On May 8th, 2025, history was made. A week earlier, the much-beloved Pope Francis passed away peacefully. In the ensuing days, dozens of cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church. After much deliberation, white smoke emerged from the building, and Pope Leo stepped out onto the balcony—greeting the world for the first time.
It’s always big news when a major global leader assumes power, but this ascendancy was particularly notable. Pope Leo was born and raised in Chicago, making him the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church. Naturally, that led many to wonder: was he a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan?
Unfortunately for him, the answer is White Sox.
Baseball fans know the franchise has struggled tremendously over the last few seasons, but now they have a friend in the Vatican. How should you wager on the White Sox when using your Illinois betting promos by YouBet? Let’s take a look at their chances.
The White Sox Are Coming Off a Record-Setting Year
Before the White Sox had a fan in the Vatican, they were setting all the worst kinds of records. They ended the 2024 season with more losses than any team has ever accumulated in the modern era of the sport.
They’ve since gone on to win only 31% of their games so far this season. During SoxFest, an annual celebration of the team, the front office was booed after expressing any sign of optimism for the franchise’s future.
While it’s fair to say that the White Sox have little more than a hope and a prayer—and yes, that is a Catholic joke—of making it deep into the postseason this year, their prospects aren’t entirely sunk.
Fans do have at least a little reason to be optimistic, even if they might have to wait a while to see the best of what this team has in store.
Two things you should keep in mind. First, teams have been in worse positions than the White Sox are now and still done alright.
Yes, they have a .315 win record. Yes, that’s really bad. They’re in last place in their conference. And after last season’s record-breaking mediocrity, there’s little reason for fans to be excited about what’s to come.
That said, they’re already on track to at least do better than they did the previous season. They’re closing in on the 40 wins they amassed last year—and it’s only June.
Also keep in mind that teams have done worse and gone further. The general benchmark is for teams to have a 50% or better record by the trade deadline on July 31st. The Sox have a lot of work ahead of them if they’re going to hit that figure. But it’s definitely not impossible.
A Young Team With Potential
The roster actually has improved a little bit. Last year, the team had a bit of bloat in the form of overpaid, underperforming veterans like Andrew Benintendi, Mike Clevinger, and Yasmani Grandal—players who never quite lived up to the contracts they were handed.
This year, they’re relying more heavily on young talent. The 2025 season opened with 25-year-old Garrett Crochet taking the mound on Opening Day—a symbolic shift toward the future. With a starting lineup made up mostly of players in their mid-20s, the White Sox is a high-energy team that simply lacks the wisdom and cohesion of experience.
These things will come eventually. Eventually most likely does not mean this season.
Right now, the team (and its fans) needs to lean into the fact that it is in the middle of a rebuilding year.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just means they need to be more focused on modest goals. Dominance? Probably not. But a winning record would be a heck of a thing for a team that last year seemed pretty much hopeless.
If you’re the type of White Sox fan who can’t stand to be anything other than as optimistic as is reasonably possible, set your sights on the wild card slot. That at least could happen, even if it is unlikely.
This season, it’s all about looking for improvement. And after last year’s performance, this, at least, is almost guaranteed.
Pope Leo probably won’t be watching his favorite team in the World Series from the Vatican this October, but there is hope for the future.
Don’t forget that the Texas Rangers went from being one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best in about a three-year stretch. That’s a pretty typical timeline for franchises in a solid rebuilding cycle. Even when all of the pieces are in place, it generally takes a couple of seasons to get them working together smoothly. Right now, the White Sox have the components for a successful team—they’re just not seeing the results yet.
Have hope, fans. And maybe send a prayer or two their way. We know of at least one fan who knows how to bend the Big Guy’s ear. With a little luck and time, your prayers may be answered.
