Though the final standings may reflect an abysmal record, White Sox fans who pay attention should know that the entire 2025 season wasn't a wash the way 2024 was. The White Sox showed steady improvement, and after the historically bad season in 2024, positive progress was much needed. Despite improvement, the team was inconsistent. Volatility is not a trait that you'd want associated with a professional ball club, but it's definitely an attribute that followed the 2025 Sox to the end.
That being said, being volatile isn't necessarily a bad thing when viewed in the right context. For a team in development, the victories should be counted highly, and the losses should be taken as a learning or growing experience. But as the teams turns from rebuilding to contention, limiting the ups and downs and seeking to become steady on offense will be the key to success.
When the White Sox Offense Fully Showed Up
When the White Sox offense was firing, they fired on all cylinders. Many of their wins came exceeding ten runs, and for the most part, the offense was spread across entire games as opposed to sporadic bursts. Two games in particular highlight this point, the first on July 23rd against the Rays, and the second on August 18th against the Braves. Both of these games were wins in which the team scored more than ten runs, but the first shows a streaky offense, and the second, a much more consistent juggernaut.
July 23rd saw the Sox defeat the Rays 11-9 in Tampa. The Sox scored ten of those runs in the 2nd and 8th, respectively. With a solo home run in the sixth to top it off, we can see a trend here. The Sox were able to grind runs out once they got the ball rolling, all they needed was a spark to get them started. Six runs in a single inning is stellar, but the stagnation in between is what needs to be trimmed. Too often over the past few years, the White Sox have scored all their runs in one or two innings and gone quiet for the rest of the game. A consistent approach will be the key to turning this trend around.
August 18th saw the White Sox overcome the Braves 13-9 in Atlanta. The Sox scored in five of nine innings, with another six-spot in the 4th. The difference here is that the Sox limited zeros on the box score. The White Sox were able to sustain baserunners better, and didn't leave runners on. A sluggish offense can kill a team's ability to win, and the White Sox showed here that they're capable of creating a sustainable offense. This is a much better example of the constant barrage the White Sox desire on a winning ballclub.
The Path Forward
The White Sox showed in 2025 that the offense has a real ceiling, but the next step is consistency. Eliminating the stretches where the lineup goes completely lifeless would change the shape of the season more than any single breakout performance could. With the first pick in hand, the White Sox should think clearly about the needs of the offense when they make their selection. No team is going to be perfect, and everyone has bad games on offense, but the White Sox need to assemble a lineup with a mature approach and the ability to work good at bats consistently. If they do this, good things will certainly follow.