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The 2005 Chicago White Sox World Series, Twenty Years On: From Glory to Decay, and the Long Road Back
Now that the 2025 season is over, we can fully assess the Chicago White Sox, not just in the standings, but in history. This team has been buried so deep in irrelevance that even progress feels fragile. A year ago, they finished 41–121. This year, under rookie manager Will Venable, they climbed to 60 wins. Yes, they still lost 102 games, but compared to the abyss of 2024, the team carried a different energy, a faint heartbeat after years of flatline.
Venable deserves credit. For the first time in years, the White Sox played with urgency. Colson Montgomery’s breakout (21 Home Runs in 71 games), gave fans something real to cheer for, while Luis Robert Jr. teased his talent even as injuries reminded us why the future with him is uncertain. The question now is should the White Sox pick up Robert’s 2026 team option for $20 million dollars when the current pay roll is $79 million? A lot of people are debating this, but I think Chicago should pick up the option and then trade him for future talent. Yet despite all this, the truth is sobering, a 19-win improvement still leaves the team 23 games under .500. That’s how deep the hole is.
