Previewing White Sox Wild Card Round Matchup Vs Houston Astros
The White Sox are in the playoffs. While winning the division would have been nice, the Pale Hose will take on the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Round after Houston won the American League West. The last time these two sides met in the playoffs was in 2021 in which the Astros won the series 3-1. So let's take a look into this series.
Important Records To Note
The Sox finished the regular season with an 84-78 record while Houston won the division by only going 81-81. However, the Astros won the season series against the Pale Hose 5-2. That being said, the Sox finished the season 11-11 and Houston went 9-12. Say what is said about those records, the postseason is a crapshoot and while the Astros have fared well against the Pale Hose in 2026, anything can happen. Sox are 36-45 on the road, but Houston is 39-42 at home. Take those records at what it's worth.
The Astros Can Hit Too
While everyone knows the Sox can slug the ball, Houston can do the same. While the Pale Hose have scored more runs than the Astros (776-734) and have a better run differential (+56 vs -32), Houston has hit more home runs (226-211) and better OPS (.732-.726). The Sox strike out a lot more, so the Astros are going to send out a lot of guys who throw gas. Yordan Alvarez is the likely American League MVP as he has hit 42 home runs and driven in 106 runs, so the Pale Hose have to be careful pitching to him. But looking at the rest of the Houston lineup, it's still scary as they have Christian Walker (29 home runs, 87 RBIs), Jeremy Pena (22 HRs, 56 RBIs), Isaac Paredes (25 HRs, 94 RBIs), Cam Smith (21 HRs, 56 RBIs), Yainer Diaz (14 HRs, 45 RBIs), and finally Jose Altuve (16 HRs, 50 RBIs). So essentially, these Astros can hit too.
But The Sox Have Better Pitching?
This might come as a shock, but the White Sox might actually have a better pitching staff than Houston do. While ERA is not the end all be all, it speaks volumes here. When looking at the starters ERA, Pale Hose boast a 4.60 mark versus 4.81, while the bullpen fares better at 3.70 against 4.08. With Hagen Smith being named as the opener for the Sox for Game 1, it's clear the team knows that the key to beating the Astros is utilizing their bullpen. Houston is doing the same naming AJ Blubaugh as an opener, but if it's a bullpen game then the Pale Hose hold an advantage here. While Hunter Brown is an outstanding starter, but he pitched on 9/25, so the Astros won't pitch him on short rest. Peter Lambert has been outstanding down the stretch, but have had him pitch deep a lot and his arm could be stretched too much as he also last threw on 9/27. Tatsuya Imai hasn't been great in 2026. Hayden Wesneski has been solid, but pitched on 9/26 so that's even more short rest. So right now Houston have had their starters stretched out and that could play a major factor.
Who Is Playing Better Baseball Right Now?
So it boils down to this, who is playing the better version of baseball right now? The clear and obvious answer is the White Sox, but because the last 10 games have favored the Pale Hose (7-3) versus the Astros (5-5), anything can happen. However, it seems like things are clicking on all cylinders for the Sox as it looks like there has been a more sense of urgency within the club and plenty of confidence. Heck, simply by the record, the Pale Hose are 84-78, so clearly they are a better team, but with whom has played better lately, the Sox still do.
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