Despite losing four of their last five games, the White Sox enter Wednesday night’s affair against the New York Yankees with a 1.5 game lead in the American League Central. For most of the season, the Cleveland Guardians have been the primary competition for the White Sox on top of the division, but a tough stretch for Cleveland has opened the door for other teams. With all eyes on the Tigers and their decision on Tarik Skubal as the trade deadline approaches, not many people are focused on the Minnesota Twins as legitimate competition. But Minnesota enters play Wednesday just two games behind the White Sox, and GM Jeremy Zoll provided an update on the team’s trade deadline plans.
Twins say they are looking to improve the team after walkoff win gets them to .500, 1/2 game back in the AL wild card race. So they’re buyers. Which means Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers aren’t going anywhere.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 29, 2026
Zoll specifically mentioned the bullpen as an area of focus for improvement by Monday’s deadline, but the most notable consequence is the removal of Joe Ryan, Ryan Jeffers, and potential others from the trade market. Jeffers was a solid rental option in a catcher market that the White Sox surely find themselves shopping in, and Joe Ryan would’ve brought the Twins a hefty prospect package with his team control for 2027. Instead, both will likely be staying put and the Twins will work on improving the big league roster.
White Sox fans shouldn't discount the Twins in the AL Central race
So do the White Sox need to be weary of the Twins as a possible contender for the division? The short answer is yes. The story of the Twins is pretty simple. They’re a top ten offense in baseball according to runs scored and OPS, and their pitching staff ranks in the bottom few in most categories. Even without top starter Pablo Lopez, who was lost for the season with Tommy John surgery, the starting pitching has been serviceable, but their bullpen currently holds the fourth-worst ERA in baseball. But the reality of the AL Central is that one substantial winning streak could be all it takes. The White Sox, Guardians, Twins, and Tigers could all still win the division at this point, and if one of them were to rattle off a seven or eight game winning streak, it could be the push they need to win the division.
The White Sox are currently in the driver’s seat. They have the division lead and currently control their own destiny. But they’ve begun to falter over the past few days and are in the midst of a brutal schedule stretch against the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, and Guardians. With Cleveland and Minnesota breathing down their necks and not planning to go anywhere, and the Tigers not out of it, the pressure on the White Sox is only getting stronger.
The trade deadline is less than a week away, and the White Sox are certainly going to be on the hunt for upgrades to protect their division lead. Baseball plays 162 games for a reason, and White Sox fans should buckle up for a battle over the final two months.
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