With series wins over the Dodgers and Braves, who currently hold the two best records in baseball, the Chicago White Sox are starting to make national headlines. What began as a fun story about a young, hungry, team, has turned into a legitimate AL contender with plans to load up at the trade deadline. The White Sox weren’t expected to be here, and they certainly weren’t expected to have the best record in Chicago on June 16th, but they enter Tuesday’s action 1.5 games ahead of the crosstown rival Cubs. FanSided’s latest power rankings put the two teams close enough together that it’s certainly going to make this rivalry even more intense as the season goes on.
The White Sox checked in at 9, one spot ahead of the Cubs. The article calls the White Sox one of the best stories in baseball, which is undoubtedly true. They’ve been considered one of the biggest surprise teams this season, though shortstop Colson Montgomery recently pushed back on the idea of the White Sox being a surprise.
“You should stop thinking of us as a surprise just because we are consistently winning, consistently in every game,” Montgomery said.
For the Cubs, it details a roster that is as talented as any in baseball, but a team that hasn’t been able to put together consistent wins. Both teams are very much alive in the postseason race despite very different tracks to get there.
White Sox-Cubs rivalry could reach new heights over the next few years
After an electric crosstown series that saw the White Sox and Cubs split the first two games in blowouts before a back-and-forth finale ended in a White Sox victory, the rivalry between the two teams was alive and well. Pete Crow-Armstrong’s interaction with a White Sox fan was the talk of the town for several days, and his play has seemingly been under a microscope since. Chicago baseball fans care what the other team is doing for the first time in several years, and the placement of the two teams in the same category of the rankings is only going to keep the competition alive.
EDGAR QUERO WALKS IT OFF IN EXTRAS ‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/X8uP8XIcVo
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) May 17, 2026
With the trade deadline approaching and both Chicago teams in need of pitching help, the competition between them may extend off the field and into the front offices. And the two teams will meet again in August, where both hope to be loaded up and prepared for a playoff run.
Regardless of the resolution of this season, the White Sox and Cubs are both in a position to play competitive baseball for the next several years. If both teams are not only competing for a playoff spot, but legitimate contenders to win a World Series, it’s only going to further heat up the rivalry.
The White Sox and Cubs rivalry has been reignited in 2026, and it feels like it’s only the beginning.
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