The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs are going to get together for the Crosstown Classic this weekend. It is always a very exciting matchup for fans of both teams as each side wants to take the claim of the best team in town. The White Sox are certainly that regardless of what happens in this series but that doesn’t make winning these games any less fun. This year, the series is going to look a lot different than it has in recent years.
For one, the White Sox are the sure-shot better team for the first time in many years. They were probably better than them in 2020 but they only had one more win on the season. This year, there is no doubt about it. Even though the White Sox offense is a bit cold right now, there is no doubt that they are legit contenders in the American League.
Meanwhile, the Cubs were the biggest sellers on the market this season. They traded away Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera, and Joc Pederson in the final weeks or days before the trade deadline. They are officially in full rebuild mode now as the future is their new biggest focus.
Of course, Tepera and Kimbrel will be trying to help the White Sox win now in this series so this is their return back to Wrigley. It is also going to be special once again for Dylan Cease and Eloy Jimenez who were also Cubs’ property at one point before their trade to the South Side. It is going to be fun to see how these guys respond to this stuff.
The Chicago White Sox are facing a very different Chicago Cubs team this season.
Without Rizzo, Bryant, and Baez specifically, it is hard to recognize the identity that made them so great for so long. Willson Contreras is now the biggest threat in their lineup. In game one, their new lineup will have to face Lance Lynn. It is the clear premier pitching matchup as the White Sox will face their ace in Kyle Hendricks. Both teams are going to have their work cut out for them as they try to score runs.
In the second game of the series, Carlos Rodon is going to face Adbert Alzolay. On Sunday, Dylan Cease will face Zach Davies. It is a White Sox advantage in all three games but they need their offense to get going again if that will matter at all.
One player to keep an eye on in this series is Jose Abreu. He was red-hot last season against the Cubs and is starting to get hot again in the present time. Wrigley Field is a place that Jose likes to play and we are looking for that to continue this weekend. Regardless of where the Cubs sit in the standings, they will come to play tough so the White Sox need to be at their best.