chicago_suntimes
Both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox have secured spots in the Major League Baseball playoffs following victories on Thursday afternoon. It is an uncommon occurrence for the two Chicago clubs to participate in the postseason during the same year, yet it is not unprecedented.
Here is a breakdown of what this dual playoff appearance means for the city and its baseball fans.
Previous Simultaneous Postseason Appearances
The Cubs and White Sox have qualified for the playoffs together in three prior years: the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, 2008, and 1906, when the two teams met in the World Series. In 2020, both clubs were eliminated in the best-of-three wild-card round. The Cubs were swept by the Miami Marlins 2-0, while the White Sox fell to the then-Oakland Athletics 2-1. In 2008, both teams lost in the best-of-five Division Series. The Cubs, who held the best record in the National League that year, were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0. The White Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1. In 1906, the White Sox defeated the Cubs 4-2 in the World Series.
Home Games and Seeding Uncertainty
Whether either team will host playoff games remains undetermined. That will hinge on their respective postseason seeding, which might not be finalized until the final regular-season games are played on Sunday. A Red Line cross-town doubleheader—where both teams play at home on the same day and fans can travel between Wrigley Field and Rate Field via the Red Line L—is not possible in the wild-card round. Postseason teams consist of the three division winners and three wild-card teams from each league. Only the top wild-card team in each league hosts playoff games in the wild-card round. The Cubs still have a chance to claim the top wild-card spot in the National League, but the White Sox's record is not strong enough to earn the top wild-card spot in the American League. However, if both teams advance, it becomes possible that they could host postseason games on the same day.
World Series Success and Historical Struggles
Both franchises have each won three World Series titles. The White Sox triumphed in 1906, 1917, and 2005. The Cubs claimed championships in 1907, 1908, and 2016. While the White Sox are performing well this year, their recent past has been bleak. From 2023 to 2025, the team lost more than 100 games each season. In 2024, the White Sox went 41-121, setting the modern MLB record for losses in a season. The team also lost at least 100 games in 2018 and 1970. No team that has lost 100 games three years in a row has ever made the playoffs; the White Sox would be the first.
Why the Cubs-Sox Rivalry Is So Intense
Although both teams have won three World Series, the Cubs enjoy broader national recognition than the White Sox. This is due in part to WGN making Cubs games available on cable nationally for decades. The Cubs' Wrigley Field is also a historic ballpark dating from 1914, situated in the middle of a lively residential neighborhood. Meanwhile, the White Sox play at Rate Field, a modern stadium that opened in 1991 after Comiskey Park, their former home for 80 years, was demolished. Sox Park, as many Chicagoans still call it regardless of its corporate name, is on the South Side in Bridgeport, a more historically industrial area. While Wrigleyville, home to Wrigley Field, also has working-class history, it began gentrifying in the 1980s and is more upmarket now. The Cubs have more financial resources than the White Sox. The Cubs were valued at $5 billion by Forbes in 2026 with revenue of $599 million. Meanwhile, Forbes valued the White Sox at $1.94 billion, with revenues of $239 million. For all these reasons, many White Sox fans feel overshadowed by the Cubs, which feeds resentment and rivalry between the teams.
Other Cities with Two Baseball Teams
Yes, other cities have two baseball teams. New York has the Yankees and the Mets. New York used to have the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants. After the latter two teams left for California, the Mets became an expansion team in 1962. Los Angeles has the Dodgers and the Angels. But the Angels are officially based in Anaheim in Orange County, not Los Angeles County. The Dodgers started playing in LA when they moved there from Brooklyn in 1958, while the Angels became an expansion team in 1961. California's Bay Area has the San Francisco Giants, who moved there from New York in 1958. The Athletics, previously in Philadelphia and Kansas City, were in Oakland from 1968 until 2024. The Athletics are temporarily playing in West Sacramento before a planned move to Las Vegas. The team expects to open its new ballpark for the 2028 season on the Tropicana site on the Las Vegas Strip.
Where to Watch with Fans
Probably any bar with a TV. Here are some staff favorites. For the Cubs: Nisei Lounge, opened in 1951, touts itself as the oldest bar in Wrigleyville, at 3439 N. Sheffield Ave. Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro, in North Center, at 3905 N. Lincoln Ave. For the White Sox: Mitchell's Tap, in Bridgeport near Rate Field, at 3356 S. Halsted St. Bob Inn, near Logan Square, has been family-owned and operated since 1945, at 2609 W. Fullerton Ave.
Originally reported by chicago_suntimes.