The Opening Day of 2025 was all about big upsets and underdog stories. After the Astros got the better of the Mets, now the White Sox have pulled up a win over the Angels out of nowhere. A stunning start under their new manager, Will Venable, indeed, who found himself drenched in Gatorade after what was considered next to impossible! Admittedly, it was kind of surreal to watch the White Sox absolutely crush the Angels on opening day. But in front of 31,403 fans at Rate Field on Thursday, their victory teased a new-look approach for this year, with the Sox’s revamped culture beginning to bloom on the field.

According to FanGraphs, the White Sox was the last-placed team from the AL Central to contend for a playoff berth or postseason this year. A team coming up with a 41-121 record from the last year was enough for the fans to not bet on their home team. But baseball is all about surprises, and going up with an 8-1 game on the opening day signals a potential turnaround this year. And as it turns out, there’s more to this story! 

The White Sox were at a 61-101 record in 2023, followed by the 121-loss debacle last year. However, the story was different till 2022, when they were going steady at a .500. However, with their opening day win against the Angels, they are currently standing at a record over .500. Yes, FOX Sports reported that the White Sox made this feat for the first time since 2023. 

The biggest winner of the night from the team was none other than Sean Burke. Burke became only the seventh pitcher in the last 100 years to start on Opening Day with fewer than 20 career innings pitched in the majors; in only his fourth start, he struck gold with striking out three in six scoreless innings. Humbly as ever, he gave credit where it was deserved: “Will’s our guy.”

“Fans were unbelievable today. It felt like a new year. That’s kind of the moral of the story. Flip the page. It’s 2025 Sox, and now we are ready to rock.” These words from the White Sox catcher, Korey Lee, echo the team’s confidence after the team’s rare feat. In 2022, the White Sox went a .500 for the last time with an 81-81 record and finished in second in the AL Central. Could they pull up a similar season this time?

The White Sox is cooking a turnaround this year, sees team optimistic

If the performance of a few players is anything to go by, a better season can be expected from the White Sox. Starter Sean Burke was in top tier form, looking almost like a veteran despite lacking significant experience. The bullpen was almost perfect yesterday with only Cam Booser, who pitched in the ninth inning, allowing a run. Miguel Vargas, the leadoff hitter, had two singles despite having a terrible at-bat last year. So yes, the underrated players were all worked at the clutch moments yesterday. So is this a ray of hope for the fans?

Well, outfielder Benintendi is staying cautious, as reported by Paul Sullivan of Chicago Tribune: “You never want to look too much into opening day. It’s not like we’re going to go out and win 162 games. You’ve got to be realistic.” But he too sees the potential: “But all the way around, the lineup did well, the pitchers did well, so it’s definitely something to build off of.“

The White Sox are going to be battling all odds this year. While the projections kept them at the lowest point, the fans were expecting a record loss this year, with hopes dwindling around projections that Aaron Judge would possibly hit more homers than the White Sox would have wins all season. That’s what the social media was talking about when it came to the washed up Boston outfit. Well, they couldn’t have been any more wrong; the White Sox scored a total of 3 home runs yesterday, while Aaron Judge got nil in his opening game this year.

The Sox put up a solid start to the season, and with the advantage of not having the baggage of huge expectations – they are definitely breathing easier. Now, if the players can carry their opening-day form, a better regular season could be possible if not great. Do you think the White Sox can go big this year? Let us know in the comments below.