Just a little over one week ago, it seemed inevitable that the Chicago White Sox would lose 100 games for a third consecutive season.
After an extra innings loss to the New York Yankees, the White Sox were sitting at 48-88. That meant they needed to close the season with a 15-11 record to avoid triple digits in the loss column.
Thankfully, the White Sox have now won seven of their last eight games. They swept the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in a four game series for the first time in franchise history and then had a gritty series victory over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park over the weekend.
The White Sox trailed at some point in all seven of those wins, but this electric group of rookies have refused to back down from adversity. Avoiding 100 losses not only seems possible now, it actually seems likely.
The White Sox need eight more wins to avoid 100 losses
Sitting at 55-89, an 8-10 finish to the season would put the White Sox at 63-99. Of the 18 games remaining, nine of them will be played against teams that are currently under .500.
The White Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays this week, who have lost three games in a row and are quickly fading from relevancy in the AL Wild Card race.
There are some more difficult series remaining against the Guardians. Yankees, and Padres, but the Sox will also host the Orioles for three and close out the season in Washington. With how they’ve played recently, 8-10 seems more than manageable, especially if the Sox can handle their business for the duration of this brief homestand.
If the South Siders truly do avoid 100 losses and improve by 22+ games from where they were in 2024, Will Venable deserves some consideration for AL Manager of the Year.
A White Sox manager has not won that award since Ozzie Guillen in 2005. I don't have any delusions that Venable would win it this season - it will almost certainly go to A.J. Hinch or John Schneider - but he should be acknowledged for the job he has done in year one. 20-win improvements are a rare feat.