AL Central
Minnesota Twins
Target Field · Minneapolis
The Minnesota Twins are a Major League Baseball team in the American League Central division.
AL Central Rivalry
Twins–White Sox
Midwest fight for the Central
A rivalry between two American League charter franchises that turned fierce in the 2000s, when the Twins and White Sox traded the AL Central crown nearly every year. Its signature moment is the 2008 one-game tiebreaker for the division.
The Rivalry
Though both clubs date to the American League's founding in 1901, the rivalry as fans know it took shape after the team that became the Twins relocated to Minnesota in 1961 and, more decisively, when both landed in the new AL Central in the 1990s. The decade after 2000 was the heart of it: Minnesota and Chicago combined to win eight of ten division titles. The peak came in 2008, when both teams ended the regular season tied at 88-74, forcing a tiebreaker dubbed the "Blackout Game." Chicago won 1-0 on a Jim Thome home run, with John Danks throwing eight scoreless innings. Minnesota answered in 2010, rallying to take the division.
What's at Stake
As AL Central rivals, the Twins and White Sox meet often, and in competitive years those games directly decide playoff positioning. The rivalry has a clear geographic edge: Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago are a manageable drive apart through the Upper Midwest, and crowds routinely mix. It is a contrast in identity — Minnesota's Upper Midwest fan base against Chicago's South Side faithful.
Famous Moments
- 1965 — The Twins won the American League pennant, finishing well ahead of the second-place White Sox.
- 2008 — Chicago beat Minnesota 1-0 in the AL Central tiebreaker "Blackout Game" on a Jim Thome home run.
- 2008 — John Danks tossed eight scoreless innings in that tiebreaker, with Bobby Jenks closing it out.
- 2010 — Minnesota won the AL Central after climbing back to finish ahead of Chicago.
The Two Teams
Plan the Trip
The two cities make an easy Midwest pairing. Minnesota's Target Field is a modern, open-air downtown ballpark widely praised since it opened in 2010. Chicago's Rate Field anchors the city's South Side and a classic baseball-town experience. A few hours apart by road, they let fans catch the rivalry in both ballparks on a single bucket-list trip.
Frequently Asked Questions: Twins–White Sox
The two teams first met in 1901. A rivalry between two American League charter franchises that turned fierce in the 2000s, when the Twins and White Sox traded the AL Central crown nearly every year. Its signature moment is the 2008 one-game tiebreaker for the division.
As AL Central rivals, the Twins and White Sox meet often, and in competitive years those games directly decide playoff positioning. The rivalry has a clear geographic edge: Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago are a manageable drive apart through the Upper Midwest, and crowds routinely mix. It is a contrast in identity — Minnesota's Upper Midwest fan base against Chicago's South Side faithful.
Yes — as AL Central division rivals they face off many times across the 2026 MLB season.
Minnesota Twins host at Target Field in Minneapolis; Chicago White Sox play at Rate Field in Chicago.
