As Mike Vasil did his thing hosting a dance party minutes before first pitch, the vibes filtered out of the third base dugout and floated around Rate Field.

The energy inside the South Side ballpark was palpable Wednesday afternoon as the White Sox were set to host their first playoff game in five years — and potentially clinch their first trip to the ALCS in more than 20 years.

The potential celebration had to wait at least one more day, as the Guardians punched back with a 9-3 win in Game 3.

But the White Sox will have two more cracks at clinching this series and turning that dance party into another epic clubhouse celebration featuring must-see interviews with Vasil and star rookie Munetaka Murakami.

It still feels surreal to the entire baseball world that the White Sox are here — on the doorstep of more playoff glory.

How they got here is another story — a story of belief instilled in this club by its leaders.

Will Venable will very likely take home the AL Manager of the Year Award as he has served as the steward for an upstart team that erased three straight 100-loss seasons. White Sox GM and executive vice president Chris Getz will also share a bulk of that credit as the architect of this roster.

Before Wednesday’s game, a reporter asked Venable a big-picture question about how the city of Chicago is gearing up for Bears-Packers as well as the Chicago Marathon in a few days, yet the main focus seems to be on the plucky White Sox.

“I don’t know if [the players are] looking at it like that,” Venable said. “… These guys are just so excited to come to the ballpark every day. It’s been the center of their summer every day, especially coming to this ballpark. Playing in front of our fans is a special opportunity every day.”

That enthusiasm has been on full display, from the dugout dancing antics to the spirted play on the field.

The White Sox went into the final week of the MLB regular season with a strong chance to win the AL Central. They didn’t get the job done, meaning they had to go on the road to Houston to beat the veteran Astros in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.

They swept the Astros and turned right around and headed to Cleveland to take the first two games from their rivals on the road in the ALDS.

The TNT broadcast Wednesday afternoon flashed a stat stating the White Sox are the fourth team in MLB history to win four straight road games to begin a postseason.

Every step of the way, they have passed the test laid out in front of them this postseason.

They now have a new challenge: Flush the Game 3 loss and get ready for Game 4 Thursday with another opportunity to clinch the ALDS at home.

“One hundred percent confidence [we can bounce back],” Venable said Wednesday after the game. “We’ve done it all year. We’ve been in tough spots where we haven’t played our best games. … Whatever the result, these guys came back the next day. It’s really kind of been the story of our group and being able to bounce back no matter what happens.”

The 2026 White Sox are here, playing into mid-October, because of breakout seasons from all corners of their roster. Chief among them is third baseman Miguel Vargas, who has morphed into an MVP candidate.

Vargas points to Venable as a big reason why.

“He has been my role model,” Vargas said before Wednesday’s game. “I’ve been having great conversations with him during these past two years, and I think he’s helped me so much. The impact he has not just on the field but in my life has been unbelievable.

“I cannot appreciate him more for what he’s done for me and for my family. I just appreciate the whole organization, the White Sox, for this opportunity and everything they have done for me and my family.”

How has Venable made an impact on Vargas?

“So many things, man,” the All-Star third baseman said. “I think a lot of the time I get a little bit disconnected from the game and it’s a lot of ups and downs during the season. I feel like he always calls me in his office at the right time, in the right moment, to let me know that something I have to start doing or that I have done is not right or how he helps me to get better every time.

“Anything I do on the field is not enough. He always thinks I can do more, and I think that’s how he gets the best out of me.”

Venable and Getz were both big-league players — Venable for nine years and Getz for seven seasons. That carries instant credibility in the clubhouse.

Venable admitted to feeling the emotions and anxiety of playoff baseball, even if it never shows. But he remembers how the manager’s demeanor impacted the teams he played on.

“There’s emotions in this game and as a player, as a coach, I’ve felt the emotional roller coaster of a game, of a season,” Venable said. “I’ve had some really good managers and been able to see what their steadiness has done for me, has done for our group. And so that’s something that, coming into this job, I knew was going to be an important thing for me.

“It’s not always perfect. I certainly have my moments and am definitely feeling the emotions that come with all of this, especially in the playoffs. I mean, it’s a lot out there.

“But I think it’s important to give stability to the group. Also, I do have a ton of confidence not just in our players but in our coaching staff, too. So that makes it easier for me, as well.”

Four of the players in the White Sox starting lineup Wednesday (Vargas, Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth and Braden Montgomery) were acquired in 2024 trades Getz pulled off.

There’s also former Savannah Banana Tristan Peters and journeyman veteran Randal Grichuk — players Getz plucked off the scrap heap and have turned into key pieces for this playoff team.

Three other players who appeared in Wednesday’s game — shortstop Colson Montgomery and pitchers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz — were recent first-round picks by the organization (either when Getz was the GM or assistant GM).

And then there’s Murakami, the Japanese sensation whose swing-and-miss profile scared off other MLB teams last offseason, but whom Getz and Co. were all too eager to hand a $34 million deal and give him a platform to blossom into a star.

“I think he’s got a really clear vision of winning, and I think that he’s a really bright guy,” Venable said of Getz. “He’s a really good communicator and he understands what it’s like to be a player, which I think is really important.

“One of the best parts about what we have going on — aside from all the great work he’s doing in the organization as far as developing the player development department, R&D, scouting — is the environment that we have. He knows what it’s like to go to work every day in a place that you’re allowed to be yourself, that you’re excited to go to, and he really sets the tone for that.”

Regardless of how this ALDS — or this playoff run — ends up, that environment has produced a White Sox season for the ages.

And some real optimism for the future.