As the White Sox head into their off day before continuing their road trip to Cleveland to face the Guardians on Tuesday, their 2–7 record reflects a rocky start to the 2025 season.
They’ve lost five straight and were just swept in Detroit.
Some troubling trends have emerged from this terrible start to the season.
Los Angeles Angels series: Strong starting pitching emerges, but the team misses chances to win more games.
The White Sox opened at home with promising rotation work.
Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, and Davis Martin combined for 17 innings without giving up an earned run through the first three games.
Despite this historic start, the Sox dropped the series. Game 2 was decided by a wild pitch from Mike Clevinger that allowed Jorge Soler to advance to third, followed by a two-out infield single from Yoán Moncada to score the game’s only run.
In Game 3, Cam Booser surrendered a go-ahead solo homer to Kyren Paris in the eighth inning after a rain delay, sealing the series loss.
The lineup excelled in the opener, scoring eight runs behind a trio of home runs from Austin Slater, Andrew Benintendi, and Lenyn Sosa.
In Game 2, however, the White Sox were shut out by right-hander José Soriano, managing just two hits. Game 3 followed a similar script: Nick Maton homered to open the first inning, and the Sox added a run with some situational hitting, but the bats went silent the rest of the way.
Twins Series: Martin Pérez shines, Shane Smith debuts, Sox begin to show trends
The offense followed a similar script to Game 1 of the Angels series, jumping on Chris Paddack early with another trio of home runs—this time by Andrew Vaughn, Andrew Benintendi, and Michael A. Taylor—to build a quick lead.
However, the Sox didn’t score after the third inning. Martín Pérez added to the team’s historic early-season scoreless streak with six hitless innings in his White Sox debut, extending the mark to 23 innings. Rookie Mike Vasil allowed the only hits of the night in his MLB debut, but the bullpen held firm as Chicago earned a shutout and improved to 2–2.
Shane Smith delivered a solid MLB debut, tossing 5.2 innings with two hits, two earned runs, four walks, and three strikeouts.
He extended the team’s earned run-less streak to 28.2 innings—the longest start to a season in the expansion era (since 1961)—before two runs scored after he exited were credited to him.
Offensively, the Sox followed a familiar pattern with some early situational hitting, including another Nick Maton home run, but didn’t score past the fifth inning. The bullpen again failed to hold up, with Penn Murfee giving up three runs without recording an out and Jordan Leasure later surrendering a late home run to Harrison Bader that sealed the loss in Game 2.
Sean Burke took the mound in the series finale, looking to help the Sox secure a series win and climb back to .500, but Minnesota jumped on him early.
Byron Buxton’s first-inning home run put the Twins in control early. Burke was pulled in the fifth inning after a rough outing. While the bullpen held things down the rest of the way, the offense struggled to generate momentum.
Brooks Baldwin hit his first home run of the season for the Sox's lone run, but Chicago couldn’t string together anything beyond six scattered hits. Pablo López, much like José Soriano in the Angels series, kept the Sox lineup off balance. The offense continued to falter with runners on base, and Chicago again dropped the series to start 2–4 on the year.
Tigers Series: Rotation unravels, then the bullpen as Detroit sweeps series
The starting rotation’s inexperience began to show in Detroit.
Jonathan Cannon struggled with efficiency in Game 1 as the Tigers applied steady offensive pressure, driving up his pitch count to 88 in just 3.2 innings. The bullpen remained unreliable, and outside of a late ninth-inning rally, the Sox fell 7–4.
Jack Flaherty held Chicago to one run on three hits over 5.2 innings, outdueling the Sox lineup with seven strikeouts. Riley Greene was also a triple away from the cycle.
Game 2 followed with more of the same. Davis Martin didn’t have his best stuff, allowing seven earned runs over five innings. Despite collecting eight hits—just two fewer than Detroit—the Sox couldn’t convert them into sustained offense, falling 7–2 as their inability to string together situational hits continued.
In the finale, Mike Tauchman returned from the IL to lead off and looked sharp in his season debut, while Benintendi exited with left abductor soreness, leaving the lineup and roster in question moving forward and setting up the injury discussion that continues to shape the roster.
The Sox jumped out to an early lead, and Martín Pérez again gave them a chance to win. The veteran lefty tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball, extending his season total to 12.1 innings with just one earned run. But once again, the bullpen faltered. Detroit scored three runs in the ninth to walk it off and complete the sweep, handing Chicago its fifth straight loss.
Missing pieces and depth being tested
Tauchman, Tyler Gilbert, and Josh Rojas all opened on the IL.
Tauchman rejoined in Detroit, immediately taking over leadoff duties and looked poised at the top of the order—a spot that had been one of the team’s biggest offensive question marks early on.
Jankowski was DFA’d, though a return could hinge on Benintendi’s injury status.
Gilbert began a Triple-A rehab assignment and could return soon, which would be a welcome addition to a bullpen that has lacked a consistent left-handed option.
Rojas, however, has yet to begin his rehab and may remain out for an extended period. His absence continues to leave questions about the Sox’s roster.
Brooks Baldwin Emerges as a Bright Spot
Baldwin is hitting .280 with five RBIs and has been a bright spot early in the season. He’s appeared at second base, shortstop, and right field, showcasing valuable versatility.
With Rojas's return timeline still uncertain and both Lenyn Sosa and Jacob Amaya off to slow starts, Baldwin has stepped in to fill key gaps defensively and offensively. If he continues to produce, he could cement himself as a reliable utility piece in the organization.
The road trip continues on Tuesday in Cleveland. If the Sox hope to stay relevant in the AL Central, they’ll need better pitching depth, cleaner bullpen execution, and a more balanced offensive approach.