Chicago White Sox complete rare turnaround from 100-loss team to playoff team: ‘It’s been an amazing ride’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No team had ever made the postseason after losing 100-plus games in each of the previous two seasons, let alone three.

Until the 2026 Chicago White Sox, that is.

The Sox completed a feat few saw coming, qualifying for the playoffs Thursday with a 9-1 victory against the Kansas City Royals in front of 15,592 at Kauffman Stadium.

“We’ve been chasing this moment for a long time,” third baseman Miguel Vargas said. “It’s special for us, it’s special for the organization. It’s a special group of guys. It’s the most fun you can have.”

It’s an incredible turnaround for the Sox, who lost 101 games in 2023, a modern-day major-league-record 121 in 2024 and 102 last season.

“Just happy — I’m happy for the players, happy for the organization, happy for the fans,” manager Will Venable said. “It’s really cool to see a group believe that this could happen in spring training, go out and do all things necessary to make it happen. The support from the fans and watching that build throughout the summer, it’s just amazing.

“So happy for our coaching staff, amazing in guiding this group through this season. Obviously we have important ballgames here left to go, but right now it’s about celebrating and being happy for an incredible accomplishment.”

A message on the Kauffman Stadium video board read, “Congratulations Chicago White Sox,” as players shook hands on the field after the win. The party was on when they got to the clubhouse, with music and players dousing each other with drinks.

“Tremendous,” first baseman Munetaka Murakami said through an interpreter of the team’s accomplishment. “This is unbelievable.”

The Sox know they’ll be one of the six American League teams competing in the playoffs. It’s just a matter of in which capacity.

They currently hold the third AL wild-card slot. They also are competing for the AL Central title, entering the day one game behind the Cleveland Guardians, who played Thursday night. The Sox hold the tiebreaker by winning the regular-season series.

The Sox could begin their postseason as soon as Tuesday in the wild-card round or, if they win the AL Central, could have a first-round bye.

“You look back and where this journey started a couple of years ago, and to know you go into 2026 and you start the year 6-13 and now getting to the playoffs — it’s been just an amazing ride,” general manager Chris Getz said. “What a testament to the guys, the people, the players. They are fearless. They show up every day regardless of outcomes from the day before.

“Will has done a tremendous job leading these players, keeping them motivated and allowing them to go out there and be themselves and play hard and play winning baseball. Most importantly our fans, I think about them. It’s been so much fun to watch them show up at the ballpark and track our team. I’m just so happy for the Chicago White Sox fans and the city of Chicago.

“We are just getting started. There’s a lot to be done in the coming days. You get a chance at the division. These guys know it. But looking at today and what is done, it needs to be celebrated. It’s a big deal for the Chicago White Sox and the fans.”

The Sox wasted little time Thursday in securing their first playoff berth since 2021, scoring three runs in the first inning and three more in the second. Vargas, the team’s most consistent hitter throughout the season, had an RBI single in the first and another in the second. He finished with two hits, two runs and two RBIs.

They knocked Royals starter Randy Dobnak out of the game in the second. The right-hander allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Kyle Teel added a solo home run as part of a two-run fourth.

Sox starter David Sandlin made the most of all the run support, allowing one run over six innings on the way to the win.

“What was nice was the guys were just in that mode from the beginning of the game that every single pitch mattered, every out mattered and they weren’t going to give anything up,” Venable said.

After losing 10 of their first 15 games this month, the Sox have won five of their last seven to earn the postseason berth.

“Who knows what the coming days and weeks hold, but I know that they’re going to show up and they’re going to continue this fun ride,” Getz said. “Everyone that’s watched this season unfold can really take away something that can apply to how you go about your life. You face adversity and you lean into what it takes to be successful.

“And this group has proven that. I couldn’t be any happier that these guys get a chance to play in the playoffs.”

According to Stats Perform, only three teams previously made the playoffs the season after losing 100 games: the 2024 Royals, 2020 Miami Marlins and 2017 Minnesota Twins.

Add another team to the list in this year’s White Sox.

“It’s incredible,” shortstop Colson Montgomery said. “You know how the past couple seasons have been with us. We always envisioned this. Deep down, we all believed in ourselves, believed in each other.

“For this to come to fruition, it’s awesome.”