With the last week of the 2024 Major League Baseball season winding down, the Chicago White Sox are teetering on the brink of an unfortunate milestone—potentially concluding the season with the worst record in modern baseball history. As it stands, the White Sox are 36-120, equaling the infamous 120-loss record of the 1962 New York Mets, with six games left to play.
Offensive Struggles
The White Sox's offensive troubles are glaring. They have posted a slash line of .220/.278/.339, substantially below the league-average of .244/.312/.400. This underperformance is encapsulated in their OPS+ of 76, indicating they are 24% worse than the league average in getting on base and hitting for power. Additionally, the team ranks last in home runs, managing only 127 throughout the season, with no player reaching the 20-home run benchmark.
The team’s offensive woes are further highlighted by their league-low average of just 3.07 runs per game. In comparison, the Tampa Bay Rays, who rank 29th in runs per game, average 3.78 runs. Andrew Vaughn, who leads the team in both RBIs (67) and runs (54), ranks 103rd out of 130 qualifying players in OPS for the batting title, underscoring the team’s broader offensive deficiencies.
Defensive Lapses
Defensively, the White Sox have been equally disappointing, with a league-worst -83 total zone runs. The Marlins, who are 29th in this category, have -53 total zone runs. In stark contrast, the Brewers and Mariners top the leaderboard with 46 total zone runs each, showcasing a vast defensive chasm between the White Sox and the league's better teams.
Pitching Problems
The team's pitching has also been a significant issue. Erick Fedde, the team's leader in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), has not 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. The next worst team, the Rockies, sit at a positive 4.1 WAR.
Home and Away Records
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 Rockies having the next fewest road wins at 24. Their home record is no better, standing at 20-58, with the Marlins having the next fewest home wins at 30-51. This season’s figures mark the first time the White Sox have lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season.
Lengthy Slumps
The 2024 season has seen multiple severe slumps for the White Sox. They have endured three significant losing streaks of 21, 14, and 12 games each. Additional streaks of seven, six, and two stints of five losses have plagued the team, with one of these five-game slumps still ongoing. Historically, the White Sox had suffered losing streaks of 12 games or more only three times before this season—in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Post-All-Star Break Woes
Since the All-Star break, the White Sox are 9-49. This dire performance places them on the verge of another historic low; no team has ever won fewer than 15 games in a full second half. The current record is shared by the Athletics, who went 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943.
Best and Worst Months
The White Sox’s best months in an otherwise dreadful season were May and June, each with a 9-19 record. Their worst month was July, where they posted a dismal 3-22 record.
Small Victories
Despite this historically poor season, the White Sox managed to secure winning records against five teams: the Braves (2-1), Rockies (2-1), Cardinals (2-1), Rays (4-2), and Nationals (2-1). However, their performance against divisional rivals has been particularly depressing, with a 12-41 record against the rest of the AL Central.
As the White Sox near the end of an abysmal season, the statistics paint a harrowing picture. Their significant deficits in both offensive and defensive metrics, coupled with unprecedented losing streaks and poor performances both at home and on the road, mark 2024 as the worst season in the franchise’s storied history. With six games left, time will tell if they can avoid setting a new record for futility.