The Chicago White Sox are keeping their eyes on the prize, but manager Will Venable insists the focus starts with the team itself. As the American League Central standings tighten, Venable is striking a balance between optimism and realism.

"You look broadly, and in our division everyone is kind of bunched up here, which is great," Venable said Tuesday at Rate Field. "You feel like you can be competitive, and obviously playing meaningful games is important."

But the skipper didn't sugarcoat the situation: "At the same time, we're a couple games under .500 (19-21). That's not where we want to be. And so our focus is really on ourselves and what we can do to go out there and execute and try to win today."

The White Sox entered Tuesday's series opener against the Kansas City Royals sitting in second place in the AL Central, just 1½ games behind the Cleveland Guardians. The division is remarkably close, with the last-place Minnesota Twins trailing the Guardians by only three games through Monday.

For a team that's been near the bottom in recent years, the tight race feels like a fresh start. "You're always kind of aware of (the standings)," said outfielder/designated hitter Andrew Benintendi. "The last few years up to this point, it seemed like we're almost out of it. Right now it's fun. We're competitive in the division. There's a long way to go, but we've put ourselves in a position where we are at least talking about it."

No team has taken charge yet. The Guardians, the only AL Central club with a winning record entering Tuesday, barely sit above .500 at 22-21, thanks in part to rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter's solid contributions (.292 average, six home runs, 25 RBIs). Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers (19-22) are navigating life without two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who is recovering from elbow surgery.

The Royals (19-22) stumbled early but have found their stride in May, going 7-3. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. earned American League Player of the Week honors on Monday after an impressive .407 (11-for-27) stretch with three home runs. The Twins (18-23) have cooled off after a 11-7 start, going 7-16, but they did take two of three from the Guardians last weekend.

For the White Sox, the momentum is building. They've won three of their last four series, proving that in a bunched-up division, every game matters—and the focus remains on what they can control.