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3 White Sox most to blame for brutal ALDS collapse vs. Guardians
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- 3 White Sox most to blame for brutal ALDS collapse vs. Guardians
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As the days and weeks go by in the offseason, the mature and long-range view to look at the 2026 Chicago White Sox is to say they had a spectacular season and they wrote a fantastic story. The facts of the matter have been discussed thoroughly this season. The White Sox overcame three consecutive season with 100 losses or more to lead the American League Central for the majority of the season. While they could not hold on to the division lead, they made the playoffs as a Wild Card team.
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The White Sox were the No. 6 seed in the American League playoffs, but they won their first-round matchup with the Houston Astros by winning two games on the road. That gave them the opportunity to play the Cleveland Guardians, their long-time rival in the American League Division Series.
The White Sox continued their winning road show by taking the first two games of the series in Cleveland. However, they were unable to secure the clinching series victory in either of the two games played on the South Side of Chicago and then lost Game 5 in Cleveland when superstar Jose Ramirez backed up Cleveland's shut out pitching with a 2-run homer.
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The White Sox simply did not get the kind of clutch hitting that was needed to advance to the American League Championship Series.
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Feisty left fielder Sam Antonacci did not try to hide his disappointment. "It will take some time to sit down and look at it," Antonacci said , per The Athletic . "The goal is the World Series. If anyone says their goal is to make it to the playoffs, it's a piss-poor goal."
Big 3 failed to come through when the White Sox needed production
Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The White Sox needed clutch hitting and did not get the kind of production that would have allowed them to celebrate in the locker room after any of the last three games. The White Sox had three hitters who exceeded the 30-home run mark during the regular season in All-Star Miguel Vargas, Japanese import Munetaka Murakami and shortstop Colson Montgomery.
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Manager Will Venable did not get the production he needed from any of them. Vargas had 22 at bats in the postseason, and he managed 3 singles and 1 home home run. The long ball was a solo shot, and he did not have any other RBI in the postseason. Vargas batted a lowly .182, but he did have 10 bases on balls. Unlike his other teammates, he managed to avoid strikeouts. He had just 6 in the postseason.
Murakami was a game breaking phenom in the first half of the season and he gave the White Sox the impetus to believe in themselves early on. However he wasn't the same player after returning from a hamstring injury. He slashed .185/.258/.296 in the postseason. Murakami also was a big hole in the middle of the lineup for the majority of the playoffs. He struck out 16 times and had just 1 home run along with 5 RBI.
Montgomery gave the White Sox tremendous power in his rookie year, but he was not the same player in the second half of the year that he was in the first. He slashed .238/.385/.429 with 1 home run and 2 RBI. He struck out 11 times.
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The White Sox needed more from their most productive regular-season power hitters. They did not get it.
Related: White Sox manager Will Venable is amazed by Chicago's Cinderella run even in defeat
Related: The player who will determine winner of White Sox-Guardians ALDS Game 5 clash
