It's been a rough baseball season on the South Side of Chicago.
The White Sox are in the midst of a historically bad 2024 campaign. They lost 21 consecutive games spanning from pre-All-Star break to early August, tying the American League record set by the Baltimore Orioles in 1988. Skipper Pedro Grifol was fired shortly after the streak ended and replaced by interim manager Grady Sizemore.
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Then, a week before the calendar was set to flip to September, the White Sox became the second-fastest team in the modern era (since 1900) to reach the 100-loss mark. Chicago suffered its 100th defeat in game No. 131 of the season on Sunday, falling to the Detroit Tigers. Only the Philadelphia Athletics in 1916 reached 100 losses faster, doing so in 130 games.
The White Sox look well on their way to breaking the franchise record for losses in a season at 106. But could they also be headed for the single worst season in MLB history? Here's what to know:
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What are the most losses in an MLB season?
Even if the White Sox dropped all of their remaining games, it wouldn't even be enough to tie the all-time major league record for losses in a single season. The record mark of 134 defeats held by the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who went 20-134, is out of reach for the Sox.
The modern record, however, has been set by this year's White Sox, who have 121 losses as of Sept. 27, with two games to go. Previously, no club has lost more games than the 1962 New York Mets, who suffered 120 defeats in their inaugural season. Those Mets, who went 40-120-1, are one of 21 clubs to lose at least 110 games in the modern era, according to MLB.com.
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What's the worst record in MLB history?
The White Sox are also at risk of recording the worst winning percentage in the modern era. The aforementioned 1916 Philadelphia Athletics went on to finish 36-117 for a record-low .235 winning percentage. Entering their final 31 games, the Sox's winning percentage sits just barely ahead at .237.
The aforementioned 1899 Cleveland Spiders sported a .130 winning percentage (20-134 record), but that mark is also out of reach for Chicago. Even if the White Sox lost out the rest of the way for a final record of 31-131, their winning percentage would be .191.
