Chicago White Sox: Who is going to the playoffs with them?
Can the Chicago White Sox be one of the 16 teams go to the playoffs and who will join them?
There are going to be 16 teams in the playoffs this year. Do the Chicago White Sox have a chance to make it? Who are the 15 other teams that will join them? The rules are that every first and second place team makes it and then two more wild card teams in each league will go.
With the new rules in place, I think that our Chicago White Sox will now make it, and this will allow for other borderline teams like the Chicago Cubs to make it as well.
Here is who I am predicting will make it for each league:
American League
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Tampa Bay Rays
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Indians
Houston Astros
Oakland Athletics
The most likely division winners will be the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Minnesota Twins. Yes, I know nobody wants the Houston Astros to make the playoffs after they were revealed as cheaters for the last three years at the minimum. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about them doing well in the playoffs given that Dusty Baker is their new manager and his teams have lost 10 straight potential-playoff clinching games.
In the AL Central, I think that the Twins, Indians, and White Sox will all make it. The Sox might be better than the Indians but I don’t think they’re better than the Twins at this point. Winning as many games as possible against Minnesota will help for the quest for the division title and will give the Sox a much weaker opponent to face in the playoffs. For now, I’d say the Twins are slightly better.
In the AL West, I don’t think both the Angels and Athletics can make it, so if it’s going to be one or the other I’d pick the A’s. The Angels have many future Hall of Famers on their team, but Albert Pujols is well passed 40 and has little left in the tank, Anthony Rendon is out to start the season, Shohei Ohtani can only pitch on Sundays, and Mike Trout will miss time due to the birth of his child. The Angels might still make the playoffs instead of the Red Sox or someone as a third-place team but I think they’re the odd man out.
In the National League, the playoffs might look like this:
Nation League
LA Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
Five Taxi Squad players for the White Sox to call up. light. Related Story
Of course, it would be fun if a surprise team like the Miami Marlins were to sneak into the playoffs instead of the big names. However, anyone of these teams would be fun for the White Sox to play in the World Series, especially the Padres given who their stars are.