Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale was named the 2024 N.L. Cy Young Award winner Wednesday, completing a storybook year many thought impossible. After five dreadful, injury-plagued years with the Red Sox, the eight-time All-Star went to Atlanta and returned to glory, earning an 18-3 record and 2.38 ERA.

Sale won his first Cy Young Award in commanding fashion, earning 26 of 30 first-place votes over fellow finalists Zack Wheeler and Paul Skenes. Both pitchers had spectacular 2024 seasons, but Sale was a step above in his first full season in over five years.

“To be able to show my sons the hard work, the dedication, not giving up,” Sale said after winning the award. “My wife having my back the whole time. I’m sure I was real peachy at times during those injuries. I was talking to my dad the other day, and whether it did or didn’t happen, he was proud of me.”

Sale’s career before 2024 was neatly cut into two parts, with a steep regression almost immediately following nearly a decade of immense success. With the White Sox from 2010 to 2016, he quickly found his way in the league, making his first All-Star Game in 2012. He did not miss another one until 2019, at which point he had already been traded to Boston. In his first two seasons with the Red Sox, he continued to contribute as an ace and was even close to securing the team’s World Series championship in 2018.

In 2019, a few months after signing a five-year extension, things fell apart quickly. Sale infamously started the season with five straight losses, repeatedly flirting with a double-digit ERA. By the time he found himself again, he had to end his season early due to elbow inflammation. He missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Over the next three seasons, Sale’s time with the Red Sox was interrupted or cut short by at least five separate setback, including recovery from Tommy John, a rib fracture, hand surgery, a biking accident and multiple positive tests for COVID-19. 

He wasn’t ineffective during this dreadfully unfortunate time, but his innings were so limited that he never had a chance to justify Boston’s investment in him. After the 2023 season, the team traded him to Atlanta for infielder Vaughn Grissom, a far cry from the four-player deal the team made to acquire him from Chicago in 2016.

“I was healthy earlier in my career, and I was able to sustain some success and stay out on the field,” Sale said. “Ran into a buzz saw over the past handful of years.”

Before the season, the Braves’ pitching rotation appeared to have a massive question mark in the middle of it. There was obvious potential, too. Max Fried and Spencer Strider were both N.L. Cy Young candidates, and if Sale could find some semblance of his old form, it stood to reason that the Braves would be surefire World Series contenders.

Of course, baseball is never so straightforward. Fried and Strider both went down with long-term injuries, and though they found other gems like rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, the Braves were relegated to Wild Card status. Sale suffered a minor setback late in the season, and the team made a quiet exit against the Padres in the Wild Card round.

But while the Braves season may not have gone to plan, Sale’s return to dominance cannot be understated. After toiling away in Boston for years, struggling to find any semblance of his old self, he washed out in Atlanta and arguably had the best year of his career. 

His command and delivery were overwhelming for National League batters, and in a shockingly far cry from prior seasons, he managed to sustain that elite form for 29 starts. He struck out 225 batters in 177.2 innings pitched, and his 2.38 ERA stands among some of the best seasons in recent MLB history.

The Chicago White Sox won a baseball game Wednesday night. With just 32 victories this season, that is certainly news for the franchise in cataclysm, though it may not be enough to keep the team from its historically tragic fate.

While nearly half the league is vying for playoff contention with a month to go in a uniquely competitive season, the White Sox are competing with ancient foes. With a 32-109 record through 141 games, they are trying to avoid becoming the worst MLB team to ever exist. It may come down to the wire.

Let’s meet the competition. Their fates were sealed a long time ago, but with history unfolding in real time, they have risen again. They mark the thresholds that the White Sox cannot cross.

In 1962, their first season as an MLB franchise, the New York Mets earned every bit of their nickname, “The Lovable Losers,” charming baseball-hungry fans in Queens while bumbling their way to a 40-120 record. In doing so, they set the record for most losses in an MLB season.

Forty-six years earlier, in 1916, the Philadelphia Athletics attempted to bounce back from a dreadful 1915 season in which they lost 109 games. They failed in that effort. In Hall-of-Famer Nap Lajoie’s final season, the A’s somehow regressed to earn a 36-117 record. Their .235 winning percentage is still the lowest in league history.

The 1962 Mets and 1916 Athletics often share the dishonor of the worst MLB team ever, as the former has the most losses while the latter has the worst winning percentage. Other historically bad teams, like the 1935 Braves and 2003 Tigers, can claim the worst for coming close in one of the two stats.

With 21 games remaining in the 2024 MLB season, the White Sox are on pace to break both records. In fact, they’re on pace to shatter them.

With 109 losses and a .227 winning percentage, they’re currently projected to end the year with an approximate record of 37-125.

If this comes to pass, there will no longer be a debate. The 2024 White Sox will indisputably be the worst team in 123 years of baseball.

The finer points of the team’s season do not need mentioning. In broad strokes, Garrett Crochet has proven to be a rising star on the mound and everything else has been terrible. The team sold everything that wasn’t nailed down at the trade deadline. No one in the current starting lineup is batting above .250.

The team has had three separate losing streaks of 21, 14 and 12 games, the last of which finally ended this week. An 8-1 win for the team over the Orioles, current A.L. East leaders, on Wednesday, is a much-needed jolt out of the record books. It’s time to make it happen on the field. Unlike their long-gone rivals, the White Sox still have time.

In the grand scheme of things, none of Chicago’s misadventures this season will matter if the team can put a run together to finish the season. If the White Sox can get to 39 wins, they will surpass the all-time low winning percentage. If they can get to 43 wins, which will require an 11-10 record from here on out, they will avoid the losses record. If they can finish strong and accomplish these things, they will simply be remembered as another terrible roster.

Bad teams get forgotten in time; the 2023 Athletics drew historically bad comparisons for a time, but they finished 50-112 and everyone moved on. Being bad in baseball isn’t acceptable, but it is forgettable. Being the worst, on the other hand, is so unimaginable that it must be remembered. These are the stakes for the 2024 White Sox as the record keepers ready their chisels.

Aaron Judge became the fastest player to reach 300 career home runs Wednesday, hitting a three-run blast off reliever Chad Kuhn in the top of the eighth inning. By achieving the feat in his 955th MLB game, he became the only player to reach the milestone within 1,000 games.

“It’s a great achievement,” Judge said after the game. “Like I said a couple days ago, I was hoping it would come in a win. It came in a big win for us. We were down for a little bit, couldn’t get much going, so I was just excited it was there in a big moment.”

Judge’s 3,431st career at-bat wasn’t necessarily a game-changer, as the Yankees were already in the midst of a massive rally. Down 2-1 going into the seventh inning, New York eventually scored nine unanswered runs against Chicago in two innings and cruised to a 10-2 win.

If anything, the White Sox were asking for it. With a runner on second and one out, Kuhn intentionally walked Juan Soto, who had homered four times in his last six at-bats, in order to pitch to Judge. Despite getting a 3-0 count, Judge admitted after the game that he felt disrespected and swung away to send the inside pitch screaming out of the ballpark.

“I was mad about the intentional walk. So that kind of fueled it,” Judge told YES Network. “Usually 3-0, I’ll take a pitch, see a pitch, pass it on to the next guy. But in that situation, if they want to pitch to you, you gotta come through.”

As a historical marker, however, the 361-foot shot to left field against the lowly White Sox puts Judge among the greatest hitters in the history of the sport.

In 1953, Ralph Kiner hit his 300th home run in his 1,087th game, making his mark as an all-time great before being forced into an early retirement. Before him, Babe Ruth reached 300 in the fewest at-bats, specifically his 3,831st in 1925. Judge shattered both records Wednesday, putting him on an unprecedented trajectory in his ninth MLB season.

At age 32, Judge is likely going to run out of time before he can challenge the likes of Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron on the all-time home run list. It’s abundantly clear that he’s still in his prime, however, and with his foreseeable future on the Yankees sealed, it’s impossible to know how much damage he will do by the time curtains close.

The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly targeting Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham at the trade deadline. With the White Sox well, well out of the postseason race, Pham could be headed to his sixth team in the span of three seasons.

Pham is currently batting .264 with four home runs on a White Sox team doomed to a historically poor finish by season’s end. At the All-Star break, Chicago is 27-71 and 27.5 games out of the Wild Card. The team is on pace to lose nearly 120 games. Any price for Pham, a 36-year-old journeyman, would be worth taking for the team.

With a 62-34 record, the Phillies are on the opposite end of the spectrum, firmly in control of the N.L. East division and one of two National League teams seemingly in contention for a World Series berth. The team has plenty of talent in the outfield between Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh, but an injury to star Bryce Harper did impact the team’s depth. Pham could be an ideal short-term pickup.

In addition to the Phillies, the Royals are also reportedly interested in trading for Pham at the end of this month. Kansas City has overperformed in 2024 and are just two games out of the Wild Card at the All-Star break. The team are sure to consider buying at the deadline, and Pham has been a hot commodity for budget-conscious teams in recent years.

If Pham were to join Philadelphia, it would be his ninth team since debuting in 2014. In 2022, he spent time with the Reds before the Red Sox acquired him for a playoff push. The Arizona Diamondbacks did the same thing in 2023, trading with the Mets to acquire him before going to the World Series. At this point, there is no seller in a more dire situation than the 2024 White Sox, making yet another trade highly likely.

Pham has gained a reputation in recent years as an outspoken club member, for better or worse. It is unclear whether his frequent moves are a result of this or simply a matter of circumstance. Regardless, he has proven capable of contributing to winning teams in search of a postseason run, making him a valuable addition despite his advancing age.

Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa will rejoin the Chicago White Sox as a consultant after stepping away from his managing duties last season for health reasons. His return coincides with a massive shakeup within the organization, as owner Jerry Reinsdorf looks for a new general manager and other front office executives.

Reinsdorf surprised many around MLB Tuesday when he abruptly fired general manager Rick Hahn and Executive Vice President Kenny Williams. Both had been with the White Sox since the early 2000s, with Hahn taking over for Williams as general manager in 2012, but the owner expressed a desire for new leadership as the team struggles through another mediocre season.

“Ultimately, the well-worn cliché that professional sports is results-oriented is correct,” Reinsdorf said in a statement. “While we have enjoyed successes as an organization and were optimistic heading into the competitive window of this rebuild, this year has proven to be very disappointing for us all on many levels. This has led me to the conclusion that the best decision for the organization moving forward is to make a change in our baseball department leadership.”

Assistant general manager Chris Getz is reportedly expected to replace Hahn as the organization’s de facto decision maker in the front office. But with La Russa returning in an outside role, having already scouted the team’s farm system as part of his return, questions about the manager position linger. Rookie manager Pedro Grifol seems to have the position for now, but he also met with Reinsdorf and La Russa to discuss Chicago’s future Wednesday night.

Despite entering the season with reasonably high expectations, the White Sox currently hold a 50-77 record and are fourth in the Al Central, the weakest division in baseball. They are almost certain to regress on their 81-81 season in 2022 at a time when they were expected to improve as young talented players continue to develop.

San Fransisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler temporarily paused his national anthem protest for Memorial Day this week. Kapler wrote on his blog Monday about the importance of Memorial Day and his decision to stand “while I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country’s servicemen and women who fought and died for that right. Those who serve in our military, and especially those who have paid the ultimate price for our rights and freedoms, deserve that acknowledgment and respect, and I am honored to stand on the line today to show mine.”

Kapler had been staying in the team’s locker room during the playing of the national anthem as a direct protest of the mass shootings that have occurred over the past few weeks.

“I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country,” Kapler wrote. “I am not okay with the state of this country. I wish I hadn’t let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish that I could have demonstrated what I learned from my dad, that when you’re dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this.”

His protest meet with backlash from both baseball fans and figures around the league. Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa has taken issue with Kapler’s protests calling them “inappropriate.” In a statement prior to the White Sox-Cubs matchup, La Russa said, “there’s a lot of problems in this country that need to be addressed. Where I disagree is that the flag and the anthem are not appropriate places to try to voice your objection.”

Kapler has not decided on whether or not he will resume his protest, telling reporters, “The days move fast, we’re going to come out and talk about Giants and Phillies today and we’ll get into the game and then we’ll spend some time trying to get away from the game. Then the game starts the next day. I want to have my thoughts perfectly formulated. I will formulate them and I will share them. I just don’t have them right now.”

On Wednesday, the Chicago White Sox announced that 1983 American League Cy Young Award winner and former White Sox hurler LaMarr Hoyt passed away. After battling cancer, the pitcher died Monday in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. He was 66 years old.

Over his eight-year career in the major leagues, Hoyt posted a 98-68 record and a 3.99 ERA. Not only that, he accumulated 48 career-complete games, which included eight shutouts and ten saves.

In addition, Hoyt, who stood at 6-foot-3, was named MVP of the 1985 MLB All-Star Game. He pitched a stellar three innings in this game and gave up a lone run to the American League. During that time, Hoyt was with the San Diego Padres. It was the only All-Star selection of his career.

Hoyt’s major league career began in 1973 when the New York Yankees selected him in the fifth round of the 1973 amateur draft. He never ended up playing for New York and was traded to the Chicago White Sox in April of 1977.

Two years later, Hoyt made his MLB debut and pitched two scoreless relief innings for the south side of Chicago. By 1982, he moved out of the bullpen and became an essential piece of the White Sox starting rotation. That year, he led the AL in wins, as he posted a 19-15 record and a 3.53 ERA across a total of 39 games, 32 of which he started.

After the 1982 season, Hoyt went on to have the best year of his entire career in 1983. That season he went 24-10 and posted a 3.66 ERA in over 36 starts with the south side. He also guided the team to the division title and won the prestigious AL Cy Young award.

After the 1984 season, Hoyt was traded to the San Diego Padres in a multiplayer deal that brought Ozzie Guillen to the White Sox. Hoyt played two seasons with the Padres, 1985 and 1986, before retiring.

David Robertson signed with the Tampa Bay Rays fresh off his stint with the Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics. In Team USA’s silver medal run, the 36-year-old right-handed reliever pitched three innings with an ERA of 6.00.

Robertson tweeted, “Excited and grateful for the opportunity to be with the Rays!! #RaysUp.”

Robertson will report to Triple-A Durham. He last pitched in the MLB in 2019. He was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in seven games with the Philadelphia Phillies before undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

Robertson has a 53-33 record with a 2.90 ERA in 661 relief appearances with the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox. He was an All-Star in 2011.

On Wednesday, the Chicago White Sox announced that first baseman Jose Abreu has tested positive for COVID-19. He is asymptomatic.

As a result, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player will report late to spring training camp. He will also remain isolated for the next several days, according to the team.

“He believes he contracted a mild case of the disease in January, which is reinforced by the presence of COVID antibodies in additional testing. Other than being frustrated, Jose feels great and, like the rest of us, is looking forward to when he rejoins the club in the not too distant future,” the team reported in a statement from White Sox general manager Rick Hahn.

Abreu is the third of the four major 2020 award winners to come down with a case of COVID-19. Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman battled the disease in July but recovered and won his first National League MVP award.

American League Cy Young Shane Bieber tested positive for COVID-19 before reporting to Cleveland Indians camp and missed the first four days of workouts.

In the 60-game abbreviated 2020 season, helping the White Sox to their first playoff appearance since 2008, Abreu slashed .317/.370/.617 with 43 runs, 76 hits, 19 home runs, and 60 RBIs. He also led the American League in hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, total bases, and extra-base hits.

Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria, 58, reportedly woke up on Monday with COVID-like symptoms and promptly got tested. Thankfully for himself, his team and the league as a whole, his test results came back negative for COVID-19 and is expected to return to the dugout in time for his team’s games on Tuesday. The White Sox released a statement saying, “Manager Ricky Renteria awoke this morning with a slight cough and nasal congestion,” the team said. “After consulting with our team doctors, Ricky underwent precautionary testing today at a Cleveland hospital. Out of an abundance of caution, Ricky will remain at the team hotel and not manage until we receive confirmation of today’s test result. Bench coach Joe McEwing will manage the White Sox during Ricky’s absence.”  In what has been a very trying first week for the MLB restart with 14 Marlins players and staff testing positive for COVID-19 just two games into the 60-game regular season.

This is obviously a bullet dodged for Renteria and the White Sox and the league as a whole. With the Marlins outbreak and other concerns from players about the restart, it feels like professional baseball is hanging by a thread and any more bad news at this delicate point could truly be the difference between baseball being able to finish out its season or it getting shut down before it even gets the chance to get fully restarted. The league and commissioner Rob Manfred have taken a lax approach to the news of these potential outbreaks, but with this rising tension about the viability of the league going forward, they should probably take a more hands-on approach if they want to see the games continue.

The White Sox added to their offseason moves after signing former Yankee, Edwin Encarnacion, to a one-year deal worth $12 million. The contract also includes a $12 million club option for 2021.

The 37-year-old designated hitter/outfielder was ranked 25th out of 50 free agents this offseason by CBS Sports. He’ll most likely continue to DH at this point in his career and will probably be a back-up first baseman to Jose Abreu. He joins a club that finished third place in the AL Central division.

In 109 games played, Encarnacion finished 2019 with an batting average of .244 with 34 homeruns and 86 RBIs. He looks to bolster the White Sox lineup whose designated hitters only accounted for a pathetic 17 homeruns in 550 plate appearances last season. The former Yankee is the only player in the MLB with 30 plus homeruns in the last eight seasons, according to MLB Stats. The White Sox are counting on home run help after being ranked 25th in baseball with only 182 last year.

The White Sox are determined to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008 when they lost in the ALDS to Tampa Bay. The club has already signed Abreu to a three-year extension, and added right-fielder Nomar Mazara through a trade with the Texas Rangers. They also signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million deal, so their lineup has definitely improved.

To improve their pitching rotation the club signed two starting pitchers, Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez. Keuchel signed a three-year $55 million deal and Gonzalez comes to Chicago on a one-year deal worth $5 million.

The former Cy Young winner is coming off a short season after remaining a free agent until June when the Braves signed him to a one-year deal worth $13 million. Last season he had 19 starts with a 3.75 ERA, but only 91 strikeouts. On the bright side he only allowed 115 hits; the second lowest amount in his career.

Gonzalez had a short season with only 17 starts, but recorded a 3.50 ERA and 78 strikeouts.

Hopefully these moves pan out and allow the White Sox to have a winning record for the first time in seven years.

Chicago White Sox won the first of a four game series in the Crosstown Cup. Infielder Tyler Saladino singled to center bringing home J.B. Shuck to win the game 5-4 making it the team’s third walk-off victory in a row.

There was a lot of flux yesterday with the Cubs after acquiring Aroldis Chapman for Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford all sent to the Yankees.

At the top of the first Cub’s Kris Bryant sent one to the left and it looked like it was going to clear the eight-foot fence, but White Sox Melky Cabrera leaps and catches it sending Bryant back to the dugout.

The White Sox were the first to get on the board. Adam Eaton singled to Cubs right fielder Ben Zobrist scoring Saladino to put the White Sox up 1-0. White Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Todd Frazier homered on a fly ball to center scoring Cabrera and Jose Abreu commanding a 4-0 lead. The game looked like it was a done deal. That was the eighth home run Jake Arrieta had given up all year and each home run has been on the road.

According to MLB.com Arrieta said his pitching needed to be more calculated against Frazier. “I threw him a first-pitch cutter. I need to be more expanded with that pitch. It was middle-middle, and he’s in a situation where he’s expecting balls in the strike zone,” he said.

Cubs got on the board in the top of the seventh with a homer by Javier Baez bringing in Miguel Montero and the Cubs within two.

The Cubs rallied in the top of the ninth Dexter Fowler singled on a ground ball to Saladino scoring Baez for his second run of the night. Anthony Rizzo singled and scored Dexter Fowler tying the game 4 – 4. Cubs scored against Matt Albers and Dan Jennings.

Bottom of the ninth Saladino singled on a ground ball the center scoring Shuck, winning the game.

Miguel Gonzalez started for the White Sox and allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked two. Arrieta started for the Cubs and allowed four runs on five hits in six innings and struck out six. Jennings takes the win, bumping him to 4-2 and Mike Montgomery takes the loss for the Cubs putting him at 3-5.

The win brings the White Sox to nearly .500 at 49-50, and the loss drops the Cubs to 59-39 on the season.