If you walked into a bar on Clark Street or 35th last summer, you probably heard the same tired narrative. The "Crosstown Classic" was dead. They said the spark was gone because one team was rebuilding and the other was just trying to keep its head above water in the NL Central.
Honestly? They were wrong.
The Sox vs Cubs 2025 season series didn't just happen; it actually reignited a fire that had been smoldering under the weight of a few mediocre years. We saw high-stakes drama, a 30/30 club entry, and a reminder that when these two teams share a zip code, "interleague play" is a massive understatement.
The May Massacre at Wrigley
It started in mid-May. The North Side was buzzing. The Cubs were riding a wave of momentum, and the White Sox were trying to prove they weren't the same team that struggled through 2024.
The Friday opener on May 16th was a bloodbath. The Cubs didn't just win; they embarrassed the Sox 13-3. Pete Crow-Armstrong looked like he was playing a different game than everyone else. He was everywhere. He stole bases, tracked down fly balls in the gap, and basically turned Wrigley into his personal playground.
The rest of that weekend followed suit. The Cubs took all three games at home, outscoring the Sox 26-8 over the weekend. It was the first time the Cubs had swept the South Siders in a three-game set at Wrigley since 2008. If you're a Sox fan, it was a long, quiet ride home on the Red Line.
The South Side Strike Back
Baseball is weird. By the time the series shifted to Guaranteed Rate Field in late July, the vibes had shifted.
The White Sox, surprisingly, found some grit. On July 25th, they flipped the script. They put up 12 runs on the Cubs in a Friday night explosion that caught everyone off guard. Miguel Vargas and the younger core finally looked like the players they were promised to be.
But the Cubs aren't pushovers. They clawed back to take the next two games, winning the season series 5-1. That sounds like a blowout on paper, but the final game on July 27th was a 5-4 nail-biter that went down to the final out.
Why the 2025 Matchup Mattered
Most people look at the 5-1 season record and think it was a one-sided year. That's the first thing they get wrong.
The reality is that 2025 was the year Pete Crow-Armstrong became a superstar. He joined the 30/30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases) during this season, and a huge chunk of his highlight reel came against South Side pitching. He and Nico Hoerner formed a defensive middle that felt impossible to hit through.
On the other side, the White Sox used these games to test their "next generation." We saw glimpses of what a post-rebuild Sox team looks like. They weren't quite there yet, but the fight they showed in July suggested that the "Hitless Wonders" era might finally be in the rearview mirror.
The All-Time Deadlock
One of the coolest things about the Sox vs Cubs 2025 series is what it did to the history books. Entering the final game in July, the all-time series was almost perfectly balanced.
- Total Meetings: 158
- All-Time Record: 79-79 (Post-2025 Series)
- Regular Season: Cubs lead 77-75
- Postseason: White Sox lead 4-2 (from that 1906 World Series)
Think about that. Over 100 years of baseball and they are essentially tied. It’s one of the few rivalries in sports that is actually as close as the fans claim it is.
What to Watch Moving Forward
If you're looking to keep tabs on this rivalry, don't just look at the standings.
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The Cubs are clearly in a "win-now" window. With the addition of Alex Bregman on a massive five-year deal and the emergence of young stars like Matt Shaw, the North Side is looking at a deep playoff run. They have the pitching, the defense, and the payroll to stay at the top.
The White Sox are playing a different game. They’re betting on "young, physical, athletic" talent. Manager Will Venable is trying to build a culture that doesn't crumble when things get tough. They aren't going to outspend the Cubs, but they might out-hustle them in a year or two.
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you're planning to catch the next installment of this rivalry in 2026, here’s the play:
- Watch the Red Line: Seriously. Take the CTA. It’s the only way to experience the transition from the North Side ivy to the South Side steel.
- Track the Pitching Matchups: The 2025 series proved that the Cubs' rotation—led by Shota Imanaga—is the real deal. When the Sox can't match that depth, they struggle. Watch the trade deadline for when the Sox might add a veteran arm to stabilize things.
- Follow the Gold Glovers: Keep an eye on the defensive stats for Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner. They are literally the best defensive duo in the league right now.
- Get Tickets Early: These games are consistently some of the highest-priced tickets in Chicago for a reason. Don't wait until May to look for Wrigley seats.
The Crosstown Classic isn't just a mid-summer distraction. It’s a measuring stick for the city. In 2025, the Cubs proved they were the kings of Chicago, but the White Sox proved they aren't going to stay down forever.