Sox Machine Podcast (Subscriber Version)

Rundown

• [Intro] Audio from Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery, who believes this team is playoff-caliber. With a 32-27 record, is it time for us to reset expectations for this 2026 season?
• [15:32] If the White Sox don't finish with at least 81 wins, will this season be a disappointment?
• [22:00] What is the White Sox plan for first base playing time with Munetaka Murakami on the IL?
• [24:22] With how the offense is operating, is there enough depth to make up the absence of Murakami? Can Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas pick up the missing home run slack?
• [30:25] White Sox pitching coach Zach Bove spoke to reporters prior to Sunday's game about the staff. Updates on Noah Schultz, Grant Taylor, Davis Martin, Bryan Hudson, and Shane Smith.
• [37:21] Minnesota Twins series preview. What to expect from David Sandlin in his second outing?
• [47:12] Around Baseball: Biggest college playoff upset ever, Seattle Mariners streaking, and Detroit Tigers' downfall.

Rundown

• [Intro] Our reactions to the Chicago White Sox winning three out of four against the Minnesota Twins. How this surprising run continues to get better for everyone associated with the White Sox (Players, coaches, front office, staff, media, and fans).
• [8:50] Davis Martin has become the pitching staff ace that we thought Shane Smith could be. Now The Dart is in the top 10 in K-BB% for starting pitchers.
• [13:53] What impressed us the most about David Sandlin's MLB debut.
• [19:39] Jim recaps his trip to Birmingham to see the Rickwood Classic.
• [23:03] Munetaka Murakami joins rare White Sox company. Could he challenge the all-time rookie home run record?
• [31:38] Colson Montgomery is heating up.
• [34:00] Randal Grichuk has been a pleasant surprise coming off the bench.
• [39:54] Detroit Tigers series preview. If the White Sox win this series, is Detroit done?
• [47:08] The first proposals from MLB and MLBPA regarding a salary floor.

Rundown

• [Intro] Mike Ferrin joins the podcast and will be calling the Atlanta Regional on ACC Network this weekend. He shares his thoughts about the bracket that did feature some questionable teams like Kentucky.
• [6:56] Which regional is the toughest? That might be in Lincoln, Nebraska as the #1 seed Cornhuskers will have to deal with Ole Miss and Arizona State.
• [10:09] It seems every year at least one top eight seed goes down in the opening weekend. Which top eight seed is at most risk of not advancing in the opening weekend?
• [16:32] Last year, it was Murray State. In 2023, it was Oral Roberts. Is there a #3 or #4 seed that can reach the College World Series this postseason?
• [20:08] Who are the must see players in this tournament? Mike mentions top catching prospect Vahn Lackey. Josh points are the talented sophomore class we'll be following for the 2027 MLB Draft.
• [25:16] Mike and Josh share their College World Series picks.

Rundown

• [Intro] Audio from Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable recapping their win over the Minnesota Twins and his first impression of recent callup Rikuu Nishida.
• [2:58] Are we surprised Nishida was called up by the White Sox to replace Jarred Kelenic?
• [9:04] Nishida's energy is a great addition to the clubhouse
• [13:02] When Austin Hays returns, does Luisangel Acuna get cut?
• [13:52] With Peyton Pallette DFA'd by Cleveland, will he return to the White Sox?
• [15:12] Chicago White Sox also are calling up David Sandlin. What should we expect to see from Sandlin?
• [20:19] Munetaka Murakami leading the American League home run race
• [22:02] Anthony Kay's impressive month of May
• [25:20] Davis Martin's outing in San Francisco
• [27:00] Why this week against the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers is key for the White Sox chances of being a serious playoff contender
• [37:05] Josh's recap of the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha. Which focuses on what he saw from Roch Cholowsky, why we need to change our thought process of evaluating him, and his favorite moment from the tournament.

Rundown

• [Intro] Kyle Teel is on the mend for a few more weeks (month?) and it's creating more uncertainty about the catching position.
• [7:36] How both Drew Romo and Edgar Quero are not only struggling offensively, but also defensively behind the plate.
• [11:45] Who will serve as the White Sox primary catcher in the upcoming weeks?
• [15:01] Breaking down Wednesday's TOOTBLAN for Chase Meidroth as Drew Romo didn't lay down the bunt
• [20:13] Breaking down the decision for Jordan Hicks to not intentionally walk Randy Arozarena and face Rob Refsnyder
• [25:19] Damn, Grant Taylor looked good closing out Tuesday's win
• [28:10] Colson Montgomery issues against Seattle's high four-seam fastballs
• [32:02] Big Ten Tournament Preview with audio from Purdue head coach Greg Goff about what makes Roch Cholowsky special. His Boilermakers take on UCLA in Friday's Quarterfinals.
• [34:13] San Francisco Giants series preview
• [46:00] Around MLB: Detroit Tigers free falling, Cleveland Guardians rolling, and Milwaukee Brewers overtake the Chicago Cubs

Sox Machine 20th Anniversary Group Tickets Saturday, August 8th - 6:10 PM CT: Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox Ticket link: https://www.gofevo.com/event/2026SoxMachineMeetup

Tickets are $39.51 per person

Rundown

• [Intro] Recap of the Chicago White Sox series win against their inner-city rival, the Chicago Cubs. Hear from Will Venable, Colson Montgomery, Edgar Quero, and Tristan Peters.
• [5:37] Jim Margalus joins the show, and after the White Sox finish 7-2 in this homestand, is it time to start believing in the White Sox? They have the fourth best record currently in the American League and seemingly getting key contributions from everyone.
• [19:30] The White Sox offense has been clicking as they've scored five or more runs in six consecutive games. What might be the biggest surprise is how many home runs they've already hit.
• [25:19] A shoutout to Sox Machine subscribers, new and old, as we hit a milestone and earned enough to send James Fegan to the All-Star game to report from the festivities.
• [30:32] Speaking of All-Star, Davis Martin was outstanding again on Saturday.
• [36:54] Seranthony Dominguez coughed up another lead on Sunday. Is it time to start worrying about Dominguez as the closer?
• [40:17] MiLB Talk: What to make of Jacob Gonzalez?
• [47:51] Seattle Mariners series preview: What to watch during Noah Schultz's start, and can the White Sox offense hit Bryan Woo?
• [51:22] Around MLB: Big series as the Brewers vs. Cubs and Dodgers vs. Padres begin this week.

Sox Machine 20th Anniversary Group Tickets Saturday, August 8th - 6:10 PM CT: Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox Ticket link: https://www.gofevo.com/event/2026SoxMachineMeetup

Tickets are $39.51 per person

Rundown

• [Intro] The Chicago White Sox are riding high extending their winning streak to five games, and are 22-21 after sweeping the Kansas City Royals. What do we make of the White Sox being above .500 at this stage of the 2026 season? We know why this team could stumble, but in what ways can the White Sox continue to overachieve.
• [10:34] Bottom of the lineup chaos
• [16:46] Many random, good things happened for the White Sox this week against Kansas City. Highlighted by Derek Hill saving the day, and Randal Grichuk big four RBI game.
• [20:27] Recapping the pitching performance against the Royals and thinking out load what is ailing Noah Schultz.
• [28:30] The start of our Crosstown Classic preview
• [30:56] Manager Will Venable provides an update on Kyle Teel and his non-availability for this weekend series.
• [34:30] Pitching probables for White Sox vs. Cubs
• [36:47] Can Sean Burke start the series on the right foot?
• [38:43] Is Saturday's start going to be the national launch pad for Davis Martin?
• [43:44] One matchup to watch: Seranthony Dominguez vs. the Cubs power left-handed bats.

Sox Machine 20th Anniversary Group Tickets Saturday, August 8th - 6:10 PM CT: Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox Ticket link: https://www.gofevo.com/event/2026SoxMachineMeetup

Tickets are $39.51 per person

Rundown:

• [Intro] The Chicago White Sox fought hard on Sunday to comeback and win the series against Seattle. Now 19-21, one game back in the AL Central and tied for a wild card spot, does being surprise early contenders change the process in how Chris Getz and the front office approach this season?
• [5:37] How are the White Sox players feeling about their recent play?
• [8:27] The rehab play for Kyle Teel
• [12:56] Miguel Vargas had a big weekend against Seattle. With his increase in offensive production, the White Sox have found themselves a solid middle of the order.
• [19:14] Can three hitters carry a team's home run production effectively?
• [22:56] Series preview: Kansas City Royals
• [29:29] First Quarter Grades: Offense
• [35:19] First Quarter Grades: Defense
• [40:21] First Quarter Grades: Starting Pitchers
• [47:46] First Quarter Grades: Bullpen
• [54:35] First Quarter Grades: Overall
• [60:34] Around MLB: SF Giants and Minnesota Twins early struggles

Sox Machine 20th Anniversary Group Tickets Saturday, August 8th - 6:10 PM CT: Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox Ticket link: https://www.gofevo.com/event/2026SoxMachineMeetup

Tickets are $39.51 per person

Rundown

• [Intro] Latest Chicago White Sox news as they optioned RHP Jordan Leasure to make room for veteran reliever Trevor Richards. Keith Law is mocking Grady Emerson first overall and why Roch Cholowsky's hitting against Big Ten pitching might be a reason, and a Sox Machine PSA with group tickets now available for purchase on August 8 which is also Ozzie Guillen's number retirement ceremony.
• [5:21] Best friend, Dan Szymborski of Fangraphs.com, joins the show to share how ZiPS is thinking about the Chicago White Sox start to 2026.
• [7:18] What is the outlook for the AL Central? On average, how many wins will it take to win the division?
• [12:31] What does Dan need to see from the White Sox to consider them a serious dark horse contender to make the postseason?
• [15:03] In what ways has Munetaka Murakami exceeded ZiPS projections, and what could a future contract extension look like?
• [20:38] How Davis Martin is surprising everyone with his performance
• [23:13] First impressions of Noah Schultz, who is struggling to figure out what his strikeout pitch will be
• [26:37] If the White Sox do hang around in the playoff race, how aggressive should they be with promotions?
• [29:08] What kind of impact does ZiPS project Kyle Teel will have with the current White Sox?
• [32:03] Fan Question: With home run totals surging in the minor leagues, how does ZiPS take that into consideration with current projections for prospects?

Rundown

• [Intro] The Chicago White Sox won on Monday in a very convincing fashion and had a chance to take the division lead. But a tough loss on Tuesday and a rough outing on Wednesday feel like a missed opportunity for this young White Sox team. Should fans still take solace in a 3-3 West Coast road trip? Is it a good sign that the team is playing well enough lately that losses are painful again after three consecutive 100-loss seasons?
• [16:59] Noah Schultz had a tough outing on Wednesday. In his last two starts, Schultz has walked more batters than he struck out. Is that a big concern for the rookie?
• [22:28] Davis Martin dominated on Monday and currently ranks third in pitcher WAR according to FanGraphs. Is the slider his new go-to strikeout pitch? What do we make of this start to 2026 for The Dart?
• [32:50] The White Sox traded for reliever Trevor Richards. How does he fit in the White Sox bullpen?
• [36:59] White Sox named Caleb Bonemer and Hagen Smith as April's minor league players of the month. After homering against Gerrit Cole, Bonemer has already matched his home run total from last year. How much longer will Bonemer be with the Winston-Salem Dash?
• [46:28] Seattle Mariners series preview featuring a good pitching matchup on Friday night between Emerson Hancock and Sean Burke.