Most losses in a MLB season: How 2024 White Sox can make history with baseball’s worst record of all time

The 2024 White Sox are on the verge of making baseball history — just not the right kind. 

Baseball clubs dream of setting records in MLB. The Yankees own the most World Series titles, and the Mariners and Cubs hold the honor of most wins in a single season. It’s a team effort after all, and while there are plenty of individual accolades in the sport, it takes a full clubhouse to find success. 

But not all history is good. This year’s Chicago team, for example, is just one loss away from setting the record for the most losses in a single season during the modern era of MLB. 

The White Sox did not enter the season with overly high expectations. No one anticipated them to compete for a playoff spot, but no one could have predicted this brand of bad baseball.

The offense is awful, with a team slash line of .220/.278/.339 — the worst batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage among all 30 clubs. Chicago can’t hit for power, ranking last in MLB, and the team can’t bring runners in, placing last in RBI. The team is nearly 100 RBI behind the 29th-ranked club. 

The starting pitching is inconsistent at best, with a team ERA of 4.77 that ranks 28th in the league, and a team WHIP of 1.44, which ranks 29th. The bullpen is even worse with 35 blown saves, contributing to a league-worst 35 percent save percentage. 

Simply put — it’s a bad, bad baseball team on the cusp of solidifying itself as the worst team to ever grace an MLB diamond. 

How close are the White Sox to making the erroneous kind of history? The Sporting News explains.  

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Chicago White Sox record 2024 As of play on Sept. 23, 2024, the White Sox own a record of 36-120. 

The White Sox have six games left on the 2024 slate, starting with a three-game series against the Angels at home before ending the season in Detroit against the Tigers. 

DateMatchupTime (ET)Tuesday, Sept. 24vs. Angels7:40 p.m.Wednesday, Sept. 25vs. Angels7:40 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 26vs. Angels2:10 p.m.Friday, Sept. 27at Tigers6:40 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 28at Tigers1:10 p.m.Sunday, Sept. 29at Tigers3:10 p.m.Worst record in MLB historyWhen talking about horrendous seasons, there has to be a delineation between the 1800s and the modern era. In the late 1800s, the Cleveland Spiders went an ungodly 20-134 in 1899 (20-134), which technically is the most losses by a baseball team in a single season. 

However, when looking solely at the modern era (from 1900 to the present), the White Sox are soon going to be atop the leaderboard for the most losses by a team in a single season in MLB history. Chicago enters play Sept. 24 with 120 losses, tied with the 1962 Mets for the dubious record of the most. 

Most losses in MLB seasonSeasonTeamRecordWin %2024Chicago White Sox36-120.2311962New York Mets40-120.2502003Detroit Tigers43-119.2651916Philadelphia Athletics36-117.2351935Boston Braves38-115.2481904Washington Senators38-113.2521952Pittsburgh Pirates42-112.2731932Boston Red Sox43-111.2791939St. Louis Browns43-111.2791941Philadelphia Phillies43-111.2792024 White SoxThis year’s version of the White Sox is about to become the worst team in MLB history in the modern era. Chicago would have to win six games in a row to avoid that fate, which is a near impossible task with this group. The longest win streak of the White Sox this year was four games, which happened in the beginning of May. 

1962 New York MetsThe Mets team that went 40-120 in 1962 was long thought of to be the worst team in the big leagues. That soon will no longer be the case, as their loss record is about to be broken more than 60 years later.

It’s hard to blame anyone that season, as New York was a new team and acquired their roster through the expansion draft. Not only did the Mets fail to immediately compete, but they made history for their woeful inaugural season, sporting the worst team batting average, ERA and fielding percentage. 

2003 Detroit TigersThe 2024 White Sox passed the 2003 Tigers for most losses in a 162-game season earlier in September. Detroit recorded 119 defeats during that season, one off tying the ’62 Mets. The pitching staff finished with a 5.30 ERA and the team ended with a run differential of -337.

Alan Trammell, a Tigers legend, was handed the keys to a roster with holes all over. The stars from the 2002 team all left and it made for a rag-tag group of veterans failing to live up to contracts and young prospects not quite ready to break into the big leagues. 

1916 Philadelphia AthleticsBefore the Mets set the record for most losses, there was the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics squad. That team owns the record for the most win percentage in the modern era, compiling an unsightly .235%. The 117 losses stood until the Mets broke the record in 1962. 

This one was particularly stunning considering Philadelphia won the World Series three years prior. Owner Connie Mack’s lack of spending took a toll on the club, resulting in the plummet for the summit of baseball to the cellar. 

1935 Boston BravesIt’s hard to believe a team with Babe Ruth on it could find its way to a list of the worst teams MLB ever offered. But that’s the case with the 1935 Boston Braves.

When the Braves signed Ruth in 1935 free agency, it was with the thought that he could produce as a player and a manager, taking on a dual-role with the club. It’s a move that failed miserably, as Ruth’s days of dominance were long behind. He couldn’t hit, he couldn’t field, he couldn’t run, and as a result, he retired from playing in the middle of the season. 

Worst win percentage in MLB historyThe same Cleveland Spiders team that holds the record for the most losses when accounting for the time before the 20th century also has the worst win percentage. With just 20 victories in 154 games, Cleveland finished the 1899 season with a win percentage of .130. 

When looking solely at the modern era, the White Sox are in line to finish with the worst this year. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics finished with a win percentage of .235, slightly better than Chicago’s 2024 pace. 

Worst run differential in MLB historyLike the win percentage, including games before 1900, it’s the Cleveland Spiders that have the worst run differential in MLB history. The Spiders allowed 1,252 runs while only scoring 529, posting a run differential of -723. 

In the modern era, the 1932 Boston Red Sox own that mark, with a run differential of -349. The White Sox (-320) have roughly 30 runs to work with over their last six games in order to not pass that mark.