Can the White Sox Go Down as the Worst Team of All-Time?

Things have gone south on the South Side.

The Chicago White Sox might just be the worst baseball team ever assembled.

That’s a generalization that sports fans often use: “the worst team ever,” but the White Sox might actually become the best losers in Major League Baseball history.

The White Sox—who just won their first game since July 10— had lost 21 games in a row, tying the unenviable streak for the longest in American League history.

What’s worse (literally), is only the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies—who lost 23 consecutive games.

Will the White Sox lose 100 games this season? Yes.

Could it even happen in August? Also, yes (they’re currently 28-88, good for a dismal .241 winning percentage).

What’s more, the mortifying 2024 White Sox might go down as the biggest losers in MLB history, but more in that regard, later on.

First, the painful losing streaks. For those keeping score, this year’s White Sox also dropped 14 in a row from May 22 to June 6.

With a Tuesday night win in Oakland, Chicago avoided the AL’s longest losing streak for a single team. They’ve joined the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, for tops (or bottom, based on your perspective) in AL history.

Here’s a look at the longest losing streaks in MLB history:

Proof you can’t win ’em all:

1. 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, 23 straight losses
T2. 1988 Baltimore Orioles, 21 straight losses
T2. 2024 Chicago White Sox, 21 straight losses
T4. 1969 Montreal Expos, 20 straight losses
T4. 1943 Philadelphia Athletics, 20 straight losses
T4. 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, 20 straight losses
T4. 1906 Boston Americans, 20 straight losses
T8. 2021 Orioles, 19 straight losses
T8. 2005 Royals, 19 straight losses
T8. 1975 Tigers, 19 straight losses
T8. 1914 Reds, 19 straight losses
T8. 1906 Boston Beaneaters, 19 straight losses

How Historically Bad Are the White Sox Losing Pace?

Don’t forget, there’s more to this tough White Sox season than losing streaks.

By April 25, the White Sox were 3-22, marking the worst start in the franchise’s 124-year history.

They’ve gone on losing streaks of 4 or more games eight times so far this year and haven’t strung a winning streak together of more than 4 games, which they’ve only done once.

They’ve been held to one run or none 32 times.

The White Sox haven’t won double-digit games in a month yet this season and have lost 20 or more in a month, twice.

Here’s How the Chicago White Sox Monthly Win Totals Tally Up, so Far:

March: 0-3 (.000)

April: 6-21 (.222)

May: 9-19 (.321)

June: 9-19 (.321)

July: 3-22 (.120)

August: 1-4 (.200)

Could the Chicago White Sox End Up as the Worst MLB Team of All-Time?

Yes.

The Sox are on pace to finish 38-124 (.235), which would be the most losses in a season in the modern era, trailing only the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who went 20-134 in 154 games.

Should the White Sox continue on this putrid pace, they’d become the third MLB team to win fewer than 1/4 of its games, joining the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (.235) and the 1962 New York Mets (.246).

Continuing this pace would give the White Sox the most losses ever, worse than the aforementioned expansion 1962 New York Mets, who hold the single-season loss record with 120. (They went 40–120 and finished 10th — last in the National League, and 60 1⁄2 games behind the NL Champion San Francisco Giants.)

Just for fun, if the White Sox won out for the rest of the season and went 46-0 from here on out, they’d finish 74-88 (.456), 14 games under .500.

Look, if you’re going to be bad, might as well be historically bad…