How a May series vs. the Chicago Cubs is significant for the White Sox rebuild

White Sox needed Pope Leo XIV win: Sports Podcaster | ChicagoNOW

"Chicago Sports Bums" podcaster Peter Fonseca says the White Sox needed the win after it was revealed that Pope Leo XIV is a Sox fan. ChicagoNOW is a fast-paced, conversational show that spotlights what’s trending in and around Chicago.

CHICAGO - Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz has had quite the week so far.

The new Pope is a White Sox fan. Since Pope Leo XIV was elected last Thursday, the Sox are 4-2. Getz said there's no direct connection to the Vatican just yet.

Still, in that time, Getz's team has won the past two series against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. That racked up series wins No. 3 and No. 4 on the season for the Southsiders.

Putting that into perspective, the White Sox won four series in the entire 2024 season.

Now, Getz, manager Will Venable and his team head back to Chicago to take on the Cubs, a significant part of the season that's not lost on either Getz or Venable.

"Heading into a series like this, you feel the energy in the city of Chicago," Getz said. "Obviously, it's a big moment and fans certainly come alive for a series like this."

It's a series where the Sox can continue to show they're improving, especially with a team of youngsters they've recently promoted who have shown success in the big leagues.

In this new era for Getz, it's about sustaining success. This series at Wrigley will give the Sox a chance to see how they handle a challenging environment.

Big picture view:

When the Sox take to Wrigley field this weekend, Getz will have his eye on the younger guys.

He wants to see how they handle this series as a whole.

No pressure, to be sure. It'll be a packed weekend at the Friendly Confines with beautiful afternoon weather in Chicago.

A perfect chance to see how they can handle a hostile environment.

"It's part of their development to put them in these situations that have higher stakes, greater stress, and see how they handle it, how they bounce back," Getz said.

The rookies have played well. Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero and Tim Elko stood out since making their big league debuts. The White Sox are clearly better than they were last year.

Still, Getz stressed he's not expecting peak baseball. In fact, he expects the young players and rookies to mess up. The Cubs are a good team; the Cubs will take advantage of that inexperience.

"Not every day is going to be a good day," Getz said. "It's only going to bode well for them in their future years and throughout the rest of the season."

Timeline:

This is all part of the White Sox's rebuild. It won't be quick. It won't be easy.

It is starting to take shape, though.

Coulson Montgomery, who was set down to Arizona from AAA Charlotte after struggling a bit, is coming back to Charlotte following his reset. The minors have a handful of players like Kyle Teel, Noah Schultz and Grant Taylor who are projected to make their big league debuts in 2025.

What Getz wants to see from these players in the minors, as well as his big leaguers, is to come away from everything with something. 

"You've got to have a mindset," Getz said. "You've got to fill up your positive bucket on a daily basis, even though you might have your 0 for 4, you give up a home run, there's still has got to be positive takeaways."

This weekend will reflect that for the players in the big leagues currently.

"You put a plan together for the following day to bounce back," Getz said. "Over time, you should be more productive because of that mindset."