Chicago White Sox Are On Verge Of Wrong Kind Of History
In a departure from most seasons in Major League Baseball, there aren't any elite teams in the sport this season.
READ: Why Are There No Good Teams In Baseball This Year?
But there sure is a terrible team. The 2024 Chicago White Sox are to put it simply and mildly, an abomination. It started in April, when the White Sox opened with a 3-20 record. In just 23 games, they were outscored by 79 runs. It was almost incomprehensible. And for most "bad" teams, 3-20 would be as bad as it gets.
But the White Sox have gotten so, so much worse.
After that disastrous start, Chicago actually recovered somewhat, spurred by the rise of starting pitcher Garrett Crochet and the return of outfielder Luis Robert Jr.. From late-April until the end of June, the White Sox went 21-42. Still a poor record, but the .333 winning percentage represented a vast improvement from a .131 start.
That ended quickly though. Starting July 1, the White Sox are 3-26, moving their record to 27-88. That's not a misprint, they've won three games and lost 26. That's not the historic part though. That dubious honor rests on the fact that Chicago has lost 21 consecutive games. Twenty-one consecutive losses. After Monday's 5-1 defeat to the Oakland A's, which again was their 21st consecutive one, the White Sox tied an American League record.
And they're overwhelming favorites to make history Wednesday against the A's.
Aug 4, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Miguel Vargas (20) hangs his head as they trail the Minnesota Twins in the eighth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago White Sox On Historic Pace
The A's are overwhelming favorites to win Tuesday, which would cement the White Sox place in history. And provide an opportunity for even more history Wednesday.
The Major League record for consecutive losses in a season by any team is 23, achieved by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies. Two more to tie, three more for the White Sox to do what's never been done before. And given how they've played thus far, how can you bet against them?
The question though, is how did it get this bad? And how much worse could it possibly be?
As with most bad teams, the White Sox have had their fair share of injuries to key players. But they also put all of their proverbial eggs in the basket of a few younger players several years ago. Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn, Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada seemed like the future in 2021 when the White Sox won 93 games. But Anderson's play fell off a cliff, Moncada and Jimenez have either been unproductive or injured, and Vaughn never developed into the offensive force some projected.
In just a few seasons, a promising young core evaporated. And after a trade deadline that saw Chicago send out almost every key player other than Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr., there's even less talent for the remainder of the season. So to answer the question, how much worse can it get? Nobody knows.
The 1962 Mets were the worst team in history, post-1900, and they lost 120 games. Chicago's on pace to lose 124. They've already had a 3-20 stretch and a 3-26 stretch. All it would take to lose 130 is for them to finish the season 5-42. Believe it or not, that's actually a higher winning percentage than their current stretch. Never say never.