White Sox: Tight race for the middle of the AL Central
In case you missed it, the White Sox are in a tight race with the Detroit Tigers for the third spot in the AL Central standings.
While it doesn’t mean much in the MLB to finish in this spot, it should mean something to White Sox fans. It means the rebuild it working.
The fan-writers at Southside Showdown saw this coming when we predicted where the Sox would finish the season. It looks like we were on the right track, as most of us predicted the ChiSox would land in third.
There is little doubt that the Cleveland Indians will win the AL Central and the experts predicted that the Minnesota Twins would finish in second. The rest of the Central was up for grabs since three of the teams were in different stages of rebuilding.
Throughout the majority of the 2018 season, the AL Central standings have not changed. The Indians and Twins have been in first and second place. The Detroit Tigers have been in third – surprising many baseball experts who thought they would be in last place. Fifth place has been held all season by the Kansas City Royals with their epic collapse. And, the ChiSox have been solidly in fourth.
Until now.
The slow marathon for third place just got interesting. As of Saturday night, the Sox and Tigers have the same record – 54-82. And, it looks like the momentum is in the Sox favor. The team finished 17-12 in August – a .586 win-loss record. The Tigers, on the other hand, did not fare well in August. They finished the month with an 8-19 record, a .296 win-loss record. (Even the Royals performed better than the Tigers in August – one game better).
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Both the Tigers and the Sox continue their series against AL East opponents for one more day. And, then they face each other at Guaranteed Rate Field. The three-game series will mark the last time the Sox and Tigers play each other this season, so it is important that the White Sox take full advantage of the three games at home. And, so far in 2018, the Tigers have dominated at Guaranteed Rate – the Sox have not won a home game against the Tigers yet.
The race for third place in the AL Central could make September an interesting month. Both teams have similar schedules with some challenges and some mediocre teams. Both teams face the Royals, Twins, and Indians. Where the Tigers face Houston and Milwaukee, the Sox face the Angels and Cubs. But, the Sox also have a series against the Orioles, who have an even worse record than the Royals.
dark. Next. 2018 White Sox predictions are coming true
And, the call-ups will happen soon, which should give the White Sox even more of an edge over the Tigers. It shouldn’t be too tough for the Sox to firmly secure third place before the season is completed. The Sox may not make the playoffs, but this race for the middle could be an interesting end to the 2018 season.