For a time this summer, it felt like the White Sox and Cubs could be on a collision course in the 2026 World Series. Both teams spent a majority of the summer in prime position to make a deep Postseason run. As the White Sox faltered down the stretch and ultimately lost the division to the Guardians, it felt like they might be the team that would come up short. Alas, the opposite has been true.
The White Sox have put together a remarkable run, while the Cubs were handily outplayed twice in San Diego and their playoff run came to an abrupt end. Fans across the country have taken notice of the White Sox, and they’ve been adopted by some as “America’s Team”. As it turns out, even some Cubs legends have taken a rooting interest in the White Sox crazy run.
Anthony Rizzo tells WGN he'll be bringing his son to the Sox game today: "we'll be enjoying playoff baseball... this White Sox team is an easy team to root for, seems like they're a band of brothers"
— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) October 7, 2026
Rizzo, 37, made his big league debut with the Padres in 2011, but spent the majority of his strong career in Chicago with the Cubs. In nine and a half seasons with the Cubs, Rizzo slugged 242 home runs, posting an OPS+ over 120 and making three All-Star games. His stellar defense at first base earned him four Gold Gloves, and he finished in the Top 5 in MVP voting in both 2015 and 2016. Rizzo played at a high level for the Cubs until a 2021 trade sent him to the Yankees, where he played the final three seasons of his career before announcing his retirement following the 2024 season.
Since his retirement, Rizzo has done some broadcasting with NBC but mostly just spends more time with his family. He doesn't reside in Chicago anymore, but typically roots for the Cubs, but is among the long list of folks who have developed a rooting interest in the White Sox during their improbable run.
The Cubs and White Sox don't have to hate each other
Let Rizzo’s actions serve as a lesson to Cubs fans: you don’t have to hate the White Sox just because the Cubs went home early. Since the Wild Card Round concluded, I’ve seen several fans of the Northsiders complaining about the schedule and attempting to discredit the White Sox achievements because of their playoff draw, and it’s unnecessary. Each year, someone gets the short end of the stick when it comes to their playoff matchup, and sometimes, those are just the breaks. It’s okay to acknowledge that the White Sox have an exciting young team that are easy to root for, and a fanbase deserving of a good run after several years of misery.
The White Sox continue to be the talk of Chicago and MLB as a whole, and it’s a run that White Sox fans hope still has a few weeks left in it. If Anthony Rizzo, a staple of the North side, can enjoy it, why can’t you?
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