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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 best stories from the 2026 MLB season, with the organization undergoing a complete transformation.
Chicago has gone from being one of the bottom-dwellers in the league to holding a decent lead in the American League Central with a little over a month before the postseason starts. The White Sox have performed well above expectations, showing that rosters on paper don’t always translate to on-field success.
This team has been led by the emergence of rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami, who signed with the team over the offseason. Having the bat of Murakami in the lineup has given Chicago a true power source, making life tough on opposing pitchers.
But Chicago hasn’t completed the goal yet, and they will still need to clinch a spot in the postseason over the final stretch. Currently, the White Sox are in the middle of a three-game series with the New York Mets.
Chicago was able to take the first game from New York by a score of 6-4. But heading into the second game, the White Sox will look to put the pressure on to claim the series win.
Ahead of the team’s game with the Mets, the White Sox have dropped the lineup for the contest. Meanwhile, Chicago has announced that Murakami will be hitting in the number two spot once again.
Murakami was in the number two hole for the series opener against New York.
White Sox 8/22
S. Antonacci LF
M. Murakami 1B
M. Vargas 3B
A. Benintendi DH
B. Montgomery RF
C. Montgomery SS
C. Meidroth 2B
T. Peters CF
D. Romo CL. Castillo SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 22, 2026
This series with New York is big for Chicago, as stacking wins right now can go a long way. Chicago has upcoming series with the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins coming up afterward, so taking care of business now could offer them some cushion in the standings.
Entering the second game with the Mets, Chicago has a record of 67-61 on the season. They sit in first place within the AL Central, holding a 4.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins, with 34 games remaining on the schedule.
But the White Sox aren’t taking anything for granted. Instead, this club is taking things game-by-game, allowing the situations to come to them without forcing anything.
This has been the approach for the White Sox all season long, and it has worked out very well so far. Manager Will Venable has loved what he’s seen from his players thoughout the year, including in the opener against the Mets.
“Just guys locked in,” Venable said. “The way that yesterday went, just kind of feel like the offense needed to score a run to get going. And obviously we saw that with the [Vargas] homer, and ‘Grich’ and Colson following him. So really good stuff by the guys. And just kind of opened the floodgates there.”
For now, the White Sox will continue to push forward and see how far this group can go. But if they can get into the playoffs, it will complete one of the bigger turnarounds in recent MLB history.
Matt Levine Matt Levine is a veteran sports journalist covering MLB, NFL, College Football, NBA, NHL, and more for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2026. More about Matt Levine
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