With just one week left in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are on the brink of ending the year with the worst record in modern baseball history. At 36-120, they have already matched the infamous 1962 New York Mets with 120 losses. The White Sox have six games remaining, and their performance stats offer little hope for a turnaround.
The team's collective batting average of .220 and an equally dismal on-base percentage (.278) and slugging percentage (.339) significantly lag behind the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. An OPS+ of 76 highlights their struggle to get on base and hit for power, standing 24% below the league average. One of the most glaring offensive shortcomings is their last-place ranking in home runs with only 127 dingers throughout the season. Surprisingly, not a single player has reached the 20-home run benchmark.
Scoring runs has been an uphill battle for the White Sox, with a league-low average of just 3.07 runs per game. Comparatively, the Tampa Bay Rays, who rank 29th in runs per game, average 3.78 runs. The gap between these numbers underscores the lack of offensive firepower in the White Sox's lineup.
Defensive Struggles
Often, a team's struggles at the plate can be mitigated by strong defense. However, the White Sox have faltered defensively as well, aggregating -83 total zone runs—dead last in the league. For context, the Miami Marlins, who rank 29th, have -53 total zone runs, while the league-leading Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners boast a positive 46.
The run differential is another sharp indicator of their woes, as opponents have outscored them 799-479, leading to a staggering -320 run differential. Andrew Vaughn, despite being the team leader in RBIs (67) and runs (54), ranks 103rd out of 130 qualifying players in OPS for the batting title, representing the grim state of the White Sox's offensive output.
Pitching Problems and Injury Woes
The pitching mound has offered no respite either. Erick Fedde, the team's leader in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), hasn't pitched since July 27. The White Sox's collective performance in FanGraphs' WAR is a woeful -6.8, making them the only team with a negative figure. Comparatively, the Colorado Rockies, who rank 29th, have a positive WAR of 4.1.
Home and Road Troubles
The team's record both at home and on the road reflects their overall struggles. With a 16-62 record in away games and a 20-58 record at home, they hold the worst records in the league in both categories. The Rockies are the next lowest in road wins with 24, and the Marlins trail far behind the White Sox at home with a 30-51 record. The White Sox had never lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season before this debacle.
Historic Losing Streaks
Adding to this dreadful season are their lengthy losing streaks. They've had slumps lasting 21, 14, and 12 games, along with additional six and seven-game streaks. Before this season, the White Sox had encountered losing streaks of 12 games or more only three times in their history—in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Since the All-Star break, the team has managed a 9-49 record. No team in MLB history has ever won fewer than 15 games in a full second half, a dubious record that the 1915 and 1943 Athletics hold at 15-61.
Minor Bright Spots
In a season as bleak as this, finding any silver lining is a challenge. The brightest spots came in May and June, where they managed 9-19 records each month. Their worst month was July, where they stumbled to a 3-22 record. They have winning records against just five teams: the Braves (2-1), Rockies (2-1), Cardinals (2-1), Rays (4-2), and Nationals (2-1).
Against their own division, the AL Central, they are 12-41, a record that highlights their struggle to compete even within their division. As the 2024 season draws to a close, it is undeniably the worst in Major League Baseball history for the Chicago White Sox.