Cubs and White Sox Clinch Postseason Berths

The Major League Baseball season is nearing its end, with the Cubs and White Sox both securing places in the postseason as of Thursday. This marks only the fourth occasion in MLB history when both Chicago teams have entered the playoffs in the same year. Previous instances were recorded in 1906, 2008, and 2020.

Cubs and Their Journey

This year, the Cubs are set to finish second in the National League Central for the fourth year in a row. The Milwaukee Brewers have already locked in their fourth consecutive division title. Cubs manager Craig Counsell celebrated with the team on Thursday at Wrigley Field after they clinched a playoff spot. The Cubs concluded Friday with a record of 88-73, despite a doubleheader sweep by the Red Sox, who won 4-3 and 2-0.

The Cubs have one game remaining against the Red Sox in Tampa. While the division title remains with the Brewers, the Cubs are 1.5 games behind the Padres for the top wild-card position after the Padres lost to the Diamondbacks. The Phillies, trailing the Cubs by half a game, lost to the Rays, and the Diamondbacks are a game behind the Phillies.

Cubs last reached the playoffs in 2025 as the NL’s No. 4 seed, winning against the Padres before succumbing to the Brewers in the division series. Historically, the Cubs have 22 postseason appearances across 150 seasons, with eight division titles, four wild-card berths, 17 pennants, and three championships.

Milestone Achievement

Pete Crow-Armstrong achieved a significant milestone by becoming the seventh MLB player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season. His tally stands at 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases. Previous players to achieve this are José Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ronald Acuna Jr. (2023), and Shohei Ohtani (2024).

White Sox Pursuit

In Kansas City, White Sox players celebrated their playoff berth on Thursday. With a record standing at 83-77 through Friday, they claimed a 6-1 victory against the Rockies. The team is in a close race in the American League Central, trailing the Cleveland Guardians by one game after the Guardians defeated the Royals.

Should the Sox and the Guardians finish with identical records, the Sox hold the tiebreaker advantage for the division title. In the wild-card race, the Sox currently have the No. 3 spot but could potentially shift the Guardians into the wild-card if they win the division.

The White Sox last appeared in the playoffs in 2021 as the AL Central champions, seeded third before losing to the Astros. Across 125 seasons, the Sox have made 11 postseason appearances, earning six division titles, one wild-card berth, six pennants, and three championships.

MLB Playoff Structure

The playoff format begins with the wild-card round from Tuesday to Thursday, set as a best-of-three series hosted by the higher seed. The division series, running from October 3 to 10, follows a best-of-five 2-2-1 format. The League Championship Series occurs from October 11 to 20, with a best-of-seven 2-3-2 format leading to the World Series commencing October 23.