Fastball

Chicago White Sox Join Terrible Group in Baseball History with Woeful First Half

The Chicago White Sox put together one of the worst first halves in American League history in 2024, and with it, they've joined this terrible group of company.

Brady Farkas

Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol (5) in the dugout before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on June 9.
Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol (5) in the dugout before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on June 9. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago White Sox were swept on Sunday by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and with that, they concluded one of the worst first halves of any team in American League history.

Per @StatsCentre:

Worst pre-All Star Break win percentage by an AL team (since the ASG began in 1933):
.266- Athletics (25-68 in 1979)
.272- Tigers (25-67 in 2003)
.272- Athletics (25-67 in 2023)
.275- St. Louis Browns (19-50 in 1935)
.276- #WhiteSox (27-71 in 2024)
.276- Blue Jays (16-42 in 1981)

The White Sox started a lengthy rebuilding process last year when they traded away Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Jake Burger, Joe Kelly and Reynaldo Lopez, and they continued it this offseason by dealing away Dylan Cease, Gregory Santos and Aaron Bummer. The situation could get even worse for Chicago at the trade deadline as they are reportedly considering trades of both Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet. They could also deal away guys like Tommy Pham and Erick Fedde, which would further deplete the organization.

The positive news for the White Sox is that they have had lukewarm success with recent rebuilds. After the 2016 season, they dealt away Chris Sale and Adam Eaton and were able to turn it into a nucleus that made the playoffs in both 2020 and 2021.

Unfortunately that core didn't work out as hoped and the Sox find themselves in the situation they are in now. Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez are oft-injured, while Jose Abreu left in free agency before the 2023 season.

The White Sox will play the Kansas City Royals on Friday out of the All-Star break.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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