White Sox lose 100th game of 2024 MLB season: Chicago club on pace to beat 1962 Mets for most losses

The historically terrible Chicago White Sox reached the 100-loss mark Sunday with a 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field (box score). With a 31-100 record, the White Sox are on pace for 124 losses, which would break the modern-era record (since 1901) held by the 1962 New York Mets. The expansion Mets went 40-120-1 in their inaugural season.

Earlier this season the White Sox set a new franchise record with 14 consecutive losses from May 22 to June 6. They then broke that franchise record with an AL record-tying 21 straight losses from July 10 to August 5. Even if you remove both the 14-game and 21-game losing streaks, the White Sox would still be on pace for 110 losses. They were eliminated from playoff contention on Aug. 17, the earliest date in the wild-card or divisional era. This is, truly, one of the worst teams of all-time. 

Here is what you need to know about these 2024 White Sox and how bad they’ve been, and how bad they have a chance to be.

They’re on pace to lose 124 games

As noted in the intro, the White Sox are on pace to lose 124 games, which would set a new modern-era record. Here are the most losses in a season in baseball’s modern era:

Because of changes to the schedule length, the 1962 Mets do not have the lowest winning percentage in baseball history. That belongs to the 1916 A’s. Their 36-117-1 record equals a .235 winning percentage. The 1962 Mets are at .250. The 2024 White Sox? They have a .237 winning percentage at the moment. Chicago needs to win at least 12 of their final 31 games to avoid 120 losses. Their best 31-game span this year is 12-19 from June 7 to July 10.

They’re the second fastest to 100 losses

As bad as the White Sox have been this season, they are not the fastest team to 100 losses. They’re merely the second fastest. They got there in their 131st game. Here are the teams that reached 100 losses in the fewest games in the modern era prior to 2024:

Four teams lost 100 games a year ago — A’s, White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies — and none of them reached 100 losses in fewer than 144 games. The Royals lost for the 100th time in their 144th game. The A’s did it in their 146th game, the Rockies in their 156th game, and the White Sox in their 161st game. The 2024 White Sox got there in Game 131.

They could have a minus-300 run differential

Entering play Sunday, the White Sox scored the fewest runs in baseball (404) and allowed the second most runs in baseball (675), giving them a minus-271 run differential. They have a chance to become the 21st team in the modern era to get outscored by 300 runs. Only five teams in the expansion era (since 1961) have had a minus-300 run differential:

Getting outscored by 300 runs — nearly two runs per game! — is the surest sign of an awful, awful team. The worst run differential in baseball history is minus-345 by the 1932 Boston Red Sox. These 2024 White Sox have a ways to go to get there, but I would not rule it out. If nothing else, they are definitely a candidate to join the minus-300 run differential club.

They’re on pace to be the worst White Sox team ever

Within a week or so, the White Sox should set a new franchise record for losses in a season. The losingest team in franchise history is the 1970 squad that went 56-106. The 2024 team would need to go 26-5 in their final 131 games to avoid losing 106 games. In terms of winning percentage, the worst White Sox team ever is the 1932 team. The 1932 ChiSox went 49-102, which is a .325 winning percentage. The 2024 team must go 21-10 in their final 31 games to avoid a .325 winning percentage. Barring a miracle, this will be the worst team in the 124 seasons of White Sox baseball.