81 down, 81 to go: What to watch for in the 2nd half of the season for Cubs and White Sox

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

The Cubs (48-33) and White Sox (25-66) have officially passed the halfway point of the season.
Here's a guide for the next 81 games for both teams, including key series and a list of each ballpark's theme nights.
Chicago Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong is on pace to finish in the Cubs record book.
The 23-year-old sat at a 4.4 WAR through Wednesday. If he keeps this pace and doesn't miss any games — he has sat only once all season — he would finish with an 8.0 WAR. That would place him in the top 10 among all-time Cubs position players.
Crow-Armstrong boasted a .272/.308/.560 slash line with 61 RBIs, 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases heading into Thursday. He is on pace for 42 home runs and 48 stolen bases, a clip similar to Shohei Ohtani's 54-59 in 2024 when he won NL MVP. Ohtani is the current NL MVP favorite again with a .291/.391/.626 slash line, 51 RBIs, 27 home runs and 11 stolen bases entering Thursday.
Barring a regression — or a late-season surge from someone else — these two should be neck and neck. And as the temperatures heat up, the home runs will continue to fly at both Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium.
The Cubs have become a legitimate contender with their offensive and defensive balance. The bats of Seiya Suzuki and Kyle Tucker, combined with the outfield heroics of Crow-Armstrong, could get them into October. A flaw that could hold the Cubs from those 2016-like dreams is their starting pitching, or lack thereof.
Justin Steele suffered a season-ending injury, while Shota Imanaga — who started Thursday in St. Louis — missed a chunk of time. Without its two best pitchers, the rotation has been lackluster. Since the Imanaga injury on May 4, Cubs starting pitchers — with multiple outings from Ben Brown, Cade Horton and Colin Rea — had posted a 4.46 ERA entering Thursday, a bottom-five mark. Imanaga's return resulted in Brown being optioned back to Triple-A Iowa.
The Cubs also could look at an upgrade at third base, replacing rookie Matt Shaw. He was called up from Iowa on May 19 with hopes of improved hitting, but that hasn't been the case. In the last 15 games before Thursday, Shaw had a .104/.189/.125 slash line with five hits and 11 strikeouts.
At White Sox (July 25-27)
The Cubs have made easy work of the South Siders recently. Winners of a franchise-record eight straight City Series games, they will head into Rate Field looking to push the streak to 11. Crow-Armstrong has dirtied up the White Sox in six of those games, batting .458 with eight RBIs and a homer.
The Cubs outscored the White Sox 26-8 in the first series at Wrigley Field.
Vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Aug. 18-21)
With a makeup game from a June 18 rainout included, these will be the last five games between the NL Central teams. The Cubs hold a three-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central and are 3-2 against them this season.
Vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Sept. 26-28)
These will be the final games of the regular season for the Cubs. Will they play on in October?
Chicago White Sox
The MLB trade deadline is July 31 — and the White Sox are expected to be in sell mode, with the likelihood of a Luis Robert Jr. move increasing.
Robert has failed to reach his former All-Star form, slashing .185/.270/.313 this season compared with his .264/.315/.542 splits in 2023. When asked about his hitting woes, he said he is 'open to the suggestions.' Robert is making $15 million in 2025 and has $20 million club options over the next two seasons with a $2 million buyout.
The center fielder's name has been tossed around in trade talks since the offseason. The Sox traded ace Garret Crochet in December, netting three prospects from the Boston Red Sox, including the improving Chase Meidroth. Robert could bring in more young talent to Rate Field.
The Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and San Diego Padres have been mentioned as landing spots. Teams may see the potential of the 27-year-old, while others may see him as too expensive with his current production.
Some promising talent is being developed at Triple-A Charlotte for the Sox.
The newest major-league addition is catcher Kyle Teel. He is the No. 2 prospect in the Sox system and No. 26 overall in MLB. With the Knights, he slashed .295/.394/.492 with 30 RBIs and eight home runs before his promotion. He got his first major-league hit in his first game for the Sox and is consistently looking to get on base like he did with the Knights.
A few prospects are still a step away from that phone call, Colson Montgomery — the No. 22 pick in the 2021 draft — being one of them. The infielder is struggling to find his swing in Charlotte, posting a .188/.271/.351 slash line this season. He has played both shortstop and third base. Add some consistency to his swing and his phone might ring.
Vs. Cubs (July 25-27)
The first City Series saw the Cubs bear down on the Sox at Wrigley Field. The best fight the Sox showed was from third baseman Miguel Vargas after Brad Keller slung a 95 mph four-seam into his left arm. Vargas was irate and both benches were warned.
One positive for the Sox was Meidroth's performance. He batted .500 with an RBI and his first home run against the Cubs.
Vs. Detroit Tigers (Aug. 11-13)
A highlight of the Sox season so far was their June series split at Comerica Park against the AL-leading Tigers. The first win saw Michael A. Taylor hit a three-run homer and pitcher Shane Smith bring a three-hitter into the sixth inning. The second finished with a Tim Elko walk-off single, securing a 3-2 win in extras.
Vs. San Diego Padres (Sept. 19-21)
The Padres will fly into Central time for the final home series for the Sox. The Sox are on pace to lose 110 games and own the second-worst 81-game start (26-55) in franchise history. Where will they stand after this series?