Leo XIV Deflects Credit for White Sox Postseason Run

Leo XIV Deflects Credit for White Sox Postseason Run

The Chicago White Sox clinched a spot in the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2021 following a Thursday afternoon win over the Kansas City Royals. Asked whether he had any hand in the team's postseason push, Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and lifelong White Sox fan, offered only a playful dodge.

"No comment," the pope said when questioned about his role in the club's success, adding that "great things happen in Chicago." The exchange follows a lighter moment last month, when the White Sox held a Pope Leo-themed cap giveaway and later sent one of the hats to the pontiff himself, who posed for a photo wearing it. ante post horse racing

Chicago has secured a playoff berth, but its final seeding is still undecided. The White Sox hold the No. 3 American League wild-card spot at 82-77, one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. If Chicago overtakes Cleveland to win the division, it would become the No. 3 AL seed and host either the Guardians or the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round. Should the Guardians hold on to win the Central, the White Sox would instead travel to Cleveland as a wild-card team, with Boston already ahead of Chicago for the No. 2 wild-card seed on a season-series tiebreaker after going 6-0 against the White Sox this year.

Chicago closes out the regular season with a three-game home series against the Colorado Rockies from September 25-27, a stretch that could still shape its playoff path and opponent.