Baseball’s strangest playoff pairing is about to begin, pitting the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox. The Astros made the postseason with a .500 record, while the White Sox came back from back-to-back 100-loss seasons to claim a spot. The AL Wild Card Series starts Tuesday in Houston.
How Each Team Got Here
The Astros won the AL West title over Texas on Sunday despite finishing with a record of 81-81. Houston secured a spot in the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years, ending a stretch during which they missed last season.
- Seven straight American League Championship Series appearances from 2017-23
- Four World Series trips
- Championships in 2017 and 2022
Chicago finished 84-78 to earn the final AL wild card. The White Sox lost at least 100 games in each of the past three seasons, hitting a low of 121 losses in 2024. Manager Will Venable took over before last season, and the team went 60-102 in 2025 before this season’s turnaround.
The Players Carrying Them
The Astros are led by Yordan Alvarez, who is the front-runner for the AL MVP award. He claimed the AL batting title, finished second with 106 RBI, and tied for second with 42 homers. Alvarez also set a franchise record with 33 intentional walks this season.
Chicago features three 30-homer stars. Japanese rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami hit 35, Miguel Vargas hit 33, and Colson Montgomery had 31. Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million deal to join the Sox after they paid a $6,575,000 posting fee to the Yakult Swallows.
What Each Team Has Said
Venable paused Sunday to mark the milestone.
“There was a moment (Sunday) after the game where we just paused for a second and said, hey, we understand we have the playoffs coming up, we understand this is all behind us as far as the regular season, but we’re proud of the fact that we were able to get 84 wins and all the progress that has really led to that,” Venable said.
Manager Joe Espada praised his team’s response to adversity.
“I’ve been here for almost a decade and just how this team just rallies around adversity – they don’t run from it. They actually run to it,” Espada said. “They know that it’s going to happen. And watching them choose not to fold, they choose to fight, they choose to help one another, is very satisfying. It brings joy to see … their best version when things get tougher.”
The Setup for Game 1
In Tuesday’s opener, both teams are using relief pitchers as starters. AJ Blubaugh, a rookie for the Astros, has made 11 appearances with three starts across two seasons, posting a 3.16 ERA while going 8-4. The White Sox have yet to name their starter.
“Depending on how some guys feel and as we are trying to match up availability with how these guys are feeling, we’ll map it out a little bit more with more certainty,” Venable said. “But you can expect more of a bullpen-type game from us.”
The Road Ahead
This playoff matchup is a best-of-three format. Houston’s previous postseason appearance concluded with a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers in a 2024 Wild Card Series. Chicago was the team that eliminated the Astros in four games during their 2021 Division Series.
Shortstop Jeremy Peña offered a reminder about the stakes.
“Everyone starts from zero,” Peña said. “The records in the regular season, they don’t matter now. Everyone’s starting from scratch, and it’s a short tournament. So, (let’s) see what happens.”
| Game | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tuesday | Houston |
The White Sox return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Astros are looking to make a bigger statement than their last exit.
The Astros have spent a decade reaching October, while the White Sox are still finding their way back. This is a matchup of extremes.
Source material: “Houston Astros collide with Chicago White Sox for AL Wild Card series,” ABC13 Houston.
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