With one week remaining in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are on the brink of setting a grim milestone: finishing with the worst record in modern baseball history. Currently sitting at 36-120, the White Sox have already matched the infamous 1962 New York Mets' 120-loss record, and with six games left to play, they seem poised to surpass it.
The team's offensive struggles have been stark. The White Sox are hitting a collective .220/.278/.339, significantly below the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. Their OPS+ of 76 highlights their offensive inefficacy, revealing they are 24% worse than the league average in terms of getting on base and hitting for power. Adding to their woes, the team ranks dead last in home runs, having hit only 127 this season, with no individual player hitting the 20-home run mark.
These sluggish numbers translate disastrously on the scoreboard. Averaging just 3.07 runs per game, the White Sox sport the lowest offensive output in the league. For context, the Tampa Bay Rays, who rank just above Chicago in this category, average 3.78 runs per game. The White Sox's -320 run differential paints a somber picture, having been outscored 799-479 over the season.
Andrew Vaughn stands out slightly amidst this bleak scenario, leading the team with 67 RBIs and 54 runs scored. However, Vaughn’s overall performance ranks him 103rd out of 130 qualifying players in OPS for the batting title, underscoring the team’s widespread offensive struggles.
The Defensive Downfall
Defensively, the White Sox have been equally dismal, possessing the worst record in the league with -83 total zone runs. The defensive metric further highlights the team's deficiencies when compared to the Miami Marlins, who rank 29th with -53 total zone runs, and the Brewers and Mariners, who lead the league with 46 each.
Pitching Woes
On the mound, the absence of Erick Fedde, who leads the team in WAR but hasn’t pitched since July 27th, has been felt deeply. Collectively, the team’s performance in FanGraphs' version of WAR stands at -6.8, making them the only MLB team with a negative figure. The next worst, the Rockies, hold a positive 4.1 WAR. These numbers starkly illustrate the challenge in finding even a silver lining for Chicago’s pitching staff.
Historical Context and Record-Breaking Futility
The White Sox's performance on both home and away games has further cemented their season’s infamy. Their 16-62 road record is the worst in the league, a significant drop from the Rockies' 24 road wins. At home, their record is just as dismal at 20-58, with the Marlins’ 30-51 home record appearing far better in comparison. Notably, the White Sox had never lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season before this catastrophic 2024 campaign.
Enduring multiple long losing streaks exacerbated their plight. The team has experienced losing streaks of 21, 14, and 12 consecutive games. They also suffered additional slumps of seven, six, and two five-game streaks, one of which is ongoing. Prior to this season, the White Sox had only experienced losing streaks of 12 games or more in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Second-Half Struggles
Since the All-Star break, the team has a 9-49 record. This dismal stretch flirts with the all-time record for fewest wins in a full second half of the season, which is currently held by the Philadelphia Athletics, who went 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943.
Throughout the season, the White Sox’s best monthly records were clocked in May and June, both standing at 9-19. Their worst month was July, where they managed a mere 3-22. Winning records were achieved against only five teams: the Braves (2-1), Rockies (2-1), Cardinals (2-1), Rays (4-2), and Nationals (2-1). In stark contrast, they went a dismal 12-41 against the rest of the AL Central.
In sum, the 2024 season has been one of historical futility for the Chicago White Sox, setting records that the organization and its fans would rather forget. With one week remaining, the team stands on the edge of cementing one of the worst seasons in the history of Major League Baseball.