Pope Leo XIV could star in a historic moment with the White Sox in the MLB playoffs
The pontiff is one of the Chicago team's most famous fans and has an open invitation from the franchise. His name resurfaced amid the excitement over the MLB postseason.
The Chicago White Sox are experiencing a postseason that just a few months ago seemed hard to imagine. And while the team tries to extend its surprising October run, an unexpected name is once again appearing around the franchise: Pope Leo XIV.
The pontiff is a well-known White Sox fan and has had since 2025 an open invitation to throw out a first pitch at Rate Field. For now, there is no confirmation that he will do so, but the possibility has once again gained momentum with the team now in the playoffs.
An invitation that was born after his election as Pope
The proposal emerged shortly after Robert Francis Prevost was elected pontiff in May 2025. Brooks Boyer, then head of revenue and marketing for the White Sox, stated that Leo XIV had an open invitation to return to the stadium , sit in the seat where he had watched the 2005 World Series, and throw out the first pitch at a game. He even joked about the possibility of letting him bat.
More than a year later, that invitation has a very different context. The White Sox returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after going through two especially difficult seasons : they lost 121 games in 2024, a modern-era record, and another 102 in 2025. In September they clinched their playoff berth after defeating the Kansas City Royals 9-1.
"And Leo XIV has not hidden his enthusiasm. When asked whether he had had any divine influence on the qualification, he replied with a smile: “No comment. Wonderful things happen in Chicago.”
A White Sox fan long before arriving at the Vatican
The relationship between Leo XIV and the team did not begin when he was elected Pope. Robert Prevost grew up in the Chicago area and was a White Sox fan long before arriving at the Vatican. In 2005, he attended the first game of the World Series against the Houston Astros, a game that Chicago won 5-3 before completing the sweep to claim the title.
His presence was captured by television cameras. Father Bob, as he was then, was in Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2, a spot that the White Sox ultimately turned into part of the stadium’s history. The team placed a plaque and a graphic installation to commemorate that the future Pope had been seated there during that game.
The bond grew even stronger this year. In June, former catcher A.J. Pierzynski visited the Pope at the Vatican and presented him with the ball from the final out of Game 1 of that 2005 World Series. Leo XIV also received a jersey signed by Paul Konerko and, in August, the White Sox sent him one of the distinctive mitre-shaped hats they handed out to their fans.
The connection extended into the current postseason. Before the start of the Wild Card Series, a letter sent by Leo XIV from the Vatican reached Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox. In it, he expressed gratitude for the organization's gestures and highlighted the role of sports in creating bonds of friendship and solidarity.
Now there remains a scene that still belongs to the realm of possibility: Leo XIV on the mound at Rate Field, with a ball in his hand and before thousands of White Sox fans. The invitation already exists. The team is in October. And the Pope, for now, has not closed that door either.
