The first series of this year’s Crosstown Classic is this weekend.
In its infinite wisdom, Major League Baseball has decreed that beginning this year, the “rivalry” series between in-city or in-state (or manufactured) rivals shall be six games, two three-game series, instead of the previous pair of two-game series.
Even four is too many for me; I’d be fine with the Cubs/White Sox competition being a three-game series once a year, rotated between ballparks, as it was for the first few years of interleague play.
But here we are, and after this weekend the teams will meet for three more on the South Side in July.
For more on the White Sox, here’s Chrystal O’Keefe, an editor at our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox.
Will the White Sox be good this season? No. Will they at least be better than they were in 2024? This is where I tell myself the Rockies are 7-36. What I mean by that is it can always be worse, but I think the White Sox should be a little better than poor Colorado, and not be the worst team in baseball two years in a row.
One thing the South Siders have is a solid starting rotation. While most of the pitchers are still green, they perform as if they’ve been around for years now. The Cubs won’t see Davis Martin, who has been great. But Sean Burke, Shane Smith and Jonathan Cannon, the three scheduled starters for this series, are solid. Smith has been a standout, with an ERA of 2.08. He shows growth in each start and has been dominant in his rookie year.
The White Sox have also called up a lot of young talent lately. Edgar Quero, Chase Meidroth (outside of being hit in the noggin trying to catch a ball), and the very brand new Tim Elko have provided much-needed fresh air to a team with struggling veterans and injuries. Elko’s first MLB hit was a three-run homer to give the White Sox the lead they needed to not only win Sunday’s game, but also the series against the Marlins.
There is a lot of newness to this team, with Will Venable stepping in as manager. In his short time in the clubhouse, there has been a noticeable shift in the attitude. By the end of Pedro Grifol’s time, the players were clearly at their limit. But once Grady Sizemore took the helm late last season, and the weight of 121 losses had passed, it started to shift. Venable has only carried that over into this season.
Lastly, in addition to the better clubhouse vibes and young players, we have God on our side. Yes, Pope Leo XIV is a White Sox fan. I might not be religious myself, but knowing the newest Holy Man is a fan of the poor and downtrodden White Sox gives me some hope.
Fun facts
The Cubs swept four games from the White Sox last season for only the second time. The first was in 2013. The sweep a year ago left the Cubs trailing in the all-time series, with 72 wins to 74 by the Sox.
Oddly, both teams have fared worse at home than on the road. The Cubs are 35-38 on the North Side. The Sox are 36-37 on the South Side.
The Cubs have won eight series; the Sox, 12; and eight were split.
The Cubs have outscored the Sox by nine runs, 677-668.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Cade Horton, RHP (1-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4.61 FIP) vs. Shane Smith, RHP (1-2, 2.08 ERA, 1.085 WHIP, 3.04 FIP)
Saturday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (1-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.301 WHIP, 3.75 FIP) vs. Sean Burke, RHP (2-4, 4.15 ERA, 1.408 WHIP, 5.97 FIP)
Sunday: Colin Rea, RHP (3-0, 2.48 ERA, 1.211 WHIP, 3.33 FIP) vs. Jonathan Cannon, RHP (2-4, 3.60 ERA, 1.360 WHIP, 4.30 FIP)
Times & TV channels
Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside Cubs/White Sox shared market territory), Chicago Sports Network (Sox announcers)
Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, Chicago Sports Network (Sox announcers)
Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, Chicago Sports Network (Sox announcers)
Prediction
As was the case for the Marlins series, if the Cubs don’t win at least two of three here, they’re in trouble.
Thus: Two of three.
Up next
The Cubs travel to Miami for a rematch with the Marlins. That series begins Monday evening.