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Two Former White Sox Players Clinch Trip to World Series
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- Two Former White Sox Players Clinch Trip to World Series
(via MLB.com)
There will be no three-peat in Major League Baseball after the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night, completing a sweep of the NLCS and advancing to the World Series.
Milwaukee's victory has implications across baseball, and it's a result that will be celebrated by many as the league approaches a potential lockout this winter. With the Brewers advancing to the World Series, two former Chicago White Sox players have also secured an opportunity to win the first championship rings of their careers.
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Infielder Andrew Vaughn , the former third overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the White Sox, was traded to the Brewers during the 2025 season and immediately revived his career .
Vaughn hit .309 with an .869 OPS in 64 games for Milwaukee in 2025 before settling into more of a platoon role in 2026. He appeared in 104 games for the Brewers this season, and while he hit just six home runs, Vaughn batted .306 and continued to get on base while doing significant damage against left-handed pitching.
Vaughn hit .336 with a .938 OPS against left-handers this season.
The Brewers have developed a reputation for putting players in positions to succeed and capitalizing on their strengths. While Vaughn's at-bats have decreased from the everyday role he once held with the White Sox, his individual success and the team's success have demonstrated just how valuable a change of scenery can be.
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Vaughn's best season with the White Sox came in 2023, when he hit 21 home runs with 80 RBIs and a .743 OPS. He has appeared in four playoff games for the Brewers this October, primarily coming off the bench as a specialist against left-handed pitching.
Vaughn is 2-for-7 with a double and an .873 OPS this postseason.
The other former White Sox representative heading to the World Series with Milwaukee never actually appeared in a Major League game for Chicago, but he has an interesting story, and his name should be familiar to White Sox fans.
Left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan was selected by the White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft ahead of the 2024 season.
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Drohan appeared to be on track to make his MLB debut with Chicago before undergoing left shoulder surgery near the end of spring training, which landed him on the 60-day injured list.
He remained in the White Sox organization through June of that year but struggled during his brief minor league rehab appearances. Because of Rule 5 Draft restrictions, the White Sox were eventually forced to either add Drohan to their active 26-man roster or offer him back to his original organization, the Boston Red Sox.
His time in Chicago came to an abrupt end, and the White Sox missed an opportunity to develop a talented young arm who has since established himself at the Major League level.
The Brewers capitalized on that opportunity in 2026.
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Milwaukee acquired Drohan from the Red Sox in an offseason trade in February, and the left-hander went on to pitch 124.2 innings for the Brewers this season, posting a 7-5 record with a 4.19 ERA.
Drohan even earned the start in the decisive Game 4 of the NLCS, helping Milwaukee secure its trip to the World Series.
White Sox fans will undoubtedly be rooting against the rival Cleveland Guardians for the remainder of the postseason. But with one spot in the 2026 Fall Classic now secured, baseball has a World Series participant worth celebrating, and White Sox fans have a couple of familiar faces to root for along the way.
