Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox

There are now two teams over .500 in the American League Central. One of those two is the Chicago White Sox, following a 6-2 victory over the Royals at Rate Field Thursday to complete a three-game sweep. At 22-21, they moved over .500 through 40-plus games for the first time since they were 81-80 on Oct. 4, 2022. Yes, this is the same team with a 67.5 over/under 2026 wins total at many places that make such odds. It’s the same organization coming off three straight seasons of 100-plus losses, including 102 in ‘25 and 121 in ‘24. Heck, it’s a team now standing at 5-2 against the Royals (19-25) in ‘26 after posting a combined 4-22 mark against them in 2024-25. Their overall win streak extended to five, as the White Sox now prepare for a highly charged weekend series at home against the Cubs. But maybe it’s time to listen to what manager Will Venable has said since April, when things weren’t going quite as great for his squad. That sentiment is a simple one: The White Sox are good, and they believe they are good as winning results would dictate. "It’s so fun. Everyone is cheering for each other,” said White Sox starter Anthony Kay, who improved to 3-1 overall with Thursday’s victory. “Everyone is pulling in the right direction. You see the energy. It’s going to be really fun. We are clicking on all cylinders and it’s only going to get better.”