Despite losing 5-4 to the Royals on Wednesday night, yesterday was a good day for the White Sox, as the Guardians, Astros and Rangers all also tasted defeat. So, where does that leave us?
Chicago enters play on Thursday a single game back of Cleveland in the division, which also means a single game back of a first-round bye. However, the club is now three games up on both Houston and Texas with four games left to play, virtually guaranteeing itself a Wild Card spot as a consolation prize. In fact, with a win this afternoon, the White Sox clinch a playoff berth.
Can Chicago punch its ticket for the first time since 2021? Let’s dive into this matinee matchup and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
White Sox vs. Royals prediction, preview
It’s been an interesting year for David Sandlin. The 25-year-old was essentially the White Sox’s reward for taking on Jordan Hicks’ contract from the Red Sox this past offseason, and the right-hander settled into Chicago’s system as a top 10 prospect. He then dominated Triple-A to the tune of a 2.22 ERA across 14 starts and 65.0 innings. Not too shabby at all. Still, minor league success hasn’t directly correlated to big league results. Sandlin’s had a few different stints in MLB throughout 2026, yet he’s mostly struggled, pitching to a 6.29 ERA over 34.1 innings and seven appearances. That includes his last outing against the Tigers on Friday, when Sandlin conceded seven hits and five earned runs in just four frames.
However, Sandlin did have a promising start against this same Royals team back in late June, tossing six innings of one-run ball with only three hits allowed. It’s just a question of whether that says more about the rookie or Kansas City’s past offensive woes. Remember, the version of the Royals that Sandlin faced that day did not include Vinnie Pasquantino or Maikel Garcia. It did feature Jac Caglianone, though. In the midst of his second-half breakout, too. Since the All-Star break, the former sixth-overall pick is slashing .322/.361/.528 with a 145 wRC+. Neutralizing he and Pasquantino will be a huge task for Sandlin, as LHBs at the MLB level have been the RHP’s kryptonite. Lefties have managed 2.25 home runs per nine off Sandlin with a .381 wOBA.
On the other side of this pitching matchup, we find Randy Dobnak. 2026 has already been a roaring success for the journeyman right-hander, as Dobnak’s set a new career-high with 73.0 innings thrown — this after registering just 15.0 MLB innings over the past four seasons. Still, despite it being a good story, let’s not pretend that Dobnak’s 3.08 ERA is at all a realistic representation of his skill level. Dobnak’s expected statistics have been screaming regression all year long, and normalization is finally underway, as the veteran sports a 5.60 ERA across his last five starts. A fourth percentile opponent batting average (.284) and a fifth percentile strikeout rate (15.6%) can only be suppressed for so long, right?
White Sox vs. Royals pick, best bet
Best Bet: White Sox ML (-131)
I doubt there will be too much champagne — they’ve still got a division to possibly win — but the White Sox should lock up a postseason berth with a victory this afternoon. Randy Dobnak and his fourth percentile opponent batting average (.284) have struggled severely the past month, while the White Sox’s bats are coming alive again at the right time. No team has scored more runs than Chicago over the past week (40).
