With just one week left in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are on the cusp of finishing with the worst record in modern baseball history. At 36-120, the White Sox have already tied the notorious 1962 New York Mets with 120 losses, and with six games left to play, they are almost certain to surpass this ignominious milestone.
The numbers behind the White Sox's dismal season are staggering. As a team, they are hitting .220/.278/.339, well below the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. They have managed a meager 76 OPS+, indicating they are 24% worse than the league average in getting on base and hitting for power. Ranking dead last in home runs, the team has only hit 127 this season, and astonishingly, not a single player has reached the 20-home run mark.
Offensive Struggles
The offensive woes are highlighted by their average of just 3.07 runs per game, the lowest in the league. To put this in perspective, the Rays, who rank 29th in runs per game, average 3.78 runs. The team has been outscored 799-479, resulting in a staggering -320 run differential.
Individually, Andrew Vaughn leads the team in both RBIs and runs, with 67 and 54 respectively. However, his performance has been below par, ranking 103rd out of 130 qualifying players in OPS for the batting title. The lack of offensive firepower has clearly been detrimental to the White Sox's performance.
Defensive Woes
Their struggles are not limited to the offense. The White Sox have been the worst defensive team in the league, with -83 total zone runs. For comparison, the Marlins, ranked 29th in this metric, have -53 total zone runs, while the Brewers and Mariners are tied for first with 46.
Notably, the team's leader in WAR (Wins Above Replacement), Erick Fedde, hasn't even pitched since July 27. The White Sox's collective performance in FanGraphs' version of WAR is a dismal -6.8, making them the only team in the league with a negative figure. By contrast, the Rockies are 29th with a positive 4.1 WAR.
Home and Away Record
The White Sox's performance has been poor both at home and on the road. Their 16-62 road record is the worst in the league, with the next fewest road wins being 24 by the Rockies. At home, they are 20-58, again the worst in the league, with the Marlins next at 30-51. Before this season, the White Sox had never lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season.
Historic Losing Streaks
Today’s White Sox team has endured some unprecedented losing streaks. They’ve had three lengthy slumps—of 21, 14, and 12 straight losses each. They’ve also suffered additional losing streaks of seven, six, and two stints of five, one of which is still active. Before this season, the White Sox had only suffered losing streaks of 12 games or more three times in their history, in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Since the All-Star break, the White Sox are 9-49. 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 1915 and 1943. The White Sox’s best months were May and June, each with a 9-19 record, while their worst month was July, where they went 3-22.
Bright Spots and Dim Prospects
In a season where highlights have been few and far between, the White Sox managed winning records against just five teams: the Braves (2-1), Rockies (2-1), Cardinals (2-1), Rays (4-2), and Nationals (2-1). Against the rest of the AL Central, the White Sox are a dismal 12-41.
The 2024 season is one that Chicago White Sox fans would like to forget. As they head into their final games, they are on the brink of securing the unfortunate title of the worst team in Major League Baseball history, a moniker that speaks volumes about their struggles this year.