With just one week remaining in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are amidst an unprecedented downward spiral, flirting with a record no team wants to hold. Currently at 36-120, the White Sox have matched the 1962 New York Mets' infamy with 120 losses and face the prospect of closing out the season with the worst record in modern baseball history.
The numbers are staggering. A summary of both offensive and defensive woes tells the story of a team in disarray. As a collective unit, the White Sox are batting a mere .220/.278/.339, far below the league average of .244/.312/.400. Their 76 OPS+ indicates they are 24% worse than the league average in offensive production, which starkly contrasts the competitive standards of major league play.
Power hitting has been virtually nonexistent for the White Sox this season. Ranking dead last in home runs, the team has only managed to hit 127 round-trippers. Not a single player on the roster has reached the 20-home run mark, underscoring their lack of firepower. Consequently, the team's inability to generate runs is painfully evident, averaging just 3.07 runs per game, the lowest in the league. For context, the Tampa Bay Rays, who rank 29th in runs per game, average 3.78 runs, a significant step up from Chicago's output.
Their offensive struggles are mirrored on the defensive end. The White Sox have been the worst defensive team this season, with -83 total zone runs. For comparison, the Marlins, who are second-worst in the league, have -53 total zone runs. The Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners, tied for first in total zone runs, boast a positive 46.
Significant individual performances have been scarce. Andrew Vaughn leads the team in RBIs and runs with 67 and 54 respectively, yet his lackluster OPS ranks him 103rd out of 130 qualifying players for the batting title. Even the team's leader in WAR, Erick Fedde, hasn't pitched since July 27, rendering his valuable contributions a distant memory in a sea of underperformance.
Overall, 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 Rockies, who are second worst in this metric, have a positive 4.1.
Compounding their struggles, the White Sox's performance on the road has been atrocious, with a 16-62 record, the worst in the league. The Rockies, again, are the next closest with 24 road wins. At Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox are hardly better, holding a dismal 20-58 home record. The Marlins have the next fewest home wins at 30-51. This dual struggle marks a stark departure from the franchise's historical performance, as they had never lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season until this year.
The season has been punctuated by numerous lengthy slumps, including losing streaks of 21, 14, and 12 games. Additionally, they have had streaks of seven, six, and five games losing twice, with one such streak still ongoing. Before this disastrous 2024 season, the White Sox had experienced losing streaks of 12 games or more only three times: in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Post-All-Star break, the team has gone 9-49. This is notably worse than any full-season second-half performance, the low standard being held by the A's at 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943. The White Sox’s best months were May and June, each showing a 9-19 record, while July stands as their worst month, where they went 3-22.
In the few bright spots, 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 their AL Central matchups, they are a paltry 12-41.
As the 2024 season draws to a close, the Chicago White Sox have etched their mark in baseball history—but for all the wrong reasons. The final games of the season will determine if they surpass the 1962 New York Mets' unenviable record, capping what is undeniably the worst season in franchise history.