Cubs and White Sox set to make crosstown series history, sort of

Are baseball records set in a shortened season really MLB history? The Cubs and White Sox are testing that theory

Chicago’s crosstown series between the Cubs and White Sox rarely has the hype that it truly deserves. In 2020, with both teams succeeding in their respective divisions and led by former players who’ve participated in such a series, the games still lack the necessary buzz in the Chicago sports scene, as the ongoing pandemic will limit fan support to the television set.

The Sox of the South Side are 15-11, fresh off a series sweep of the Detroit Tigers and wins over prized prospects Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. The Cubs, meanwhile, hold a four game lead in the NL Central over the likes of the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers.

This year’s city series will make MLB history, even if fans aren’t there to cheer in person

“Just in general the fans are greatly missed, the energy they bring,” Cubs manager David Ross said, per NBC Sports Chicago. “Obviously, the crosstown rivalry stuff is always just a little extra. You feel that.”

With Dallas Keuchel slated to face off against Jon Lester in the opener, the anticipation is a little lacking around what should be deemed an elite pitching matchup, featuring a former Cy Young Award winner against a World Series hero. What’s the issue here?

The truth is, without screaming fans, and the fact that the schedule is so division and location-based, both the Cubs and White Sox reaching this mark at this point of the season feels a little…fake. And perhaps that’s not fair to either side. The ChiSox are a rapidly-improving young squad, with sluggers such as Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert, plus a rotation buoyed by Kuechel.

The Cubs, meanwhile, as just four seasons removed from a World Series, and are competitive in the NL Central year-over-year.

60-game season or not, the Cubs and White Sox are here to stay. That makes this year, and the near future, very intriguing for this crosstown series.