With one week left in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are on the verge of concluding a season that will be remembered for its futility. At 36-120, the White Sox have already tied the infamous 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in modern baseball history, with six games still remaining to potentially solidify their place at the bottom of the record books.
A Season of Struggles
The White Sox's performance at the plate has been emblematic of their struggles. Their collective batting average sits at .220/.278/.339, far below the league-average slash line of .244/.312/.400. This disparity is further highlighted by their 76 OPS+, indicating they are performing 24% worse than the league average in terms of on-base and slugging percentages combined.
Power has been in short supply for the team, hitting a league-low 127 home runs with no player reaching the 20-home run milestone. Offensively, they've managed a league-worst 3.07 runs per game. By comparison, the Tampa Bay Rays, who rank 29th in this category, average 3.78 runs per game.
Overall, the White Sox have been outscored by an eye-popping margin of 799-479, resulting in a -320 run differential, the worst in the league by far. The team's leader in RBIs and runs is Andrew Vaughn, with 67 and 54 respectively, yet he ranks a dismal 103rd out of 130 qualified players in OPS for the batting title.
Disastrous Defense
The team's defensive struggles have been just as pronounced. They rank as the worst defensive team in the league with -83 total zone runs, a significant margin from the Marlins, who are second to last at -53 total zone runs. It's a stark contrast to the Brewers and Mariners, teams tied for the best defensive performance with 46 total zone runs each.
War of Attrition
The pitching scenario hasn’t been much better. Erick Fedde, the team's leader in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), hasn't pitched since July 27. In FanGraphs' version of WAR, the White Sox collectively rank at a disastrous -6.8, the only team in the league to have a negative figure. For comparison, the Rockies, who are 29th, still manage a positive 4.1 WAR.
Home and Away
Performance both at home and on the road has been abysmal. The team's 16-62 road record is the worst in the league, with the Rockies a distant second-worst at 24 wins. At home, the White Sox fare no better, standing at 20-58, again the league's worst. The Marlins, who have the next fewest home wins, have a 30-51 record.
This season has shattered previous team records for losses, both home and away. Previously, the White Sox had never lost more than 55 road games or 53 home games in a single season.
Ongoing Struggles
This season has been punctuated by several lengthy losing streaks—21, 14, and 12 games, each time extending their streak of futility. Additional streaks of seven, six, and two instances of five straight losses round out a humiliating season. One of these five-game losing streaks is still active. Historically, the White Sox had only recorded losing streaks of 12 games or more three times—in 1924, 1927, and 1967.
Since the All-Star break, the White Sox have limped to a 9-49 record. No team has ever won fewer than 15 games in a full second half, with the unfortunate record held by the A’s who went 15-61 in both 1915 and 1943. The White Sox’s best months came in May and June, going 9-19 in both, while their worst month was July, where they went an abysmal 3-22.
Small Victories
A few bright spots include the team managing winning records against five different teams: the Braves, Rockies, Cardinals, Rays, and Nationals, albeit with marginal victories. These small successes, however, were overshadowed by their drastic performance against the rest of the AL Central, against whom they are 12-41.
The 2024 season will undoubtedly go down as the worst in the history of not just the White Sox, but potentially in Major League Baseball as well. With just days left and little hope for a miraculous turnaround, the team and its fans are left to ponder what went wrong and hope for a brighter future.