With just one week left in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are on the precipice of making an unfortunate mark in modern baseball history. Holding a record of 36-120, the White Sox have already tied the inglorious 1962 New York Mets for 120 losses, and the team still has six games left to play. The numbers paint a grim picture for the once-proud franchise.
Offensively, the team's struggles are glaring. The White Sox are hitting a woeful .220/.278/.339, far below the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. Their OPS+ stands at a dismal 76, indicating they are 24% worse than the league average in getting on base and hitting for power. With only 127 home runs this season—ranking dead last in the league—not a single player has managed to reach the 20-home run mark. The offensive woes are further compounded by their average of just 3.07 runs per game, the lowest in the league. To put this into context, the Tampa Bay Rays, who rank 29th in runs per game, average 3.78.
One of the few bright spots in the offensive lineup is Andrew Vaughn, who leads the team in both RBIs (67) and runs (54). However, even Vaughn ranks only 103rd out of 130 qualifying players in OPS for the batting title, highlighting the overall shortcomings of the team. The White Sox have also been the worst defensive team in the league, with -83 total zone runs, far worse than the Marlins, who rank 29th with -53 total zone runs. In stark contrast, the Brewers and Mariners are tied for first in total zone runs with 46.
On the pitching side, Erick Fedde, the team's leader in WAR, hasn’t pitched since July 27. The White Sox collective performance in FanGraphs’ version of WAR stands at a dismal -6.8, making them the only team in the league with a negative figure. The Rockies, who are 29th in WAR, still manage a positive 4.1. Both their home and road performances have been abysmal. The White Sox hold a 16-62 road record, the worst in the league, with the Rockies next fewest road wins at 24. At home, the White Sox are 20-58, also the worst in the league, while the Marlins have the next fewest home wins at 30-51.
Historically, this season has been one for the record books in all the wrong ways for the White Sox. Before this season, the White Sox had never lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season. This year, they have endured three lengthy slumps of 21, 14, and 12 straight losses each. Additional losing streaks of seven, six, and two stints of five games have also plagued the team, with one of these streaks still active. Prior to this season, the White Sox had suffered losing streaks of 12 games or more only three times in their history—in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Since the All-Star break, the White Sox are 9-49, setting a new low in second-half performance. No team has ever won fewer than 15 games in a full second half, a dubious record held by the A’s who went 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943. The White Sox's best months were May and June, each with a 9-19 record. Their worst month was July, where they went 3-22. Scarcely did the team manage to come out on top, recording winning records against just five teams—the Braves (2-1), Rockies (2-1), Cardinals (2-1), Rays (4-2), and Nationals (2-1).
Within their own division, the AL Central, the White Sox are 12-41. What should have been opportunities to gain some ground only emphasized their struggles. As the countdown to the end of the season begins, the Chicago White Sox face the grim prospect of finishing with the worst record in modern Major League Baseball history, capping off what has indisputably been the worst season in the franchise's long history.