learning on the fly when it comes to a postseason environment, but they’ve played well all year long.

If Chicago can get into the playoffs, even as a wild-card team, this would be one of the biggest surprises in recent baseball history. But the team can’t get ahead of itself; instead, it should take things one day at a time.