With just one week remaining in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are dangerously close to ending the year with the worst record in modern baseball history. Currently standing at 36-120, they have already matched the infamous 1962 New York Mets, who tallied 120 losses. With six games left in the season, the White Sox's fate rests on a razor's edge.
The team's batting performance has been abysmal, hitting just .220/.278/.339—well below the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. Their overall offensive struggles are further underscored by a meager 76 OPS+, indicating they are performing 24% worse than the league average in getting on base and hitting for power. Their dearth of home runs is particularly glaring; they have only hit 127 this season and not a single player has reached the 20-home run milestone.
Their run production tells a similar story, averaging just 3.07 runs per game, which is the lowest in the league. For context, the Rays, who rank 29th in this category, average 3.78 runs per game. The disparity in scoring is illustrated by the White Sox's shocking -320 run differential, having been outscored 799-479.
Leading the team in RBIs and runs, Andrew Vaughn has mustered 67 RBIs and 54 runs, but these numbers are far from stellar. Vaughn’s individual OPS ranks 103rd out of 130 qualifying players for the batting title, emphasizing the team’s offensive woes.
Defensively, the White Sox have not fared any better. They rank as the worst defensive team in the league, with -83 total zone runs. The next worst team, the Marlins, have -53 total zone runs, while the Brewers and Mariners are tied for the league’s best with 46 total zone runs.
Pitching has offered no respite for the team. Erick Fedde, who leads the team in WAR, has been sidelined since July 27. The collective team performance in FanGraphs’ WAR metrics is particularly dismal at -6.8, making them the only team with a negative figure. By contrast, the Rockies have the next lowest WAR at a positive 4.1.
Their road performance has compounded their struggles, posting a 16-62 record, the worst in the league. The Rockies follow with 24 road wins. At home, the White Sox have been similarly inept, recording a 20-58 mark, again the worst in the league. The Marlins have the next lowest home wins 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.
Historical Lows
This season has been defined by extended slumps. The White Sox have endured losing streaks of 21, 14, and 12 straight games. Additionally, they have suffered additional streaks of seven, six, and two stints of five losses each, one of which remains active. Historically, before this season, the team had only suffered losing streaks of 12 games or more three times: in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Post-All-Star break, the team’s downfall has accelerated. With a 9-49 record since then, they are dangerously close to setting another unwanted record. No team has ever won fewer than 15 games in the second half of the season, with the A's holding the previous record of 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943.
Searching for Bright Spots
Even in a historically challenging season, there have been minor bright spots. The White Sox’s best months were May and June, each finishing with a 9-19 record. However, July was a particular low point, with a 3-22 record marking their worst month.
Interestingly, the White Sox have managed winning records against five teams this season: the Braves (2-1), Rockies (2-1), Cardinals (2-1), Rays (4-2), and Nationals (2-1). In stark contrast, they are 12-41 against the rest of the AL Central.
As the final week of the 2024 season unfolds, the Chicago White Sox face the looming reality of ending the year with a historically poor record. With just six games remaining, every pitch and every swing will determine if they can avoid solidifying their place in baseball history for all the wrong reasons.