Chicago White Sox: Ranking all of the walk-off wins in 2021

A walk-off hit is arguably the most exciting play in baseball. There is a rush of excitement, the players storm the field to celebrate, the fans go home happy. The game also ends in an exclamation point. The Chicago White Sox had nine walk-off wins in 2021.

Each of them was unique in its own way. Some were hit by star players and others by unlikely heroes. The distance of these hits ranged from big to small. Some came at unexpected times from unexpected players while others were just plain weird.

The games ranged from high score affairs to pitcher duels. However, they all had one thing in common. They were exhilarating to watch. The White Sox tallied at least one walk-off win during every month of the season except October.

These wins spanned against seven different opponents and each one was hit by a different player. Only three of these walk-off wins came against teams with a winning record.

The Chicago White Sox had some very fun walk-off wins during the season.

Out of these nine walk-off wins, four were via a home run. One of the walk-offs came on a neutral site in Iowa, marking the first time in franchise history this has happened. Only one of the White Sox walk-off wins came in extra innings.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive some of the best moments from the American League Central Division Champions season. Here is a ranking of all nine of the White Sox walk-off wins this season. Some factors include excitement level, memorability, how it happened, the game itself, the scope of the moment, and overall impact on the season.

9.) April 12th vs Indians. Nick Williams ground into a fielder’s choice but Yu Changs throw bounces off Yasmani Grandal’s head allowing Nick Madrigal to score. (4-3) 

Nick Williams was a fun story early in the season for the Chicago White Sox.

The first walk-off win of the season also happened to be the weirdest courtesy of Yasmani Grandal’s head. Adam Eaton gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead with a three-run homer in the third inning. The Indians would tie it up in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly and the score remained 3-3 heading into the ninth.

After shutting the Indians down in the top half of the ninth, Yermin Mercedes continued his hot month of April by singling with one out. Nick Madrigal came off the bench to replace Mercedes as a pinch-runner. Yasmani Grandal did what he does best by walking to move the go-ahead run into scoring position.

That brought up Nick Williams, who proceeded to have his most memorable moment during his short stint in a White Sox uniform.

Williams drew the ire of fans early in the year for constantly being inserted into the lineup despite his lack of production. Williams made the roster because of the injuries that had decimated the White Sox outfield.

Williams hits a soft ground ball to Indians’ first baseman Yu Chang. Chang threw to second base in an attempt to start an inning-ending double play. However, his throw doinked off the back of Yasmani Grandal’s helmet. As the ball ricocheted towards the outfield, Nick Madrigal made a mad dash home and scored standing up. All Yasmani could do was laugh as the White Sox came out of the dugout to celebrate.

A walk-off fielder’s choice from the bat of Nick Williams is not the most glamorous way to win a game. When he came to the plate, the White Sox had a 70.3 % chance of winning the game. Add the fact that Williams, who had the winning RBI, and Nick Madrigal who scored the winning run, are no longer on the team and you have yourself the most forgettable walk-off win of the season.

8.) April 24th vs Rangers 

Nick Madrigal doubles and Luis Robert scores (2-1)

Nick Madrigal had some big moments for the Chicago White Sox in his short time.

This game loses points because it is a painful reminder that Nick Madrigal is no longer the White Sox second baseman.

Madrigal did what he does best and got a huge hit with two strikes, living up to the Nickname “Nicky Two Strikes”. But the events leading up to the walk-off were arguably more memorable than the hit itself.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead over the Rangers in the sixth inning when Yoan Moncada scored on a Kyle Gibson wild pitch. The White Sox were still clinging to that 1-0 lead with two outs in the seventh inning but the Rangers were threatening with runners on first and second.

Nick Solak shot a single into left field that looked like it would tie the game. But Billy Hamilton came charging in played the line drive on a hop and threw a rope home. Yasmani Grandal received the throw and dove across the plate to tag Willie Calhoun before he could touch home to preserve the lead. This game-saving play turned out to be one of the defensive highlights of the season.

Unfortunately, Liam Hendriks spoiled the moment by serving up a game-tying home run to Willie Calhoun in the ninth inning. The White Sox offense was tasked with bailing Hendriks out in the ninth.

Luis Robert led off the inning with a single. Yasmani Grandal moved him over to second with a sacrifice bunt. Yermin Mercedes was intentionally walked to keep the double play in order. Billy Hamilton was unable to seize the moment and struck out leaving the White Sox with a 61.1% chance to win as Nick Madrigal stepped up to the plate with two outs.

Madrigal quickly fell behind 0-2 in the count. Despite being down in the count, Madrigal belted a double over the outstretched glove of Joey Gallo in right field. Luis Robert trotted home easily and the White Sox claimed their 11th win of the season.

It was a nice piece of hitting from Madrigal and will go down as one of the fondest memories fans have of the short-second baseman while he was in a White Sox uniform.

6.) September 12th vs Red Sox 

Leury Garcia walk-off home run (2-1)

Leury Garcia came on for the Chicago White Sox down the stretch of the season.

This game was special because it gave Leury Garcia his signature moment with the Chicago White Sox. After being with the team since 2013, Garcia has seen his fair share of ups and downs with the White Sox.

He had had to toil through an agonizing rebuild to get to this point all while serving as a swiss army knife for the White Sox. This game signified the legend of Leury Garcia in Chicago. The longest-tenured member of the Chicago White Sox shocked everybody by showing off some rare power.

This game is very similar to Brian Goodwin’s August 6th walk-off home run against the Indians. They both were low-scoring pitchers duels, they both occurred on a Sunday afternoon wearing the ’83 throwbacks, they both had a final score of 2-1 and they both ended on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning.

However, the difference was this game carried a little extra weight giving it the edge on the list. The Red Sox were fighting for their playoff lives and needed a win. Meanwhile, the White Sox were trying to catch the Houston Astros to obtain a home-field advantage during the playoffs.

The initial pitching matchup was intriguing because it pitted Lance Lynn who was making his return from the IL and Chris Sale who was making his return to the Southside. The game lost some of its lusters when Sale was scratched due to a COVID-19 diagnosis. Regardless, a pitcher’s duel ensued.

Lance Lynn threw five scoreless innings, striking out nine. Nick Pivetta stepped up for the Red Sox and threw 5.1 innings of one-run ball. Luis Robert looked like the star of the game showing off his complete five-tool potential. In the sixth inning, he tracked down a deep fly ball then threw a strike from the warning track to nab Jose Iglesias who was trying to tag up from first.

Robert then hit a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom half of the inning to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. The score would remain the same until the ninth inning. Tony La Russa brought in Craig Kimbrel to lock down the save in the ninth inning but the All-Star closer coughed up the lead marking his second blown save in as many days.

In the bottom of the ninth, things looked bleak for the White Sox. Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez each struck out so the game seemed destined for extra innings. Liam Hendriks was unavailable so Mike Wright Jr was warming up in the bullpen.

Leury Garcia went down 0-2 in the count and the situation went from bad to worse. The White Sox win probability at the time was 53.3%. Garcia then caught everyone off guard by driving a fastball 430 feet to deep center field to the delight of the Guaranteed Rate Field crowd and his teammates.

5.) June 4th vs Tigers 

Yermin Mercedes snaps hitless streak hits a walk-off single (9-8)

Yermin Mercedes had plenty of big games for the Chicago White Sox in 2021.

The White Sox 9-8 win over the Tigers on June 4th was one of the wildest wins of the season. It was an emotional roller coaster that could easily be dubbed the Yasmani Grandal game. The events that led up to the walk-off place this game at number five on our list.

The White Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Yasmani Grandal launched a home run to center field. The White Sox offense would tack on five more runs in the fifth inning to extend the Southsider’s lead to 6-1. It looked like they were going to coast to an easy victory over their division foe.

But the bullpen ensured that didn’t happen while giving fans a small heart attack along the way. The Tigers got a run back in the sixth inning but Nick Madrigal responded with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 7-2.

Then, the wheels fell off. Codi Heuer allowed three runs in the seventh inning without recording an out. Evan Marshall came in to stop the bleeding but made things worse by allowing three more runs. The Tigers six-run seventh inning flipped a 7-2 lead to an 8-7 deficit. Garrett Crochet finally got the White Sox out of the inning but the damage had been done.

The Tigers had all the momentum. With two outs in the seventh inning, it looked like they were going to steal a victory. The White Sox had a win probability of 27%. However, Yasmani Grandal saved the day.

He ripped a home run 413 feet to center field to tie the game. The ball only had a launch angle of 23 degrees but the 104.9 mph exit velocity was enough to carry it out of the yard much to the delight of a euphoric White Sox crowd.

The Tigers threatened in the top of the ninth with a lead-off walk. Miguel Cabrera then ripped a line drive towards the gap that looked like the go-ahead hit. But Billy Hamilton tracked it down preserving the tie.

The White Sox were not out of the woods yet, however. Garrett Crochet issued a two-out walk putting runners on first and second. Liam Hendriks came out of the bullpen and escaped the jam by inducing an inning-ending fly out to left field.

Yoan Moncada opened the bottom of the ninth by getting hit by a pitch. Jose Abreu advanced him to third with a single. With runners on the corners and nobody out, the White Sox had a win probability of 93%.

The table was set for Yermin Mercedes to play the hero. Mercedes was in the midst of a 0-for-25 slump that he was desperate to bust out of. He did just that ending the game with an RBI single to right field.

Mercedes threw his hands up to the sky with joy as he jogged to first and was mobbed by his teammates. The game itself was more exciting than the actual walk-off but if you add in Yasmani Grandal’s heroics with Yermin Mercedes redemption story and you have yourself a memorable moment.

4.) June 16th vs Rays 

Yasmani Grandal walk-off single in extra innings (8-7) 

Yasmani Grandal was so clutch in 2021 for the Chicago White Sox lineup.

The mid-June series against the Rays was the biggest matchup of the season to that point. It was the clash of two heavy-weight Titans in the American League. Both teams were sitting atop of their division standings.

The Rays owned the best record in the American League and provided the White Sox, who owned the league’s second-best record, their first benchmark real test of the season. The series lived up to the hype. The White Sox dropped the first game of the series but took the second one setting up a rubber match on June 16th.

The White Sox jumped to a 4-0 lead thanks in part to a two-run homer from Jose Abreu. Kevin Keirmier cut the lead in half with an RBI double in the fifth to make it 4-2. The White Sox got one run back in the fifth inning courtesy of a Yandy Diaz throwing error on a Brian Goodwin sacrifice bunt.

That gave the White Sox a 91.7 percent chance of winning. Those odds only improved when Andrew Vaughn and Jake Lamb extended the lead to 7-2 with an RBI double and single. Someone forgot to tell the Rays.

They came charging back with a pair of homers from Yandy Diaz and Mike Zunino. With two outs in the eighth inning, Yandy Diaz tied the game with a double.

Danny Mendick lead off the ninth inning with a double but the White Sox couldn’t capitalize. With momentum on the Rays side, a 10th innings were needed to decide the contest. Ryan Burr navigated through the tenth and kept the score tied.

Jose Abreu grounded out but Andrew Vaughn, who was starting the inning at second advanced 90 feet from home. That set the stage for Yasmani Grandal. He did the rest sending a rocket off the right-field wall to give the White Sox the victory and the best record in the MLB. The game showed the White Sox could play with anyone despite being hampered with injuries and solidified them as a legit contender in the American League.

3.) May 16th vs Royals 

Abreu’s mad dash home, White Sox score two in the ninth inning to complete comeback win (4-3)

Jose Abreu’s walk-off slide was one of his many big Chicago White Sox moments this year.

The White Sox May 16th victory over the Royals was a lesson in perseverance and a perfect example of why Jose Abreu is the heart and soul of the team. It also provided fans with the most suspenseful walk-offs of the season.

Two days prior, Abreu had a violent collision with Hunter Dozier near home plate while chasing Dozier’s popup and had to leave the game. He suffered a facial contusion and laceration, as well as a bruised left knee. Abreu surprised everyone by returning to the lineup the next day. He homered in a 5-1 loss and returned to first base in the series finale.

The Royals broke the seal on the scoring with a Salvador Perez sac-fly in the first inning. Adam Eaton helped the White Sox snatch the lead with a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The Royals grabbed the lead back in the seventh inning with a Whit Merrifield RBI single to tie the game and a Carlos Santana sac-fly to make it 3-2.

The White Sox looked to tie it in the eighth inning. They threatened by loading the bases for Nick Madrigal. But Greg Holland wiggled out of the jam by getting Madrigal to ground out softly to end the inning. The air from the stadium seemed to deflate as it looked like the White Sox had blown their best opportunity to tie the game. The White Sox win probability dropped to just 15.8%.

Matt Foster was able to throw a 1-2-3 inning to give the White Sox a final crack at it in the bottom of the ninth. Tim Anderson led off the inning with a ground-rule double off of Royals closer Wade Davis. Adam Eaton laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Anderson to third.

Yoan Moncada singled on the next pitch to tie the game at three. Wade Davis then struck the already battered Jose Abreu with a pitch that advanced Moncada into scoring position. Then Yermin Mercedes slapped a base hit to right field but Yoan Moncada blew through the third-base coach, Joe McEwings, stop sign, and was nailed at the plate by Whit Merrifield.

This looked to be a costly out that would send the game into extra innings. With two outs and the go-ahead run 90 feet from home, Wade Davis was desperately trying to extend the game into extra innings. He had a great opportunity to do so with the .132 hitting Yasmani Grandal at the plate.

On a 1-1 count, Davis spiked an 83 mph knuckle curve into the dirt that got away from catcher Cam Gallagher. Jose Abreu came barreling home despite nursing a bad knee. Gallagher dove after him in an attempt to tag Abreu as he slid in.

He was called safe but after the replay review, the call was not so cut and dry. The White Sox rushed the field to celebrate but had to wait anxiously in the dugout as umpires reviewed the call. The play was very close and it appeared that Gallagher may have gotten a piece of Abreu before his hand touched the plate.

But the MLB deemed there was not enough conclusive evidence to overturn the call. As a result, the White Sox claimed the 4-3 victory and Abreu danced with glee in the dugout.

2.) July 19th vs. Twins 

Gavin Sheets walk-off home run in the seventh inning (5-3)

Gavin Sheets was a huge addition to the Chicago White Sox during the season.

If people didn’t like Gavin Sheets before, this game made him an instant fan favorite. On July 16th, the White Sox played a doubleheader against their division rivals from Minnesota. These two teams had real beef during the 2021 season.

Between Yermin Mercedes hitting a home run on a 3-0 pitch during a blowout, the Twins throwing at Mercedes, Josh Donaldson accusing Lucas Giolito of cheating, and the war of words that followed, there was no love lost between the two sides. The White Sox were in real danger of getting swept in this twin-bill in their ballpark.

The White Sox dropped the first game of the doubleheader against the Twins in agonizing fashion. After leading 1-0, they coughed up the lead in the sixth inning. They would eventually fall 3-2 in extra’s after Gavin Sheets struck out with a runner on second base then Adam Engel popped out to end the game.

In the second game, the White Sox trotted out Reynaldo Lopez as an opener for his first appearance of the season. On the bump for the Twins was Jose Berrios. The pitching matchup was a clear mismatch. Josh Donaldson capitalized on a Lopez error in the first inning and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Jose Abreu hit a home run to center field to tie the game at one in the bottom half of the inning. Mitch Garver grabbed the lead back with a solo home run off Lopez in the second inning then hit another one in the fifth inning to give the Twins a 3-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Berrios was dealing. He carried the 3-1 lead into the sixth inning. Yoan Moncada kept the White Sox hopes alive with a two-out home run in the bottom of the sixth to bring the game within one run. Despite Moncada’s efforts, the White Sox had just an 18.9% chance of winning heading into the final inning.

Berrios looked to complete the seven-inning complete game but ran into some trouble with three outs to go. Brain Goodwin led off the final frame with a single. Then Andrew Vaughn got hit by a pitch bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. That run was represented by Gavin Sheets.

Berrios had dominated Sheets all evening. Sheets accounted for two of Berrios’ nine strikeouts. He even had the Twins broadcasters saying that the everlasting memory of Sheets would be looking baffled by a changeup for strike three back in the fifth inning.

Sheets job was made easier when Berrios threw a wild pitch putting a runner 90 feet from the home and the tying run in scoring position. But after a frustrating afternoon that included three strikeouts, Sheets wasn’t interested in a tie. He wanted to put the Twins to bed. Berrios threw him a 3-1 fastball that and Sheets made him pay by connecting on a 390 foot home run into the right-field stands.

Music blared over the speakers as fireworks shot off to celebrate an electrifying comeback. It was Sheets’s first career walk-off home run and more importantly salvaged a doubleheader split against the bitter rival.

1.) August 12th vs Yankees 

Tim Anderson Field of Dreams Walk-off Home Run (9-8)

Tim Anderson’s walk-off for the Chicago White Sox at the Field of Dreams was amazing.

Was there ever a doubt? Yankees vs White Sox with the Field of Dreams as the backdrop and a national audience watching. The White Sox thrilled the country with the best game of the regular season.

The beautiful setting of Dyerville Iowa solidified this walk-off win as the most magical regular-season moment in franchise history. The Yankees and White Sox emerged from the cornfield with Kevin Costner narrating to kick off the festivities. The stars came out to play in this one

Jose Abreu struck first by hitting the first home run in Iowa in MLB history to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. Aaron Judge responded by belting a three-run homer in the third inning off of Lance Lynn.

The White Sox grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the inning. Tim Anderson doubled to left field to bring home Adam Engel, then Eloy Jimenez drilled a three-run homer to right field to give the Southsiders a 5-3 lead.

Seby Zavala tacked on two more runs with a two-run blast in the fourth to make it 7-3. The Yankees would not go down quietly, however. Brett Gardner chipped away at the lead with a solo home run of Lynn in the sixth.

That score would stand until the ninth inning thanks in part to an electric performance from Micheal Kopech out of the bullpen. Liam Hendriks was brought in to slam the door in the ninth inning but the drama was just getting started.

Hendriks issued a leadoff single to Tyler Wade but bounced back by striking out the next two hitters. With the game on the line, Aaron Judge launched his second home run of the game to cut the deficit down to one.

Hendriks looked rattled and walked Joey Gallo. Ethan Katz went out for a mound visit to calm his closer down. It didn’t work. Giancarlo Stanton came up and hit a missile into the corn and just like that the save and the lead was gone.

It looked like this game would go down in history as a monumental collapse for the White Sox. But Tim Anderson flipped the script. Seby Zavala drew a one-out walk to set the table for Anderson.

Anderson, who has a flair for the dramatics, hit a home run to right-center field to end the game in thrilling fashion. A barrage of fireworks shot off as Anderson rounded the bases. It was a cold-blooded dagger from the White Sox shortstop who motioned “it’s over” as he jumped towards home plate into a sea of happy humans.

https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1426015776604098561

This game was a picture-perfect example of why baseball is beautiful. It will also forever be engraved in White Sox lore.