Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast

Brett Ballantini sits down with Melissa Sage-Bollenbach to break down a Game 1 marked by dual bullpen games by the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros.

We discuss the merits of an opener, noting Hagen Smith's success in one open in the regular season and plead with Will Venable to let his opener face at least one turn of the Astros lineup.

In the second half, the duo tackles the strengths and weaknesses both teams have in the series, and end with a gut-check take on how Game 1 will play out.

Learn...

Hannah Filippo and Brett Ballantini wind up our affiliate season reviews by discussing the postseason-free but otherwise triumphant Charlotte Knights season, from the team's strong performance from April to September.

We tackle the pleasant problem of what to do with several pitchers who made the majors in 2026 or came close, including Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, Drew Thorpe, David Sandlin and Tanner McDougal, as well as standout position players like Rikuu Nishida, Caden Connor and Ryan Galanie.

Also be sure to check out Hannah's Knights season review on South Side Sox.

Learn...

Kristina Airdo and Brett Ballantini discuss Birmingham's disappointing follow-up to two straight Southern League championship series, diving deep into the (mainly first-half, and mainly pitching) differences that set the Barons on the wrong course for the season.

Along the way we discuss the standouts of the season, including Caleb Bonemer, Colby Shelton, Anthony DePino and Samuel Zavala!

Also, read Kristina's companion piece at South Side Sox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian O'Neill, Joe Kiang-Resis, Malachi Hayes, Leonard Gore and Brett Ballantini assembled after the victorious White Sox season finale to bemoan what could have been (an AL Central title), what is (White Sox season MVPs) and could be (a short peek ahead to the Wild Card round in Houston.

Come for the exotic MVP picks and confident playoff predictions, stay for all the Joe Kiang-Resis love!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Kiang-Resis travels down to the farm to join Brett Ballantini in discussing the South Atlantic League champion Dash, the lone playoff team in the White Sox system this season.

As is the case with every affiliate review, we're mostly talking about hitters: Caleb Bonemer, Roch Cholowsky, Kyle Lodise, George Wolkow and Javier Mogollón. However, we make room for Grant Umberger's extraordinary late-season and playoff run, Mathias LaCombe and Jake Curtis.

Joe's South Side Sox Dash season review is also available, for your reading pleasure.

Learn more about your ad c...

The incomparable Renee Dechert of Purple Row joined to finish off the regular season with a chat about the Rockies. Renee spoke on what “the climb” has been like this season for the Rockies and how she feels inspired by the White Sox turnaround. The pair previewed the series with pitching matchups, keys to winning and what to expect, before discussing their postseason and 2027 season hopes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A robust gathering of joyous White Sox fans (Brian O'Neill, Chrystal O'Keefe, Joe Kiang-Resis, Leonard Gore, Brett Ballantini) got together to review the 9-1 playoff-clinching victory in Kansas City, and reviewed how the White Sox got there and how they'll proceed forward.

Each of us predicts the end of the regular season and White Sox playoffs, as well as pick an MVP of the team in this late stretch run.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kicking off our affiliate review series, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach joins Brett Ballantini to discuss what turned into a very exciting season in Low-A. After a slow start, Kanny rallied to .500 in the first half, and much better than that in the second.

Melissa follows up her season review at South Side Sox with a breakdown of the best of the CBs in 2026, including Billy Carlson, Jaden Fauske, Pierce George, Alexander Albertus, Braden Holcomb, Grayson Fitzwater, Marco Barrios, and others!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the heels of a series defeat that knocked the White Sox out of first place for the first time in more than two months, Joe Kiang-Resis and Hannah Filippo dropped in on Brett Ballantini to discuss what's gone wrong with the club and take a look ahead to the final 10 games of the season.

The trio also tackles three key moments of the Cleveland series: the Chris Murphy's open, Sam Antonacci's trivial pursuit and Chris Getz's latest display of the astoundingly blind confidence of the mediocre white man.

Finally, take in our predictions on...

Taylor Streiff is back for our annual name some guys, aka Cardinals chat. Taylor shared everything new about the Cardinals, the trade deadline, Jordan Walker’s incredible highlight, and how he feels about the Cardinals season now that it’s coming to a close. Taylor and Chrystal previewed the series, talking keys to winning, threats, fears, and what to expect from the pitching matchup. Both finished the episode talking about the looming lockout and who should win the World Series, as well as the special weekend the Cardinals have planned for the 20th anniversary of their World Series win.

With time running short in the affiliate seasons, each team finds itself with a winning record in the second half ... and that means possible postseasons for Charlotte, Birmingham and Winston-Salem!

The full crew (Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Kristina Airdo, Joe Kiang-Resis, Hannah Filippo and Brett Ballantini) gather to discuss the the three clubs in contention as well as question the wisdom of bringing Tommy Pham onto the MLB roster.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Warne joined the podcast to chat about an important White Sox series against a division rival – the Twins. With little to no confidence about the rest of the season Brandon discussed the surprising trade deadline, what’s new in Minnesota, in-game proposals and preseason football, and helped preview the series. Before ending, Chrystal and Brandon shared their fears about the possible lockout, and are reminded of who is truly affected by it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, revel in White Sox success in the latest edition of Sharing Sox, then take a look at the season to come.

First up, pitching — which pitchers are on the upswing, and which are headed toward being worn out and need to be cared for tenderly the rest of the season? Are enough on the upswing to cover for the others, especially Sean Burke, who already has passed his innings total from 2025? Will Davis Martin's IL stint for a blister provide enough rest that he again be...

Two baseballsky pioneers joined forces to chat about the Mets and White Sox. April Glick Pulito joined the podcast for the first time to share how the Mets have been doing, especially after the trade deadline and their recent 11-4 run. The pair compared the 2024 White Sox and the 2026 Mets after firing their skippers, and how vibes were better once admitting that the season was over early on.

April shared insight on the pitching, and how this series could be interesting with the Mets as spoilers. April also talked about her fears and the keys to win...

It's that time of year again (again), but so much has changed: Rather than being a team just hoping to spoil the other's season, as was the case back in May, the White Sox have ascended into first place and in fact sit in significantly better postseason position than the crosstown Cubs.

Malachi Hayes, Brian O'Neill, Leonard Gore, Chrystal O'Keefe and Brett Ballantini assemble to preview this week's series, but quickly descend into crapping on the Cubs insipid franchise, hackneyed mystique and clownish fans.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

Katie Dzwierzynski joined Chrystal O'Keefe to chat about the upcoming Crosstown Classic series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. Katie provided updates on the trade deadline and her optimism with the rest of the 2026 season for the Cubs. Despite Milwaukee's division lead, Katie still thinks the Cubs can make a push, and the two pondered how the city will handle both teams in the playoffs.

Chrystal and Katie previewed the series, going over pitching matchups, this time with four new pitchers getting a crash course in Crosstown shenanigans. Before wrapping up, Katie shared her hopes and fears...

After the weekend sweep of the latest pretender to the AL Central crown, the Detroit Tigers, it felt like the right time to try to figure out what in the world is going on with our Chicago White Sox. And attempting to solve that delicious riddle are Chrystal O'Keefe, Brett Ballantini, Malachi Hayes, Brian O'Neill and Leonard Gore.

Team Southpaw faced off against Team Pope Hats to dig into the surprisingly solid core of the White Sox and vibe check our confidence levels in the White Sox finishing the job and winning the division.

Ashley, the co-host of American League with Ashley and Motor City Metrics, who also contributes to Tigers ML Report and became a certified MLB Scout last year, joined the show to talk about all things Detroit Tigers.

With the American League Central up for grabs no lead is safe, and that is exactly what Chrystal and Ashley started with. The two talked about the trade deadline after Detroit dealt Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, and how it was still successful for the Tigers. The pair also previewed the White Sox series, with Ashley sharing the keys to...

Wick Terrell of our sister site Red Reporter is back this season to talk all things Red. After a lackluster trade deadline and a lot of injuries, Wick’s high hopes of the Reds having a good season have dissipated. Wick and Chrystal talked about what’s new with the Reds and previewed the series — with keys to win, fears, and that speedy Elly De La Cruz. They also were reminded of Eloy Jiménez undergoing emergency surgery in Cincy, theorized on if Marge Schott and Pete Rose cursed the Reds, and how wonderful Joey Votto is.

Le...

Mikayla Baer joined Chrystal O'Keefe to talk about all things Guardians, including what’s new in Cleveland (spoiler alert: it’s most of their players), how she feels about the trade deadline, and the rest of the season. She also talked about her card collection and her joyous first trip to Rate Field. The pair discussed pitching matchups, keys to winning the series and just getting runs in with runners in scoring position. Before closing, Mikayla and Chrystal chatted about their fears with a lockout looming and how we really need a salary floor.

Learn more...

Ed Hand is back to chat about the Red Sox. In this episode Ed talked about his trade deadline hopes for Boston, and how they’ve been red-hot since right before the All Star break. He and Chrystal previewed pitching matchups that changed mid-episode, talked about keys to winning and fears, and shared a lot of David Sandlin love. Before wrapping up, the pair talked about the possible work stoppage and why the Dodgers sometimes ruin everything. Oh, and more emo music. Sorry.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Kiang-Resis, Malachi Hayes and the reformed, refurbished and revitalized Leonard Gore gathered together with Brett Ballantini to talk over the four moves made at the trade deadline by the White Sox, from good to ... puzzling.

By the end, we speed-rounded grades for Chris Getz's first "buying" deadline, as well as whether or not Cleveland and its acquisition of Foster Griffin had a better deadline session than the White Sox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Minors writers Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and Joe Kiang-Resis hop on with Brett Ballantini to take a pause from our monthly reviews and discuss the events of the day.

Talk of SSS Player of the Month for July Boston Smith, now departed to Seattle, triggered a discussion on whether it was the right time for the White Sox to be using prospect capital to ensure the postseason in 2026 (answer: yes).

We spun that into some yes/nos on trades that were rumored but did not happen: Smith and George Wolkow to New York for Freddy Peralta, and...

Jason Collette, of FanGraphs and Rotowire, is back to talk about the Tampa Bay Rays. Jason addressed Tampa's trade deadline needs, and how to get by the pesky Yankees and Red Sox, who still find ways to win.

Jason and Chrystal talked about pitching matchups for the coming series, and the pros and cons of opening pitchers in previewing the series. They also lauded the ABS system, issues with catchers, cool bobbleheads, and how sometimes sports hurt your feelings.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Asher from Pitcher List made his season debut to talk about all things Yankees. He discussed what’s new, including an Aaron Judge health update, what the Yankees need to do at the deadline, and how confident he feels about playoff chances. The duo previewed the series and talked about their mutual love of weird pitchers and Jason Benetti.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Brown is back this season to talk about the Houston Astros. For the first time in more than a decade, the Astros will likely be sellers at the trade deadline, in an everything-must-go situation. But even still, there is some hope for the franchise.

Chrystal and Andy previewed the series and talked about the great vibes at Rate Field this season. Andy also shared his hot takes, including how baseball still needs to figure out how to grow the game.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Levi Weaver, co-writer of The Windup with Ken Rosenthal on The Athletic, joined Chrystal to talk about all things Rangers. Before digging into what’s going on in Texas, Chrystal asked about Levi’s Halloween costume from last year: George Pee-Wee Herman Ruth, which he put together for his Sandlot baseball league.

The pair discussed what is needed at the Trade Deadline and how unserious the American League is this year before previewing the upcoming series. Before closing, Levi shared a few baseball takes before diving into an emo debate and praise of seeing Nick Cave live.

Do women still have to prove they're "real sports fans?" On this episode of Ladies' Night, hosts Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and Kristina Airdo are joined by Dakota Rouse from the Chicago Women's Sports Club to talk about gatekeeping, finding your community, and why sports are better when everyone feels like they belong.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Dante Jones and Malachi Hayes hopped on with Brett Ballantini to discuss the fabulous first half for the White Sox, but more so to focus on the second half and stretch run that could give the club its first postseason berth in five seasons.

We discuss how the second half plays out, who ends up winning the division, what the trade deadline will look like, who finishes the season as the White Sox MVP — and much more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former voice of the Toronto Blue Jays, current Toronto Star baseball columnist and host of the Deep Left Field podcast, Mike Wilner joined Chrystal to chat about the Blue Jays.

Mike discussed what’s new with the Blue Jays, and why he’s not feeling negative about the team. The two also previewed the upcoming White Sox series and talked about what Mike is enjoying this season, as well as the statue being unveiled soon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chrystal O'Keefe, Brian O'Neill and Hannah Filippo hopped on with Brett Ballantini to discuss the fabulous first half for the White Sox, but more so to focus on the second half and stretch run that could give the club its first postseason berth in five seasons.

We discuss how the second half plays out, who ends up winning the division, what the trade deadline will look like, and who finishes the season as the White Sox MVP — and much more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a little hard to tell at South Side Sox given all of our normal draft features being churned out, but this year marked a wrinkle to our coverage: Actual writers on the ground to cover the event.

Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and her son, Sage, were in Philadelphia for the draft, Melissa as credentialed SB Nation media.

Now ... did that turn out to be a good thing? And did Sage, donned in a UCLA Roch Cholowsky jersey and White Sox cap, get feasted on by writers and broadcasters looking for No. 1 overall draft choice material?<...

Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, reporting from the 2026 draft in Philadelphia, joined Brett Ballantini to wrap up an extremely impressive effort by the White Sox.

We revisit the debate over the No. 1 overall pick (we had both settled on a player other than Roch Cholowsky), Chicago's maneuverings to land Landon Thome, note securing a first-round talent (and Grady Emerson doppelganger?) Cole Prosek at 41, and other highlights — including players taken DEEP in the draft, all the way down to Round 20.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The wonderful Aaron Cameron is back for the second time this season to talk about the Athletics. Aaron shared his experience with seeing the A’s in Las Vegas, as they start to integrate and build hype in the desert. The pair went over trade deadline needs and confidence levels about 2026.

Chrystal and Aaron also previewed the series, talked about the game they caught together at the end of May in Chicago, and Aaron shared his hottest take to date — he hates the Home Run Derby.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

Red Sox media jack-of-all-trades Owen Brown made his Visiting Dugout debut to talk to Chrystal about what’s new in Boston and preview the upcoming laundry series.

Owen touched on the April firings, the Willson Contreras suspension, and if the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

The pair also went over what to expect in this series including pitching matchups and fears, before moving on to what’s going on with MLB in general.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imari McPherson joins again to talk about a familiar team, the Cleveland Guardians. While the pitching matchups in this series will be similar, the White Sox will see the Guardians on the road this time, and for four games.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The full squadron of South Side Sox minors writers (Brett Ballantini, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Joe Kiang-Resis, Kristina Airdo and Hannah Filippo) assembled to review June and the first half in the White Sox system.

We assessed the second-half fortunes for each affiliate, and highlighted some of the system's brightest and most disappointing players.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dream is back to talk to Chrystal about all things Orioles. The pair talked about what’s going on in Baltimore, and previewed the series and what to expect.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there's one thing you can count on from Sox Populi, it's that every time the White Sox win a game by 21, we'll be on the air for a postgame podcast. That's our promise.

Of course, that's never happened in White Sox history, and there's been just one bigger blowout in all 126 years of play for the South Siders, also against a Kansas City team (the Athletics, in 1955). And the 22 runs scored in the blowout tie for the second-most ever by the team (again, 1955, 29 runs).

Game recapper Trevor Land (in his Sox Populi podcast debut...

Journalist Vince Guerrieri joined the podcast to chat with Chrystal about the Cleveland Guardians. Plagued with injuries and losing the heart of the order, the Guardians are still lingering at the top of the American League Central alongside the White Sox.

Vince talked about the offseason, and how Cleveland owners don’t spend money on free agents, either, as well as his confidence levels for taking the division.

The pair previewed the series, and the pitching clinic the Guardians always seem to have. Vince shared the keys to winning, and his fears heading into the se...