White Sox manager Will Venable’s blunt message on 2026 playoff push

Entering the season, the Chicago White Sox were given a 1.1 percent chance to make the playoffs by FanGraphs. Their odds of winning the AL Central were at .5 percent. But Chicago has proven the doubters wrong in 2026 and are on the brink of clinching their spot in the postseason.

Entering Tuesday, the White Sox and their 80-76 record are one game back of the Cleveland Guardians in the Central. Still, they hold a three-game advantage over the competition for the final Wild Card spot. Every game will count down the stretch.

At one point, the White Sox held a 5.5 game lead in the Central. Manager Will Venable understands what it looks like seeing that lead evaporated. He is committed to ensuring Chicago finishes their year strong.

At the same time though, Venable doesn’t want to diminish what the White Sox have already accomplished. However the season ends, Chicago has already beaten the odds.

Will Venable calls White Sox’s 2026 a success regardless

Venable acknowledges that the White Sox have put themselves in a precarious position. If they took care of business with their sizable lead, perhaps their spot in the playoffs wouldn’t be questioned. But the White Sox aren’t shying away from their postseason test. Venable and company are ready to lock in, and ensure their 2026 run pays off in October, via Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

“Expectations should be elevated,” Venable said. “We’ve earned that. We’ve created that,” Venable said. “We know that we have a good team. We know we are in a spot here where we have to go out and continue to play our game. I would understand disappointment because of the expectations our club has created.”

Whether or not they clinch their spot, Chicago did the unthinkable in 2026. Not many were predicting them to be contenders. The White Sox have identified their core and proven their youth movement can lead to impressive results.

For now, the focus remains on Chicago’s playoff push. But as Venable looks to the future, he’s proud of the foundation this year’s team created.

“Just think of the moments we’ve seen in this ballpark specifically,” Venable said. “It’s been awesome. Whatever our record is, whatever it is in the end, there’s going to be 29 teams that are disappointed in the way their season ends. That is real for everybody. But the results of these next [six] games is not going to define our season. To me, this has been an outstanding season.”

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