KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Manager Will Venable recently expressed that the Chicago White Sox’s overriding emotion for 2026 is ‘excited’. This excitement fuels their drive to play, be teammates, and confront challenges head-on.
As the season nears its end, the Sox remain hopeful for their postseason debut, last seen in 2021. Currently, they’re grasping the third American League wild-card spot, leading the Houston Astros by three games with six left to play. The Sox are also fiercely competing for the AL Central title, trailing only one game behind the Cleveland Guardians.
The journey has been remarkable, especially for a team that endured 101 losses annually over the past three years, including 2024’s record-breaking 121 defeats. Venable shared these experiences in a recent interview, emphasizing the team’s evolution.
“Our team is not perfect, no team is perfect, and at different times of the year there are areas of our club that are performing better than others,” Venable explained.
September witnessed some difficulties, with the team enduring a 5-10 stretch, dropping from the AL Central’s top spot. However, they’ve retained a tiebreaker advantage over the Guardians, having won the season series. Venable believes they’ve recently rediscovered their true form.
“It’s just been awesome to watch this group develop and kind of go through these twists and turns of the season and transition to this carefree group, into a group that was very tense, now back into what feels like ourselves,” he noted.
The Sox lead the AL in runs (733) and rank third in home runs (199), with standout performances from Miguel Vargas (33), Munetaka Murakami (32), and Colson Montgomery (31). Venable praised the bullpen’s pivotal role, particularly Grant Taylor’s versatility.
He lauded the comprehensive effort from all players.
“Miguel Vargas, oh my gosh… But they’re not the only ones. It has come from every single place,” Venable said.
Understanding the significance of player adaptability, Venable appreciates the commitment shown regardless of strategic shifts.
“The second part is, the most important thing that we can do is support an environment in which these guys are happy and feel like they are contributing, and they can be themselves,” Venable shared.
Shifting pressure perception is another focus. Venable emphasized the importance of performing for teammates over external playoff expectations.
“So shifting the type of pressure into the right kind of pressure,” Venable stated.
Venable and his coaching team diligently support players, reminding them of their achievements and maintaining a relaxed atmosphere.
“It’s crazy the things that these guys have accomplished. It is wild, man… So everything that we’re doing is to just make sure the environment is loose, easy and that these guys are just enjoying what is an incredible opportunity,” Venable concluded.