Two years ago, the Chicago White Sox had one of the worst seasons in modern MLB history. The team lost 121 games in 2024, and then another 102 in 2025. In 2026, they ended the regular season with 84 victories, 78 losses and a playoff berth.
The White Sox came within one win of reaching the American League Championship Series, but the Cleveland Guardians knocked them out in the decisive 5th game.
A Record-Setting Low Became the Starting Point
The Chicago White Sox finished 2024 at 41-121, setting the modern-era record for losses in a single season over a 162-game schedule. In 2025, they finished 60-102, making a very significant 19 game improvement.
In 2026, Chicago greatly exceeded expectations, finishing 84-78. Chicago’s 100-or-more-losses in each of the three seasons from 2023 to 2025 made their 2026 showing all the more impressive, given the context.
The Climb Took More Than One Good Season
Chicago began the comeback process very gradually. Even though the previous years’ results were very disappointing, the team obviously took a huge step forward in 2026. The White Sox began the Wild Card Series against Houston on September 29; their first postseason berth in five years.
Squad changes, rapid development of the younger players, and strong performances from their leading hittters helped Chicago play much better, all around. Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas were among the players whose excellent seasons helped improve team.
Chicago’s Playoff Run Ended in Game 5
On Sunday, October 11, the White Sox were eliminated from the 2026 postseason. They swept the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series and were leading Cleveland in the AL Division Series 2-0 at one point. However, Cleveland came roaring back, winning the next three and taking the best-of-five series, three games to two. Cleveland tied it 2-2 with a 9-5 win in Game 4 on Thursday, October 8.
In the decisive Game 5 played this past Saturday night, Cleveland won 2-0 in a shutout. In the fourth inning, José Ramírez hit a two-run homer off Sean Burke, and that was the only scoring. Gavin Williams struck out 12 batters and actually carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Cleveland’s bullpen completed a three-hit shutout. Chicago struck out 21 times, a major league record for a nine-inning postseason game.
With that victory, Cleveland became the fourth team in MLB history to win a five-game playoff series after losing the first two games at home. Now Cleveland will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Championship Series, which starts Monday, October 12.
How the White Sox Compare With Other Big Turnarounds
The Baltimore Orioles had only 52 wins in 2021, but then 83 victories in 2022 and of course, the impressive 101 wins in 2023. The team improved by 49 wins in just two years, more than Chicago’s 43-win improvement from 2024 to 2026. Baltimore won the American League East in 2023, while Chicago qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card team.
The Houston Astros went from 51 wins in 2013 to 70 in 2014 and 86 in 2015, an impressive 35-win improvement in two seasons. Houston qualified for the playoffs in 2015, setting up their eventual first World Series title in 2017.
The Tampa Bay Rays improved by 31 wins in 2008, going up from 66 in 2007 to a very impressive 97. This result gave them an American League pennant and a World Series appearance for the first time ever.
World Series Odds Moved Quickly Before Elimination
Before the start of the 2026 season, the Chicago White Sox were considered one of the biggest longshots to win the World Series, with odds of +50000 at the outset. As the team started performing better and better, market expectations shifted.
By late September, the betting odds on Chicago winning the World Series had shortened to +3500. Betting odds vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, but this time of the year, sports betting online is especially popular and a decent indicator of a team’s potential success.
Chicago’s Underdog Story Has Reached Its Ending
Chicago was among many underdogs vying for the title. With a good season and a Wild Card sweep, the White Sox had to defeat Cleveland, then beat Tampa Bay in the ALCS, and finally win the World Series to become champions.
It turned out to be too much. Cleveland won three in a row after falling behind 2-0, and Chicago’s hopes of reaching the Championship Series ended there. After all, baseball is unpredictable. Success in the regular season and early playoffs doesn’t prove anything yet.
Nonetheless, their achievement deserves consideration, given what the White Sox have been through before this. With 84 wins, a Wild Card spot, and even a victory in the Wild Card Series, the White Sox proved themselves worthy and showed that their rebuilding was relatively successful.
A Turnaround Worth Remembering Either Way
The White Sox lost Game 5 and were eliminated from the AL Division Series in 2026. However, 2026 proved very successful, with the team winning many more games than the previous year and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Despite three consecutive seasons with 100 or more losses, the team reached the Division Series in a five-game series. To get back to the playoffs, they’ll have to rely on their young players, improve their pitching staff, and get their offense playing at a more consistent level. Given how much the team has changed, this shows that sports betting is very unpredictable.