Why are the White Sox so bad? Inside the stats and dysfunction behind MLB’s worst record of all time

Bryan Murphy

Why are the White Sox so bad? Inside the stats and dysfunction behind MLB’s worst record of all time image

Alexander had the "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" in Judith Viorst's popular children's story. 

You can use those same adjectives to describe the entire season for the 2024 White Sox — and you can probably take on quite a few more negatives as well. 

Chicago's historically awful campaign has been ... well, historic. The White Sox made the worst kind of history Friday, solidifying the team's spot as the club with the most losses in a single season during the modern MLB era (post-1900). 

There have been very few positives to come out of the season that started off heading downhill and then went into a complete free fall. It's not just a team losing games — it's a bad baseball team failing to do anything to put it in a winning direction. 

How bad can it be for the 2024 White Sox? The Sporting News takes a look behind the numbers of the worst season in MLB history. 

MORE: Who has the most losses in an MLB season?

Why are the White Sox so bad? 

When asking the question of why are the White Sox so bad, all you have to do is look at the numbers. The stats behind the 2024 season tell the entire story, from start to finish. 

White Sox stats 2024

-27.1

Even if you don't fully understand team WAR, it's hard not to see that number and know it's bad.

The collective wins above replacement for the White Sox ranks last in the league at -27.1, one of only two clubs with a WAR worse than -20 WAR. Looking at each position, Chicago ranks last in WAR among catchers, all outfielders, left fielders, designated hitters and pinch hitters. They are second-to-last in WAR among third basemen and right fielders as well. 

.221

The White Sox are hitting at a league-worst average, recording a team batting average of .220. To compare, the league average in 2024 is .243, so Chicago is well below. 

.279

Chicago sits in a similar spot when it comes to getting on base. The club's .278 on-base percentage is putrid, well below the .312 average OBP. The White Sox are the sole club to have a number under .300. 

MORE: When do the 2024 MLB playoffs start?

.340

The same can be said about slugging, with the White Sox registering a team SLG of .339. The MLB averages a slugging percentage of .400, but Chicago falls well below that mark. 

493

The White Sox have brought in 479 runs this season, the lone team to not hit 500 yet in 2024. They are more than 100 behind the 29th-placed Rays, and the gap between Chicago and Tampa Bay is more than the distance between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati, who are 14th. 

388

If the White Sox aren't getting on base based on the bats, what about walks? It's about the same story.

Chicago's 381 walks are 29th in the league, as the South Side members are one of only two teams that have failed to reach 400 walks this season. Miami is the other. 

9

Not only do the White Sox put the ball in play at the lowest rate, but there is no speed when the hits do come.

Chicago has just nine triples in 2024, the only team yet to reach double digits in the category. To reference, their AL Central rival Detroit is first with 45.  

4.71

The pitching has been better than the offense, but not by much. The White Sox staff era of 4.71 ranks 26th in the league. Only the Marlins and Rockies have a worse mark. 

20

The White Sox bullpen currently has a collective 20 saves on the season, ranking last in the MLB. The next-closest team is the Marlins with 29. The gap between the Marlins and the Mets is the same as the Marlins and White Sox, yet New York is 14th in the league. 

36

It's not just the fact that the White Sox rarely are in a position to win that has impacted the low saves count. The bullpen simply can't get it done.

The team's 36 blown saves are the most in the league, and its save success rate of 35 percent is dead last.   

.984

The team defense may be the best part of the Chicago clubhouse right now, and that's saying something. The team's field percentage of .984 is tied for 21st in the majors. 

89

Chicago's defense has made 89 errors on the campaign. That's tied for the eighth-most in the MLB. 

7

More often than not, when Chicago has won a game, it drops its next.

The White Sox have strung together multiple wins in a row just seven times this season. The longest winning streak for the club was four games, which occurred in May. 

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Most losses in MLB season

This year's version of the White Sox is about to become the worst team in MLB history in the modern era.

Chicago would have to win four games in a row to avoid that fate, which is a near-impossible task with this group. The longest win streak of the White Sox this year was four games, which happened at the beginning of May. 

SeasonTeamRecordWin %
2024Chicago White Sox39-121.240
1962New York Mets40-120.250
2003Detroit Tigers43-119.265
1916Philadelphia Athletics36-117.235
1935Boston Braves38-115.248
1904Washington Senators38-113.252
1952Pittsburgh Pirates42-112.273
1932Boston Red Sox43-111.279
1939St. Louis Browns43-111.279
1941Philadelphia Phillies43-111.279

White Sox record

As of play on Sept. 27, 2024, the White Sox own a record of 39-121. 

The White Sox have two games left on the 2024 slate, both in Detroit against the Tigers. 

DateMatchupTime (ET)
Saturday, Sept. 28at Tigers1:10 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 29at Tigers3:10 p.m.

White Sox standings

As one would expect, since the White Sox are making history as the worst team ever in baseball history, they are also far and away the worst club in 2024. So far, no one else has reached 100 losses on the season, something that the White Sox accomplished on Aug. 25. 

Chicago has been at the bottom of the MLB standings since Day 1. The team is more than 50 games behind the Guardians for the lead in the division and more than 45 games out of a playoff spot in the American League. The Angels, who are the second-worst club in the AL, are only 21 games out, in comparison. 

Here's a look at the AL Central standings as of Sept. 26:

ClubsRecord
Cleveland Guardians92-67
Detroit Tigers86-74
Kansas City Royals85-74
Minnesota Twins82-77
Chicago White Sox39-121

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.