Obviously its winning the World Series, but, I want to look more realistically at what I would consider as a successful postseason. To start, they need to have the best and healthy roster available going into October. That means getting Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Carlos Rodon, Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, Jose Abreu, Luis Robert, Yasmani Grandal, Andrew Vaughn, Adam Engel, Cesar Hernandez, Yoan Moncada, Liam Hendriks, Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera, Michael Kopech, Aaron Bummer, Garrett Crochet, and Dylan Cease fully healthy, and ready to go. We have seen IL stints for a few guys over the last few weeks, whether they are phantom or not, there is good and bad to it. The age old question being, do they need reps or do they need rest? In the curious case of Carlos Rodon, you would think he needs reps, seeing as he has been the one shelved the longest of the SPs. Although, you need to keep his shoulder rested for pitching on short rest in the postseason. If they can avoid over pitching him the rest of the regular season, and get his arm ready for a hopefully, elongated playoff run, it will be a huge help. Lance Lynn is dealing with a knee issue and it showed in his latest start against Boston only going 5 innings. The first 3 innings seemed to be fine, but then the very last out of the 4th you saw him limp off the mound after a K. He then pitched the 5th while looking uncomfortable. He was on the IL for knee inflammation which everyone thought was a phantom rest IL stint, and it appears that is not the case. Lance Lynn has been the bulldog of the staff and the best pitcher, all season. You really need his health in the rotation for the playoffs. As of the time I am writing this Lucas Giolito and Tim Anderson have been activated off the IL. Giolito is going to start tonight, and its assumed Tim Anderson will as well. Tim Anderson hasn’t played since 8/28 so reps are important for him to get in the groove as October hits. Lucas Giolito’s last start came to an abrupt end on 8/31 when he slipped while fielding a ground ball and hurt his hamstring. Prior to that, he had looked pretty good, albeit against the Pirates.

We saw the line drive that Eloy took off his knee in Oakland which is never a good thing for anyone, but especially a guy who needs reps as he is still settling into his season. He had a few days off, but was able to come back rather quickly. Jose Abreu has been the most used player this year, avoiding the IL all season, but surely battling fatigue and nagging injuries. The heart and soul of the White Sox has been just that, all season. Getting regular rest, DH time, which seems to have helped him. Yasmani Grandal has just been destroying the baseball since coming off the IL in late August, he is the KEY to the lineups success, as we have seen. Luis Robert has been looking ridiculously good as well as the season winds down, no lingering effects, so far, from the injury sustained earlier this year. He isn’t stealing bases, which is definitely precautionary. The White Sox have been decimated with major injuries throughout the year, but getting TO October while healthy, is the key to September.

As things stand right now, the White Sox are poised to be the 3 seed in the postseason and playing the Astros in the ALDS. Its really been a poor season on the road for the Sox and you really don’t want to go into Houston where things are still, well, suspicious. Most teams play better at home, because, well, you play 81 games there, you get used to it. The White Sox are no exception, posting a current 48-25 at home and an underwhelming 34-36 on the road. Only 7 teams in the AL have a winning record on the road…4 of them in the AL East. Also, the Houston Astros, their potential first round opponent. That is alarming, but, October is an entirely different animal. You aren’t going to see bench players get regular starts, you are going to see everyone’s best lineups and pitchers, every game. I personally believe the White Sox will have success in the postseason with their top starters and lineups going every game. So what do I define as a successful postseason?

A playoff series victory. The White Sox have not won a playoff series since the 2005 World Series. Losing in 2008 to Tampa Bay and in 2020 to Oakland. If the White Sox can make the ALCS, I will consider 2021 a successful season. Then you look ahead to how to you get to and win the World Series in 2022. Do I want them to win the World Series, of course I do. I am just thinking realistically. If they get past the Astros, I am pretty sure whoever wins the WC game, will lose to the Rays, and if that happens, I don’t see the Sox getting past them. If the Sox do lose in the ALDS, I hope its over 5 games and not a depressing showing. If they are extremely tight games and one play makes the difference, I will be very angry for a short time, and then re-evaluate. I say that now, but I will change because I am human. If the starting pitching can give you 6-7 strong innings each game, your bullpen can shut them down, in theory. The large remaining factor is how the offense will perform, it has been a roller coaster of scoring 9+ runs, and then getting 1-3 the next few games. Baseball is difficult and weird, which explains this random pattern. You just have to hope the pattern doesn’t show up in October.

My postseason prediction is the White Sox beat the Astros in 4 games, then lose in the ALCS to the Rays in 6. I think it will be the Rays/Dodgers in the WS and the Dodgers will repeat. However, I hope I am only wrong about the ALCS, and the White Sox win it all. Thank you for reading.

Sam