The Cubs and White Sox are headed to the playoffs in the same season, something Chicago baseball fans have seen only a handful of times. The White Sox secured a postseason berth with a 9-1 win over the Kansas City Royals, and a few hours later the Cubs joined them by beating the Miami Marlins 2-1 at Wrigley Field.
This is only the fourth season in which both Chicago clubs have reached the postseason. The others were 1906, 2008 and 2020. What makes this year different is that the Cubs and White Sox had never clinched playoff spots on the same day.
White Sox Complete a Turnaround After Three 100-Loss Seasons
The White Sox’s return to October carries extra weight because of what came before it. They lost 101 games in 2023, a modern-era record of 121 in 2024, and 102 in 2025. After three straight 100-loss seasons, the South Side club is back in the postseason for the first time since 2021.
There was little suspense in Kansas City. The White Sox built a 6-0 lead after two innings and pushed it to 8-0 by the end of the fourth. Kyle Teel homered and reached base five times, while David Sandlin allowed just one run over six innings. The win guaranteed Chicago at least one of the American League’s three Wild Card spots while keeping the White Sox in the AL Central race with the Cleveland Guardians.
Cubs Clinch at Wrigley as Crow-Armstrong Reaches 40-40
The Cubs had a much tighter game on the North Side. Miami scored first in the third inning, but Seiya Suzuki tied it with his 26th home run of the season in the fifth. Chicago went ahead in the sixth when Ian Happ tripled and scored on a Nico Hoerner single. Matthew Boyd allowed one run and five hits over seven innings.
Pete Crow-Armstrong added a milestone to the clinching night by stealing his 40th base of the season. With 45 home runs, he became only the seventh player in MLB history to record at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in the same season. Fans at Wrigley Field responded with “MVP” chants, while the Cubs secured their second straight postseason appearance — their first consecutive playoff trips since the 2015–18 run.
Playoff Spots Are Secure, Seeding Is Not
The regular season is not over, so the final matchups are still being settled. The White Sox remain in contention for the AL Central title, while the Cubs have locked up one of the National League’s three Wild Card berths.
What is already settled is Chicago’s place in October. For the first time since 2020, the city will have postseason baseball in both leagues. And for the first time in the long history of the two franchises, the Cubs and White Sox earned their playoff spots on the same day.
Sources: ABC7, AP, Baseball-Reference, MLB Photo: ChatGPT
