Overview
- The White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-3 on Wednesday to complete a 2-0 wild-card series sweep and advance to the American League Division Series.
- General manager Chris Getz and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said the victory vindicated a multi-year rebuild focused on overhauling the front office, scouting and the farm system.
- Manager Will Venable and assistant GM Jin Wong credited a culture shift driven by player empowerment and delegated coaching duties with turning the club from last-place contender into a series winner.
- The best-of-five ALDS opens with two games in Cleveland, which guarantees at least one home playoff game for Chicago and sets up a regional rematch with the Guardians.
- The turnaround follows the Sox's MLB-record 121 losses in 2024 and could strengthen the case for internal hires and long-term investment in player development across the organization.