The Chicago White Sox just punched their ticket to the ALDS, and man, what a way to do it. They absolutely swept the AL West champion Houston Astros in the wild-card round on Wednesday, marking their first postseason series win since that 2005 World Series. Now, they’re heading into an American League Division Series rivalry showdown with the Cleveland Guardians, and if you think their bats cooled off, you haven’t been paying attention.
Cleveland’s Pitching Looks Tough, But There Are Cracks
Look, the Guardians are the AL Central champs for a reason, and they’re rolling in as the expected favorites. Their pitching staff definitely holds an edge on paper, especially with their starting trio of Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, and Foster Griffin. Williams is the guy you gotta watch here, no doubt. He racked up a ridiculous 248 strikeouts in the regular season and was basically unhittable in September. He’ll probably even throw Games 1 and 5 if this series goes the distance. He had eight strikeouts over six innings in his only 2025 postseason start, so he knows how to handle the pressure.
Messick has been a strikeout machine too, fanning at least eight White Sox batters in three of their four regular-season matchups, and he hasn’t given up more than three earned runs since June 29. Griffin, a midseason grab, can give them five or six solid innings, even if he did give up 30 hits in 18.1 September innings. And their bullpen? Cleveland’s got an advantage there with Cade Smith leading the charge. They’ve also got the experience factor.
Here’s the kicker though: Cleveland is 1-3 in Williams’s four starts against the White Sox this season. Yeah, he allowed three earned runs or less in all those losses, and he’s had nine-plus strikeouts in five of his last nine starts, but the White Sox have seen him. They’re familiar with these Cleveland starters, and that’s something to think about, even if the Guardians generally haven’t had trouble striking out Chicago’s lineup.
White Sox Offense Is Coming in Hot, Really Hot
This White Sox lineup? They’re the most inexperienced roster left in the AL bracket, but they showed zero fear against Houston, and that matters. Their bats are absolutely scorching right now. They tore through the Astros’ pitching staff for 13 runs over just two wild-card games. That’s not a fluke either; it’s an extension of a red-hot final week of the regular season where they scored 41 runs. Go back to that Detroit series that kicked off on September 18, and we’re talking about a staggering 73 runs in their last 11 games. Seventy-three!
They put up 16 runs in their last series against Cleveland, so they’re coming into Ohio for Games 1 and 2 with some serious confidence in their ability to hit. What’s even better? Against Houston, they weren’t relying on one guy to carry the load; the whole lineup was getting on base. Sure, you need Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas to show up big, but keep a close eye on the bottom third of that order. Chase Meidroth had two multi-hit games and dropped a three-run homer in Game 2 against Houston. That’s clutch.
This ALDS is going to be a battle. The Guardians have the pitching and the experience, but if the White Sox bats keep hitting like this, that inexperience might not mean a thing. Game 1 is about to go down, and you know both teams are leaving everything on the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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