Chicago White Sox Re-Write History Books, Lose MLB-Record 121st Game

While the Detroit Tigers snapped a decade-long playoff drought on Friday, the Chicago White Sox passed the 1962 New York Mets with their 121st loss of the season.

Detroit Tigers third base Matt Vierling (8) celebrates batting a double against Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

From Opening Day all the way through September, the Chicago White Sox were the worst team in baseball.

They cemented that Friday night, setting one more unsavory record before the season comes to a close.

Chicago dropped its series opener with the Detroit Tigers by a score of 4-1, helping their division rival clinch a playoff spot in the process. The White Sox, meanwhile, clinched something else entirely by falling to 39-121 on the season.

With two games to spare, the 2024 White Sox have officially lost more games than any other team in MLB's modern era, which dates back to 1901. The previous record belonged to the 1962 New York Mets, who went 40-120.

Even if the White Sox lose their next two games to the Tigers, they won't be able to pass the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics for the worst winning percentage in the modern era. They will also fall short of the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who went 20-134 in their final year of existence.

Those consolation prizes don't mean much, though, when they come along with the worst record anyone under the age of 108 has ever seen.

From their 3-22 start and their 14-game losing streak, all the way to their 21-game losing streak and the dismissal of manager Pedro Grifol, there have almost been too many low points to count for the White Sox this season. Their loss Friday comes off the back of a surprise sweep over the Los Angeles Angels, but the history-clinching defeat should still be added to the list.

Chicago ranks dead last in MLB in home runs, hits, walks, batting average and OPS, all while ranking 28th in ERA and 29th in WHIP. Luis Robert Jr. leads all White Sox position players with a 1.3 WAR, despite playing in just 99 games, while no others broke 1.0.

Interim manager Grady Sizemore was unable to do much with the roster down the stretch, ultimately leading the club into the doldrums of MLB history.

The White Sox have fallen so far since their back-to-back postseason berths in 2020 and 2021, to the point where they will likely open 2025 as the odds-on favorite to finish with the worst record in baseball yet again. Barring a significant overhaul this winter, it's hard to expect anything else out of Chicago moving forward.

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