For years, the Chicago White Sox stood out in a way that wasn’t exactly flattering.
Chicago White Sox v Boston Red Sox | Winslow Townson/GettyImages
Not because of wins. Not because of playoff runs. But because they were one of the last MLB teams without a jersey sponsorship patch — a quiet holdout in a league that has rapidly turned uniforms into premium advertising space.
That era is officially over.
Starting in 2026, White Sox jerseys will look different. Not dramatically. Not in a way that casual fans will notice at first glance.
But in a way that signals something the organization has been pushing toward for a while now: a shift from “just surviving” to building a brand that’s meant to be seen everywhere.
The White Sox announced a multi-year agreement with Chicago-based CME Group, naming them the team’s official global exchange partner.
Beginning next season, the team will wear a CME Group patch on the sleeve of every jersey — during both Spring Training and the Regular Season.
On paper, it’s a simple sponsorship deal.
In reality, it feels like the kind of move teams make when they believe they’re about to matter again.
MLB opened the door to jersey patches ahead of the 2023 season, following the 2022 CBA agreement. Teams were allowed to negotiate sponsorships during the 2022 season, and patches began appearing league-wide in 2023.
The first deal in MLB history came when the San Diego Padres partnered with Motorola in April 2022, kicking off what quickly became the new normal.
By the start of 2026, 28 of the league’s 30 teams had already taken the money and taken the space. Only the White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays remained patch-free.
Until now.
And here’s where it gets interesting: the White Sox didn’t act like a desperate franchise grabbing the first offer.
Reports indicate they turned down other sponsorship opportunities while searching for the “right fit.”
Whether that’s branding discipline or just careful timing, the message is the same — they wanted control over what their uniform would represent.
They landed on CME Group, a local Chicago institution led by a lifelong White Sox fan, a detail the team is clearly leaning into.
The patch itself will feature a light-blue CME logo, with a background designed to match each jersey color — a small design choice that tells you this wasn’t just about slapping a logo anywhere it would fit.
CME Group will also have signage behind home plate at Rate Field, adding another layer of visibility that fans will see on broadcasts all season long.
The team even framed the partnership in dramatic terms, calling it a merging of “innovation, perseverance and momentum.” It’s the kind of language organizations use when they want the public to feel like they’re stepping into a new era — even if the on-field product still has something to prove.
And that’s the tension under all of this.
The White Sox have been through a complete overhaul in recent years — front office changes, coaching turnover, and new involvement on the Pacific Rim for the first time in decades.
Meanwhile, three straight 100-loss seasons have turned the franchise into an afterthought across Major League Baseball.
So why does a jersey patch feel like such a big deal?
Because it’s not just a patch. It’s a statement that the White Sox are ready to be marketed again.
The timing matters. The team believes it’s turning a corner after a strong second half and the arrival of highly-touted prospects in 2025.
Chris Getz and the front office have openly been chasing the idea of making the White Sox a worldwide brand — and the organization expects that vision to get a major boost in Japan after adding Japanese star Munetaka Murakami.
It’s not subtle what they’re trying to replicate.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have benefited massively from Japanese sponsorship momentum after adding Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki.
The White Sox clearly see a similar lane: international recognition, international dollars, and international relevance.
That’s the dream.
But dreams don’t erase the last few years.
The franchise is still carrying the weight of losing seasons, fading attention, and a fanbase that’s been asked to “wait for the future” too many times.
Even the mention of an upcoming ownership change feels like a quiet admission that the White Sox aren’t just retooling — they’re rebuilding the identity of the entire organization from the top down.
So when the White Sox take the field on March 26 in Milwaukee, the patch won’t just be a logo.
It’ll be a marker.
A signal that the White Sox are done being invisible — and ready to sell the idea that better days are coming, even if the league still isn’t sure whether to believe them.
And the question hanging over it all is simple:
Is this patch really just sponsorship… or the first public proof that the White Sox think the turnaround is finally real? ⚡
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