The American League Central race never really ended; it simply moved into October. Cleveland and Chicago spent the summer trading the top spot, finished separated by one game, and now open the AL Division Series on Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field with a first postseason meeting between the division rivals waiting on the other side of a 13-game regular-season set that was nearly even in every meaningful way.
Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Saturday, with TBS, truTV and HBO Max carrying the telecast. UniMas will air a Spanish-language broadcast, while TUDN Radio will have Spanish-language audio coverage and ESPN Radio will carry the postseason nationally. Cleveland hosts the opener after finishing 85-77, one win ahead of the 84-78 White Sox.
The White Sox earned the trip by beating Houston, 7-3, on Wednesday at Daikin Park to complete a two-game Wild Card Series sweep. Chase Meidroth supplied a three-run homer in that clincher, and Chicago arrives having played some of its sharpest baseball against the Astros. “When you win, it’s always a good game,” Meidroth said. “We want to keep it going and find out what we can do in Cleveland.”
Stephen Vogt knows the assignment will not be a mystery. Chicago held at least a piece of first place for 96 days this season, while Cleveland spent 89 days in or tied for the lead. The Guardians took control by sweeping a three-game series from Chicago at Progressive Field from Sept. 14-16, then held their narrow edge to the finish.
Chicago won the season series 7-6 and outscored Cleveland by just one run, 58-57. Eleven of those games ended with a margin of three runs or fewer, seven were one-run decisions, and four ended in walk-off fashion. The clubs have been AL Central neighbors since 1994, but Saturday marks their first October matchup.
“We know Chicago very well,” Vogt said, noting the tight games and the White Sox lineup’s power. He also pointed to Chicago’s left-handed bullpen options and the way its starters have matched up with Cleveland. “It’s a very, very good team.”
Messick gets the ball as Chicago weighs its options
Left-hander Parker Messick will make his postseason debut for Cleveland in Game 1, with Gavin Williams lined up for Game 2. Messick made four starts against Chicago during the regular season and posted a 2.81 ERA over 25 2/3 innings, striking out 29 while walking five. His breakout season brought an All-Star selection and put him in the conversation for both AL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award honors.
Williams will follow after leading the American League with 248 strikeouts. He set career bests with 32 starts and 184 1/3 innings, then finished September with a 2.54 ERA across five starts, striking out 44 and walking 12 in 28 1/3 innings. He also has October experience, having started Game 1 of Cleveland’s 2025 Wild Card Series.
Chicago had not named a Game 1 starter after its Wednesday celebration. Davis Martin is a logical candidate after appearing three times, including two starts, against Cleveland this year. He recorded a 3.72 ERA in 9 2/3 innings in those outings, though his Cleveland line included only one strikeout and seven walks. Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde both worked in Wednesday’s win, leaving the White Sox with several moving pieces.
Will Venable could also turn to an opener or a bullpen-heavy arrangement. Chicago used an opener 31 times in the regular season, the most in the Majors. That decision would shape the Guardians’ lineup choices as well as the White Sox’s pitching plan.
The White Sox are likely to lean right-handed against Messick, with Randal Grichuk a possibility at designated hitter. Their projected alignment has Sam Antonacci in left field, Kyle Teel catching, Munetaka Murakami at first base, Miguel Vargas at third, Andrew Benintendi at DH, Meidroth at second, Colson Montgomery at shortstop, Tristan Peters in center and Braden Montgomery in right.
Cleveland’s tentative look has Steven Kwan in center field, José Ramírez at third, Chase DeLauter in right, Jo Adell at DH, Travis Bazzana at second, Nathaniel Lowe at first, Angel Martínez in left, Austin Hedges behind the plate and Brayan Rocchio at short. Adell and DeLauter could switch between right field and DH, while a left-handed White Sox starter could prompt Cleveland to use David Fry’s right-handed bat at first base.
The Guardians enter with several hitters carrying late-season momentum. Kwan led the Majors with a .353 average after the All-Star break. Bazzana hit .280 with six homers and a .978 OPS in 23 September games, while Martínez batted .296 with five homers and a .953 OPS over 20 games.
Once Cleveland gets through its starter, its preferred route is clear. Left-handers Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin, along with right-hander Hunter Gaddis, are the primary bridge options if Messick can get the game into the middle or late innings with a lead. Then comes All-Star closer Cade Smith, who posted a 1.95 ERA in 69 appearances and tied for the Major League lead with 41 saves. Smith was especially dominant down the stretch, firing 15 scoreless innings over his final 13 outings while giving up three hits and three walks and striking out 25.
Chicago’s relief group has its own depth, including young arms Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz. Grant Taylor should be available after he threw a career-high 54 pitches in Tuesday’s Wild Card win and was held out Wednesday. The order of Venable’s relievers, however, will depend heavily on whether Chicago names a conventional starter or begins the afternoon with an opener.
Cleveland will be without reliever Holderman, whose right wrist inflammation will require surgery for a problem he has dealt with over a longer period. First baseman Rhys Hoskins remains uncertain with lower back inflammation after missing the final five weeks of the regular season following an Aug. 19 move to the 10-day injured list. He has been working out with the club and could offer a right-handed complement to Lowe if cleared.
The standings tell the larger story. Cleveland trailed Chicago by 5 1/2 games entering play on Aug. 20, then went 24-11 the rest of the way, second only to Milwaukee’s 25-10 record in that stretch. The White Sox went 18-18, but recovered quickly enough to sweep Houston and keep their season alive. Now the two clubs that spent six months separated by inches will start over in a best-of-five series, with Messick on the mound and no reason to expect the first game to be any calmer than the summer that brought them here.
