Three years ago, venerable Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf got hammered by the media and fans for what seemed like a terrible decision. Reinsdorf fired longtime general manager Rick Hahn on Aug. 22, 2023. It was difficult to argue with that move. The White Sox were on track for a 101-loss season just two years after winning the American League Central title. The organization had gotten stale. The White Sox looked like a franchise that needed someone from outside the organization to bring new ideas and a fresh approach.
Nine days later, Reinsdorf made the surprising decision to promote assistant GM Chris Getz from within the organization to replace Hahn. The move drew anger in Chicago and surprise throughout baseball.
The decision looked even worse the following season when the White Sox went 41-121 in 2024 and set MLB’s Modern Era record for losses.
White Sox have returned from the dead
Today, no one is accusing Reinsdorf of being out of touch. The White Sox are coming off their first postseason series victory since 2005 after sweeping the Houston Astros in two games earlier this week in an American League Wild Card Series.
On Saturday, the White Sox open a best-of-five AL Division Series against the Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland. The White Sox (84-78) finished one game behind the division champion Guardians (85-77) during the regular season after going 61-101 in 2025.
The White Sox are back in the postseason, and they look dangerous.
“I don’t want to jinx anything, but we played our two best games of the season in Houston,” a White Sox person told FanSided. “If we play like that again, we’re capable of beating anybody. We showed to everyone, including ourselves, that we deserve to be playing October baseball.”
White Sox built in GM Chris Getz’s image
The White Sox have a talented young lineup that includes eight players who are 26 or younger. The White Sox drafted shortstop Colson Montgomery and left fielder Sam Antoacci. Still, Getz signed first baseman Munetaka Murakami as a free agent from Japan’s NPB, acquired catcher Kyle Teel, second baseman Chase Meidroth, and right fielder Braden Montgomery from the Boston Red Sox in a trade for Garrett Crochet, while also trading for a pair of All-Stars in third baseman Miguel Vargas and center fielder Tristan Peters.
Unlike many of his counterparts, Getz played in the major leagues. He was primarily a second baseman during a seven-year career from 2008-14 with the White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Toronto Blue Jays.
The White Sox’s young players have a good feel for the game and are a fun group, as shown by their pregame dance routines and raucous celebrations after clinching a postseason berth and winning their ALWCS.
Manager Will Venable believes those characteristics are a byproduct of an ex-player assembling the roster and having an intimate feel for clubhouse dynamics.
“I think really it starts with Chris Getz getting a lot of really quality human beings in the organization, starting with the players, having really good players,” Venable said. “And then creating a staff that can really support them and supports us in supporting the guys with a good environment. The things that the front office and Getzy have done to support our environment, to get the best out of the players, have been amazing.
“And then you have really good players that you're just trying to help get the best out of, and so as we have seen that happen, along with our fans showing up and giving us support and watching that relationship grow, it has turned into a really special thing. And it really takes special people to do those types of things, which has been cool to be a part of and watch.”
A winning environment usually breeds confidence, and it is abundantly clear that the White Sox have that. In early July, I caught up with the White Sox, and it was far from certain then that they would sustain their newfound success through the second half of the season.
Colson Montgomery insisted the White Sox were not a half-season fluke and that I should check back with them in October. Well, it’s October, and the White Sox are still playing.
“I want to say it was the mindset that was a reality in spring training, not just a goal,” Antonacci said of the White Sox playing in the postseason. “We knew we had the chance. It was just up to us. A lot of question marks had to be answered, obviously. And then just going out there and competing.
“It’s just — you just got to get to the playoffs, and then anything can happen. Our job was to keep winning, take it day by day. And obviously you can see a lot can change over the course of the year. So, we're just happy to keep on going.”
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