A First Postseason Meeting After 126 Shared Seasons
For the first time across the 126 seasons the two franchises have coexisted, the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians will face each other in the postseason. The American League Division Series opens in Cleveland, with Hagen Smith taking the ball for Chicago against Cleveland's Parker Messick. Chicago reached this round by sweeping the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series, while Cleveland enters after a week of rest. The Guardians won the division, having taken control of their fate after a critical mid-September series against the White Sox, when Chicago had briefly held the division lead.[S1][S2][S3]
The matchup carries a long history of tension between the clubs. Cleveland has been the more competitive side over the past 15 years, but Chicago has remained a persistent challenger. A 2023 altercation between José Ramírez and Tim Anderson remains a widely circulated image of the rivalry. Both rosters bring strong personalities, from Austin Hedges' vocal presence in the Cleveland dugout to Munetaka Murakami's viral moments in Chicago's clubhouse.[S3]
Roster Moves and Pitching Plans
Chicago made one change to the 26-man roster that swept Houston, adding right-hander Tyler Davis in place of Huascar Brazoban. Brazoban, acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline, recorded a 4.40 ERA over 14 1/3 innings for the White Sox and spent nearly a month on the injured list with a left lat strain. In Game 2 against Houston, he retired only one of three batters after starter Sean Burke exited following four innings; Anthony Kay walked a batter but escaped the jam to protect a 4-3 lead. Davis, who turns 28 today, debuted on April 25 and posted a 3.66 ERA, a 21.1% strikeout rate and a 12.5% walk rate across 32 innings out of the bullpen. He never faced Cleveland in the regular season.[S1]
Cleveland's first postseason roster brought no real surprises. Right-handers Slade Cecconi and Austin Peterson were dropped from the 28-man group that finished the regular season, and no new players were added. Rhys Hoskins, sidelined since August 18 by lower back inflammation, had taken part in team workouts during the week but was left off the active roster. The Guardians' staff is built on depth: the club ranked ninth in starter ERA and sixth in bullpen ERA, with Cade Smith closing, and Tim Herrin, Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis all posting ERAs of 3.02 or better.[S1][S2]
Messick and the Weight of Cleveland's October Record
Parker Messick, an AL Rookie of the Year hopeful, finished the season with a 2.56 ERA, sixth among qualified starters, across 32 starts and 186.1 innings with 193 strikeouts. In four starts against Chicago he posted a 2.81 ERA over 25.2 innings, striking out 29 and allowing 19 hits. His September outing against the White Sox was less sharp: he gave up three runs over six innings, still earning the win, but surrendered a home run to Tommy Pham, the fourth Chicago homer off him this season. Hagen Smith, who opened Game 1 against Houston with three scoreless innings, two hits allowed and sharp command, gets the ball again for Chicago.[S2]
Cleveland has won only one playoff series since claiming the 2016 American League pennant, despite repeatedly fielding dominant rosters. The 2017 club won an MLB-record 21 straight games but lost in the first round to the New York Yankees. In 2024, Cleveland beat the Detroit Tigers in the division series before falling to the Yankees in five games in the ALCS. José Ramírez has been the constant through those years, but in 2026 he played 125 games with a 92 wRC+, his first below-average offensive season since 2015, though he looked more like himself over the final 10 days.[S2]
Offenses and the Threat of the Long Ball
Chicago's offense showed its depth in the Wild Card Series: all but two White Sox players recorded at least one hit against Houston, and key contributors added two home runs. Cleveland counters with a group including José Ramírez, Brayan Rocchio, Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana and Angel Martinez, who combined for 76 home runs this season, most of them at Progressive Field. Chicago can match that power, as three of its players alone combined for more home runs than that Cleveland group. Cleveland will lean on Messick to keep the White Sox in the park.[S3]
