With just one week remaining in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are teetering on the edge of an unenviable historical mark. At 36-120, they have already matched the infamous 1962 New York Mets with 120 losses. With six games left to play, the White Sox have a chance - albeit an unwanted one - to set a new benchmark for futility in modern baseball history.
Offensive struggles have plagued the White Sox all season. As a team, they are hitting a disappointing .220/.278/.339, falling significantly below the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. Their OPS+ of 76 underscores a staggering 24% offensive deficiency compared to the league average in terms of getting on base and hitting for power. This offensive anemia is further illustrated by their league-worst 127 home runs, with no player crossing the 20-homer threshold.
The White Sox's run production has been particularly anemic, averaging just 3.07 runs per game - the lowest in the league. This is starkly contrasted by the second-worst team, the Tampa Bay Rays, who manage to average 3.78 runs per game. The team's overall offensive woes are embodied by Andrew Vaughn, who, despite leading the team in RBIs (67) and runs (54), is ranked 103rd out of 130 qualifying players in OPS for the batting title.
Defensively, the White Sox have also been a disaster, recording -83 total zone runs to rank dead last in the league. The next worst team, the Miami Marlins, have -53 total zone runs, while the league-best Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners are tied at 46 total zone runs. Such defensive failings have led to the White Sox being outscored 799-479, culminating in a staggering -320 run differential.
In terms of pitching, the situation is equally dire. Erick Fedde, who leads the team in WAR, hasn't pitched since July 27, yet his absence has been sorely felt. The White Sox's collective performance in FanGraphs' version of WAR stands at a dismal -6.8, marking them as the only team in the league with a negative figure. For perspective, the Colorado Rockies, ranking 29th, maintain a positive 4.1 WAR.
Traveling has brought no respite for the team, compiling a league-worst 16-62 road record. The Rockies, once again, are the next closest with 24 road wins. At home, the situation is similarly bleak; the White Sox have managed a 20-58 record, the worst in the league, outdone by even the Marlins’ 30-51 home record.
This season has marked unprecedented lows for the franchise. Prior to 2024, the White Sox had never lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season. The dismal season has also featured extended losing streaks - three separate stretches of 21, 14, and 12 straight losses, alongside additional losing streaks of seven, six, and two spells of five games, one of which is still ongoing.
Since the All-Star break, the White Sox have managed a paltry 9-49 record. This is historically significant, as no team has ever won fewer than 15 games in a full second half. The dubious record is currently held by the Oakland A's, who went 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943.
The few bright spots in the White Sox's calamitous season came during the months of May and June, each with a 9-19 record. Their worst month was July, where they languished to a 3-22 record. In total, they managed winning records against only five teams: the Braves (2-1), Rockies (2-1), Cardinals (2-1), Rays (4-2), and Nationals (2-1). However, they were thoroughly dominated by their AL Central opponents, going 12-41 within the division.
The tale of the 2024 Chicago White Sox is one of staggering underachievement and systemic failure on both offense and defense. As the season draws to a close, the franchise is on the verge of rewriting the record books for all the wrong reasons, marking 2024 as the worst season in the storied history of Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox.