Going into their final series of the regular season, the Chicago White Sox are one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central Division race. Chicago finishes out the season at home against the Colorado Rockies, and Cleveland finishes the season on the road against the Kansas City Royals.
There is a lot at stake for the White Sox and Guardians this weekend in terms of seeding for next week’s AL playoffs. As far as Chicago goes, they have announced their starting pitchers for their series against the Rockies, who have already lost 100 games for the fourth consecutive season.
Chicago White Sox Announce Probable Starters Against Colorado Rockies
After officially clinching a playoff berth on Thursday with a win in Kansas City, Chicago returns home with a bigger goal: winning the AL Central. Here are the probable pitching matchups for the final series in 2026.
Friday: Tomoyuki Sugano (12-11, 5.36 ERA) vs. Sean Burke, 10-7, 3.40 ERA), 6:40 p.m. CDT
Saturday: Jose Quintana (2-3, 5.40 ERA) vs. Davis Martin (9-7, 3.84 ERA), 6:10 p.m. CDT
Sunday: Kyle Freeland (4-11, 6.58 ERA) vs. Anthony Kay (9-9, 4.53 ERA), 2:10 p.m. CDT
Now, it should be noted that if things are decided by Sunday in terms of final playoff positioning, the pitching matchup could change, especially for the White Sox. However, until things are finalized, Chicago rolling out the arms they have is a no-brainer.
Colorado is rolling out their top three arms. However, all three are pending free agents this winter. They are pitching for their next contract. Colorado’s roster has something to play for as well, with some of their pending free agents.
There is a lot riding on this weekend’s results. Having home-field advantage in the Division Series is big. Furthermore, what is even bigger is the wild-card round bye. It doesn’t always mean success, but it gives you a chance to hit the reset button and line up your pitching.
Chicago White Sox Looking To Complete 2026 Turnaround
What a turnaround this season has been for the White Sox. At this time last season, Chicago was wrapping up a 102-loss season. They finished in last place in the AL Central, 28 games behind Cleveland. Who had them entering the final weekend of this season, one game out in the division?
The White Sox spent a good chunk of the season in first place. However, the Guardians caught fire in late August to make their move. If the two teams end up tied at the end of the weekend, the White Sox win the division based on the head-to-head tiebreaker. That is big and could very well come into play.
After locking down their postseason berth on Thursday, GM Chris Getz had a quote that should concern the rest of the AL playoff field.
“There are some emotional losses, some tough losses, and certainly from my perspective, you wonder,” Getz said, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “But you know what? It doesn’t really matter what I think because this group believes. They do.”
A team that believes like the White Sox can be dangerous in October. The hard part is getting there. Now they are left playing with house money. It begins this weekend against the Rockies. All you want is a chance this time of the year. The White Sox have it, and they believe.
Chicago White Sox Announce Probable Starters in Pivotal Series Against Rockies