The Chicago White Sox have spent almost the entire season in control of their division. But in the final stretch, they have lost the AL Central lead to the Cleveland Guardians. With just six games remaining in the regular season, Chicago is trailing the Guardians by one game. Every advantage can now prove to be decisive. Jim Bowden thinks there is one major reason the White Sox should be concerned as the race enters the final chapter.
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Both Chicago and Cleveland have a 3-game away series against the Kansas City Royals. They are the 5th-placed team in their own division, and it evens the scales for both. But the other 3 games make a lot of difference.
The White Sox will host the Colorado Rockies, the worst team in the NL West. On the other hand, the Guardians will face the Red Sox.
Boston has already qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card entrant, and they have been on a roll since the middle of the season. What’s more challenging for the Guardians is that the Red Sox will have home advantage. Yet, the analyst thinks that might not be enough for the White Sox to reclaim the divisional throne.
“You would think from a schedule perspective that the advantage would be White Sox, but here’s the problem: Cleveland’s right now the better team,” Bowden said in a recent podcast of GM Territory.
He highlighted how the Guardians have played in the last 30 days.
A month ago, the White Sox were leading the AL Central with a 66-60 record. Their divisional rivals were 5.5 games behind them with a 61-66 record. Since then, the Guardians have gone 20-9 to claim the top spot from Chicago.
Bowden also mentioned that they have been one of the top 5 teams in runs scored and pitching.
Although their overall numbers put Chicago above Cleveland, the White Sox haven’t been as great.
In fact, they went 14-16 in that same one-month stretch.
Bowden also emphasized how Cleveland’s recent surge has been fueled by contributors beyond its established stars.
José Ramírez is getting healthier and has already begun making a much bigger impact. The 34-year-old just recorded his 1,000th RBI with the team.
Patrick Bailey has been impressive behind the plate. And the analyst claimed that besides his Gold Glove-caliber defense, the Guardians are also getting enough offense.
Bowden mentioned Travis Bazzana as well, who recorded a 1.146 OPS with 6 RBIs and 4 home runs in their last 7 games.
Brayan Rocchio had a .318 batting average in that stretch, and he had 5 RBIs. His 4 walk-offs indicate that he can deliver in high-leverage moments.
Players like Joe Adell and Steven Kwan have also been providing significant support for the lineup.
The 65-year-old noted that the Guardians’ pitching depth can be an even bigger reason behind their overall performance.
They have a 3.78 ERA, placing them 8th in the league. This gives the Guardians multiple ways to control the tide of the game.
Pete Halpin’s skills in center field and with Kwan moving back to second base have made the overall defense commendable for the Cleveland Guardians. And a stronger defense behind the already impressive pitching definitely makes a strong case for the team.
That all-around strength makes them the “better team” according to Jim Bowden.
The White Sox are 80-76, 2nd in the division. They are currently in the last American League Wild Card spot, with the Toronto Blue Jays just 3.0 games behind them. While teams like the Red Sox and New York Yankees have already secured a postseason berth, Chicago’s fate is hanging by a thread.
Although they have the schedule in their favor, Bowden has just given them a harsh reality check. Keeping that into consideration, even with weaker opponents, their playoff race might not be the smoothest.