3 ways the Chicago White Sox can benefit from upcoming schedule
3. Improve Playoff Seeding
The Chicago White Sox want to position themselves as well as possible.
The only team with a better record than White Sox in the American League is the Tampa Bay Rays. They are 38-23 while the White Sox are 36-23. The White Sox have a chance to surpass the Rays in their three-game series.
The White Sox have two things working to their advantage. The first is that they are at home. They have been excellent at home this season. They have won 14 of their last 18 at Guaranteed Rate Field. The second thing working to their advantage is a good starting rotation.
Tampa Bay Ray hitters have struck out more than any other team in baseball. The White Sox pitching staff is second in the AL in strikeouts so this matchup should play to their advantage. They have three pitchers (Lucas Giolito, Carlos Rodón, and Dylan Cease) in the top 10 in the American League in strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Toronto and Houston are each north of 30 wins this season. If seeding comes down to head-head records the White Sox will want to win these games so they can secure home-field advantage.
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The Astros have made the postseason each of the last four years. They reached the World Series in two of the four years and the two times they didn’t they were knocked out by the eventual AL champs. The White Sox do not want to be facing an elimination game in Houston come October.