The Chicago White Sox were able to stay the course in the race for the American League Central division on Tuesday by taking down the Kansas City Royals.
Chicago sits just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians are the division lead, but they do hold the tiebreaker between the two teams. The White Sox need to keep winning games, while hoping that the Guardians slip up before the regular season comes to an end.
White Sox Make Decision Around Miguel Vargas Before Must-Win Game
Heading into the second game of the series, the White Sox have announced the lineup against the Royals. In this, star Miguel Vargas will be hitting third for Chicago.
Vargas will be playing at third base for this game. Here is the lineup for the White Sox today:
White Sox 9/23
S. Antonacci LF
K. Teel C
M. Vargas 3B
M. Murakami 1B
A. Benintendi DH
T. Peters CF
C. Meidroth 2B
C. Montgomery SS
B. Montgomery RFB. Hudson SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 23, 2026
Vargas has been great for the White Sox this season, making his first All-Star Game this year. The slugger has become one of the top third basemen in the league, while fully breaking out.
Overall, Vargas has hit .251 with 33 home runs nd 89 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .844. He has also recorded 20 stolen bases this year.
The infielder has been having a lot of fun playing this season, finally showing what he can do on the field.
“That’s what I wanted to be when I got here,” Vargas said. “I want to prove that I deserve to put this jersey on every day and for me to be able to accomplish a lot of things for myself, it just means a lot for me. I don’t try to prove nobody wrong. I try to prove people right, I guess. For me being able to do what I’ve accomplished has been amazing for sure.”
White Sox manager Will Venable has been ecstatic about Vargas’s season, praising the infielder for his play this year. Without Vargas, the White Sox likely aren’t in the race to make the playoffs at all.
“When you think about the good stuff that’s going on in this organization, with this club, he’s right in the middle of everything,” Venable said. “He’s just such a good guy, he works so hard, he’s a great teammate. He’s giving a lot of himself to other people and at the same time taking care of himself and performing at an elite level.”
Can White Sox Get Into Playoffs?
With just a few games left in the season, the White Sox are in a good spot to make the playoffs, barring a major collapse. Even if this team can’t win the division, a wild-card spot could be in the cards.
After the series with Kansas City, the White Sox will be taking on the Colorado Rockies. If Chicago can take care of business against both of these teams, a spot in the playoffs could be theirs.
Of course, the team would rather win the division and get the first-round bye that comes with it. But at this point, if they can just get into the dance, anything can happen for this White Sox group.
White Sox Announce Miguel Vargas Move During Royals Series