With just one week left in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox stand on the brink of infamy. Sitting at a dismal 36-120 record, they have already equaled the unwanted distinction held by the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in a season. With six games remaining, they are poised to set a new low in modern baseball history.
The struggles of the White Sox are evident across all facets of the game. As a team, they are hitting a lackluster .220/.278/.339, well below the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. Their 76 OPS+ starkly signifies that they are 24% less effective than the league average in getting on base and hitting for power. Ranking dead last in home runs, the team's total of 127 is a glaring indicator of their offensive shortcomings. Remarkably, not a single player on the roster has reached the 20-home run mark this season.
Their offensive inefficacy is further underscored by their average of just 3.07 runs per game, the lowest in the league. By comparison, the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 29th in runs per game, have managed an average of 3.78 runs. The overall picture is grim: they have been outscored by their opponents 799-479, resulting in a staggering -320 run differential.
Leading the anemic offense is Andrew Vaughn, who tops the team in both RBIs (67) and runs (54). However, even Vaughn's performance is modest by league standards, as he ranks 103rd out of 130 qualifying players in OPS for the batting title.
On the defensive side, the White Sox have been historically poor. They have accumulated -83 total zone runs, placing them dead last in the league. To put it in perspective, the Miami Marlins, who are ranked 29th, have -53 total zone runs, while the Brewers and Mariners are tied for first with 46 total zone runs each.
Pitching woes add to the list of the team’s deficiencies. Erick Fedde, the team's leader in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), hasn't pitched since July 27, contributing to the White Sox's collective performance in FanGraphs' version of WAR being a dismal -6.8. They remain the only team in the league with a net negative figure. To highlight their struggles, the Colorado Rockies, who hold the 29th spot, have a positive 4.1 WAR.
Road games have been a tormenting experience for the White Sox, with a league-worst 16-62 record. Their situation is hardly better at home, where they hold a league-worst 20-58 record. The Marlins have the next fewest road wins at 24 and the fewest 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.
The season has been marred by multiple lengthy slumps. The White Sox have endured three prolonged losing streaks of 21, 14, and 12 straight losses each, supplemented by additional streaks of seven, six, and two stints of five games, one of which is still active. Historically, only three times had the White Sox suffered losing streaks of 12 games or more—1924, 1927, and 1967.
Since the All-Star break, the White Sox's performance has deteriorated further, posting a 9-49 record. No team in the history has won fewer than 15 games in a full second half, a dubious record held by the Athletics, who went 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943.
There have been few bright spots in an otherwise woeful season. Their best months, May and June, saw them each go 9-19. The nadir came in July, where they slumped to a 3-22 record. In an otherwise bleak season, 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). Conversely, they struggled against their own division, accumulating a 12-41 record against the rest of the AL Central.
As the 2024 season draws to a close, it is clear that this year will go down as the worst in Major League Baseball history for the Chicago White Sox. The team, its fans, and the front office face a long road to recovery as they look ahead to rebuilding and hopefully putting this historically disastrous season behind them.