Chicago White Sox: They can still earn the second seed in the AL

The Chicago White Sox is in a very good spot. As a division winner, they are already locked into the American League Division series. They have executed a rebuild to perfection and are now one of the best teams in Major League Baseball.

They are headed to the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time in franchise history. There is a long way to go before they reach the ultimate goal but this is a great start. In order to win the World Series, a lot of things need to go their way but they will certainly be in the mix.

It is almost a lock that they are going to play the Houston Astros in the ALDS. The last time the White Sox won a playoff series was the World Series over these Astros so everything is coming full circle. The only question about the series is the location of the first game.

As of right now, the Astros have a record of 91-65. They are 2.5 games better than the 89-68 White Sox. Houston has the tiebreaker so the White Sox need to have a better record in order to pass them in the standings. That is certainly possible with the way the schedules shake out.

The Chicago White Sox have a chance to catch the Houston Astros in the standings.

The Astros have six games left and the White Sox have five. Houston has three games left against those pesky Tampa Bay Rays followed by the Oakland A’s who are currently playing for their lives. The White Sox have the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers who are all but out of contention.

It would be really cool to see the White Sox take advantage of this schedule advantage and take over the second seed. They have been significantly better at home than on the road so starting the playoffs at Guaranteed Rate Field would really be a treat. It hasn’t looked possible for a long time but it is within reach for the White Sox.

What do the White Sox need to do in order to win these games? Well, they need to play them at full strength. A few players will rest in order to prepare for the playoffs but they need to be strategic.

This opportunity to start the playoffs at home is right there. If they get some help from Tampa Bay and Oakland, they could win enough games to get this done. It isn’t the end if they have to start on the road but it would sure be nice to see them have that opportunity at home.