New season, same rebuild: A beginner's guide to watching the 2025 White Sox
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Luis Robert Jr. can't make the catch during a game last year. Photo: Denis Poroy/Getty Images
The Chicago White Sox are hoping to avoid history repeating itself as they embark on the 2025 season Thursday at Rate Field.
The big picture: The Sox are coming off the worst season in modern MLB history, losing a whopping 121 games and most of their fan base in the process.
Zoom in: In 2025, they are committing again to the rebuild, trading away star pitcher Garrett Crochet this offseason.
State of play: The Sox have one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball.
Yes, but: It's baseball, and anything can happen.
The intrigue: This could be a good time to buy low on the White Sox and start rooting for them as they presumably start getting better.
- If you are heading to a Bridgeport bar Thursday to watch the game, here are some quick tips to get up to speed on the 2025 ballclub.
The heart of the Sox still belongs to Cuban star Luis Robert Jr. He plays center field and was the darling of the last Sox rebuild, leading them to their last playoff berth in 2021. When he stays healthy, he's an all-star.
- A quick, "He's good, can't wait for him to be traded," will stick with the die-hards, since the Sox will probably do that to load up on prospects.
The highest-paid player on the White Sox is outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who makes just over $17 million.
Context: The Cubs' highest-paid player is Dansby Swanson ($28 million), and superstar Aaron Judge gets paid $40 million a year to play in New York.
- If salaries come up while watching the game, an easy, "Is that extra cash just going to Jerry Reinsdorf's yacht?" will endear you to partygoers, since bashing ownership has become the Sox fan's annual pastime.
The Sox pitching staff is largely untested. The relatively unknown Sean Burke will pitch Opening Day. The rest of the staff is also mostly untested, except for journeyman starter Martín Pérez.
- "At least Pérez was alive for Y2K," might be a safe one-liner for a quick chuckle.
Finally, the Sox may bring up some prospects like Colson Montgomery or Noah Schultz this year, but it probably wouldn't be until later in the summer. If the past few seasons are any indication, the Sox may be done competing well before that.
- "Yeah, but at least the milkshakes at the ballpark are good," would be a good transition to talk about anything else but the product on the field.
The bottom line: Good luck, new Sox fan.
What's next: The first pitch is Thursday at 3:10pm versus the Los Angeles Angels.