Fresh off playing a 60 game schedule and three playoff games, the Chicago White Sox are ready to get back to work during the 2021 season. The White Sox will play 27-weekend series and 25 mid-week series for a total of 52 series played. Of these 52 series, 24 will consist of inter-divisional games. Once again, the White Sox will compete in the AL Central division playing games against the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins. The first game of the season is on April 1st. The All-Star game falls on July 13th. The final game of the regular season is on October 3rd.
Chicago White Sox Schedule Results
The 2016 season was one last-ditch effort by the White Sox front office to create a contender. They had a core of Chris Sale, Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton, and Jose Quintana. They supplemented that core by adding Brett Lawrie and Todd Frazier with the hopes they could help take the White Sox over the top. They also brought in 37-year-old Jimmy Rollins and Austin Jackson. The club got off to a fast start going 23-10. People began to take notice after they swept the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. Unfortunately, the good vibes did not last very long. On May 10th, the White Sox blew an 11-6 lead in the eighth inning against the Royals. They ended up losing the game 13-11, and the season went downhill from there. They lost 26 of their next 36 games. They ended the season with a 78-84 record. They had a winning record at home with a 45-36 mark but were abysmal on the road going 32-45. They finished third in the AL Central standings. General manager Rick Hahn was disgusted and said the team was “mired in mediocrity.” They soon began to sell off their valuable assets, and the rebuild began.
The White Sox traded Chris Sale and Adam Eaton during the offseason for prospects. Robin Ventura decided not to extend his contract with the team, so the White Sox hired Rick Renteria to replace him. The White Sox went 13-10 in April, but the mirage did not last long. They followed that up with four losing months in a row. The worst coming is the dog days of July, where they only managed to win six games. Before the trade deadline, the White Sox jettisoned Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera, David Robertson, and just about every other player of value they could sell-off. The team did have some bright spots, however. Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada made their debuts with the team midway through the season. Surprisingly the team showed some promise during the last two months of the season. They had a winning record at home (9-7) in August and 15-15 in their last 30 games. On August 10th Yoan Moncada had the best moment of the season, hitting a game-tying home run against the Astros, then winning the game with a walk-off single in extras. The White Sox finished fourth in the AL Central and had the second-worst record in the American League. They failed to win 70 games, going 67-95.
The 2018 season marked the second year of the rebuild. The White Sox acquired Wellington Castillo in free agency, but that was their only move of note. They trudged into the regular season with an even worse roster than the year before. Yoan Moncada struggled to put the ball in play leading the league in strikeouts. Lucas Giolito, who the White Sox acquired in the Adam Eaton trade, had the worst ERA in baseball. It did not matter where they were; the White Sox were bad. At home, they went 30-51. On the road, they went 32-49. They finished the season fourth in the AL Central with a 62-100 record. They still somehow managed to be better than the Royals and Orioles. 2018 also marked the tenth consecutive season the White Sox had missed the postseason. However, there was one bright spot. Jose Abreu took home a Silver Slugger Award.
The 2019 season was a step in the right direction for the White Sox. They added James McCann, who later became an All-Star. The White Sox also called up Eloy Jimenez, who they added via the Jose Quintana trade. The third year of the Rick Renteria regime also saw Lucas Giolito make massive strides and become an All-Star. Yoan Moncada also blossomed into one of the best hitters on the team. The White Sox opened the month of April with a 6-6 record at home. They had a winning record in May and were hovering around .500 at the All-Star break. In July, Dylan Cease made his much-anticipated debut. However, the White Sox sputtered in July, only winning seven games. They avoided losing 90 games finishing with a 72-89 record. They managed to finish third in the standings and improved 39-41 record at home. The Sox were also able to record a winning record against AL Central foes Cleveland and Detroit. But they failed to do so against Kansas City and Minnesota. Tim Anderson finished the season with the AL batting title Yolmer Sanchez took home a Gold Glove.
The White Sox felt ready to contend in 2020. They added Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, and Edwin Encarnacion during the offseason. They were gearing up for a playoff push during spring training when the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season’s start. When play finally resumed, the season was reduced to only 60 games. In this 60 game season, the White Sox would only play teams from their division and the NL Central. The White Sox started the season 3-4 after a rough opening series against the Twins. Then the White Sox took off in July going 19-9 and finished September with a 13-12 mark. That was good enough to clinch the White Sox first postseason berth in twelve years. Unlike in years past, the White Sox had a good record in the Central division. They went 9-1 against the Tigers, 9-1 against the Royals, and 5-5 against the Twins. Unfortunately, a 2-8 record against the Indians resulted in the White Sox finishing third. That lost them home-field advantage in the postseason. They had gone 18-12 at home on the year. The White Sox were also very good on the road going 17-13, but that record did not hold up in the playoffs as they fell to the A’s in the Wildcard Series, losing two games to one. Jose Abreu did earn the AL MVP award for his efforts in 2020.
Chicago White Sox Home Games
The Chicago White Sox play their home games in Guaranteed Rate Field (previously known as US Cellular Field). It currently seats 40,615 fans. Guaranteed Rate Field is known as a “hitter friendly” park. It is 330 feet to left field, 400 ft to center, and 335 to the right. The outfield wall is only eight feet high. This bodes well for the plethora of power hitters on the roster, including Eloy Jimenez, Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, and Luis Robert.
The White Sox home opener is on April 8th against the rebuilding Kansas City Royals. The White Sox have managed to finish ahead of the Royals in the standings for three consecutive seasons. They follow that series up with a four-game series against the Cleveland Indians. The Indians were the White Sox cryptonight last season. A 2-8 record against them and an ugly series loss near the end of last season cost the White Sox the division title. Luckily for the White Sox, the Indians traded off their best player Franciso Lindor. Like the Royals, the Indians look like they are shifting into rebuild mode. These first seven home games are a good opportunity for the White Sox to jump ahead in the AL Central. After a six-game road trip, the White Sox return home for a three-game set against the Texas Rangers. This will be Lance Lynn’s first opportunity to face off against the team that traded him. The same can be said for Dane Dunning, who should be extra motivated to face the White Sox. After an off day, the White Sox close out the month with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers and a game against the Indians. The Tigers have some promising young pieces, but as the Royals and Indians, they are in the midst of a rebuild.
The Southside hitmen open the month of May by wrapping up their three-game series against the Indians, and then they hit the road. When they return on May 11th, they welcome the Minnesota Twins to Guaranteed Rate Field for the first time this season. The Twins will be the White Sox stiffest competition in the division, so these games carry extra importance. The Royals are next in line for a three-game series. Their next home game is the first of a three-game set against the St Louis Cardinals. Like the White Sox, the Cardinals were a playoff team a year ago, so it will not be an easy series. After the Cardinals, the White Sox host another bird team in the Baltimore Orioles. They are the cellar dwellers of the AL East, so it should be a winnable four-game series.
The first White Sox home game in June is against the division rival Detroit Tigers. After four games with Detroit, the White Sox have an off day. The Blue Jays greet them when they return to action. The Toronto Blue Jays are another young, hungry team. They made the postseason the year before but were bounced by the Tampa Bay Rays. They are looking to build off their success, so the White Sox can not take these games lightly. After their three games against the Blue Jays, they travel to Detroit. However, they will return three days later to face the reigning American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game set. This will be a good barometer for the White Sox to see how they stack up against the cream of the crop. After hitting the road again, the White Sox return on June 25th to face the Seattle Mariners. After three games against the Mariners, the Twins return for another important series.
On the 1st of July, the White Sox will wrap up their four-game series with the Twins. This is their last home game before the All-Star break. After the break, they resume playing with a daunting six-game homestand. Dallas Keuchel will get a chance to face his former, the Houston Astros, four three games, then the White Sox will welcome the Twins for the third time. The White Sox close out July with the first two games of a series against Cleveland.
After finishing their series with Cleveland on August 1st, the White Sox have an off day. They then host the Kansas City Royals in a three-game series. The next White Sox home game will not be played in Chicago. In a game MLB fans have circled on their calendars, the White Sox play the New York Yankees in Dyersville, Iowa, for the first Field of Dreams game on July 12th. The game will pay homage to the movie Field of Dreams and be played in a stadium built in a cornfield. The final two games of the series will be played back in Chicago. After the Yankees series, the White Sox get their first crack at revenge against the Oakland A’s, who knocked them out of the postseason a year earlier. That will be a four-game series. After a seven-game road trip, the White Sox play their crosstown rival the Chicago Cubs in a three-game series for the second time. They end the month with a game against another NL Central team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The last time the Pirates traveled to Guaranteed Rate Field, Lucas Giolito threw a no-hitter against them.
The White Sox close out their two-game mini-series with the Pirates on September 1st. They don’t play at home again until September 10th, when the Boston Red Sox come to town. Following the Red Sox series, the best baseball player, Mike Trout, and the Los Angeles Angels visit the White Sox. The Angels have underperformed the past couple of seasons, but with Trout and Anthony Rendon in the same lineup, these could wind up being important games for both teams. The White Sox have another long road trip but come home on the 28th for a two-game series against the Reds to end the month. The White Sox finished the season with three games against the Tigers in October, hopefully tuning up for the postseason.
Chicago White Sox Road Games
The White Sox open the season in Anaheim and square off against the Los Angeles Angels. This is an intriguing match that does not lack star power. Each team has an MVP in Jose Abreu, and Mike Trout and each has championship aspirations. The Angels have disappointed the past couple of seasons, so they will look to get the season off on the right foot by facing a White Sox team that is a trendy pick to win the American League. After four games against the Angels, the White Sox continue their West Coast trip against the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series. They don’t hit the road again until April 16th, when they travel to historic Fenway Park. Jose Abreu had a career day when he was in Boston hitting a game-winning home run over the Green Monster in 2019. After four games in Fenway, the White Sox make a two-game stop in Cleveland to face their division rivals.
The White Sox’s first road trip in May is in the midwest. They play two games in Cincinnati before making their first trip to Kansas City for a three-game set against the Royals. After a six-game homestand, the White Sox face one of their toughest road trips of the season. They travel to Target Field in Minnesota to face the Twins. The Twins are the White Sox biggest threat in the Central Division. Last season the White Sox split the season series 5-5 with the Twins. After three games in Minneapolis, the White Sox fly to the Bronx to take on Aaron Judge and the Yankees. It could be an early playoff preview with both teams projected to win their respective divisions. After a seven-game homestand, the White Sox departs Chicago and plays Cleveland on May’s final day.
The White Sox finalize their three-game series with the Tribe on June 1st and 2nd. They don’t travel again until the 11th, when they play Detroit in a three-game series. After a brief four days back in Chicago, Dallas Keuchel returns to his former home in Dallas. This will be another big series for the White Sox and a chance to establish dominance against a top team in the American League. They play Houston for four games, then make a brief two-game stop in Pittsburgh before returning home. While the Pirates are not a good team on paper, the White Sox lost one of their two games against Pittsburgh last season.
The White Sox have had one of their longest road trips in the season in July. On July 2nd, the White Sox play the first of a nine-game trip against the Tigers. They then play another division rival and travel to Minnesota for the second time. They close out the first half of the season with three games against Baltimore before the All-Star break. The White Sox don; ’t travel again until the 23rd. They do not need to go far as they play the Brewers in a three-game series in Milwaukee. The White Sox had some success up in Milwaukee in 2020, winning both of their games there. They then travel to Kansas City to take on the rebuilding Royals at Kauffman Stadium. After four winnable games against the Royals, the White Sox return home for the month.
The White Sox do not need to leave the city for their first road game of August. They head to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs. Over the past two seasons, the White Sox have fared well in Wrigley and created some iconic moments. Eloy Jimenz played the hero with a broken-bat home run against the team that traded him en route to a dramatic White Sox victory. A year later, Jose Abreu tied the major league record for most consecutive home runs hit after peppering the Wrigley Field bleachers. Unfortunately, the game has lost some luster after the Cubs decided to sell during the offseason. The White Sox then head back to Minneapolis for another crucial three-game series against the Twins. After a seven-game homestand, the White Sox travel down to Tampa Bay. Tampa was a house of horrors for the White Sox in 2019, where they got swept following the All-Star break. They then travel north across the border to take on the Blue Jays.
The month of September is a grueling month of travel for the White Sox. Three games in Kansas City, then three games in Oakland. This should be a series the White Sox are looking forward to as they get to return to the venue their season ended the year before. Lance Lynn then gets to return to his former stomping grounds in Arlington, Texas, as the White Sox play the Rangers in a three-game series. Then it is off to Detroit for the final time. Finally, the White Sox make their last stop in Cleveland. The four-game series in Cleveland marks the White Sox last regular-season road game of 2021. These final division games should be crucial for the White Sox if they are in playoff contention and affect seeding.
