The Chicago White Sox have endured a turbulent stretch over recent years, as promising young talent was overshadowed by issues surrounding Tony La Russa and perplexing front-office decisions. While expectations for this season weren’t exceptionally high, the team’s performance in the early weeks suggests a situation even worse than anticipated. Regardless of how one analyzes the numbers, the White Sox are on track for a historically poor record in Major League Baseball.
For decades, the 1962 New York Mets held the infamous record for the worst season in MLB history, finishing with a dismal 40-120 record. The Detroit Tigers in 2003 came close to surpassing this mark with a 43-119 finish. It’s astonishing that both of these historically awful teams managed to win twice as many games as the 2024 White Sox have thus far.
After being shut out in Cleveland, Pedro Grifol’s team fell to a woeful 3-19 record for the year, resulting in a meager winning percentage of .136. Extrapolating this rate suggests a final record of 22-140. However, historically, such a dire performance has been unsustainable since the inception of professional baseball.
Despite the season being in its early stages and the adage that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, ESPN’s David Schoenfield published a piece that may unsettle White Sox fans. The article is brimming with statistics indicating that the team’s fortunes may not improve significantly and that they could indeed be as bad as they appear.
Among the concerning statistics:
– The White Sox have a staggering run differential of -78, surpassing the 1962 Mets’ mark (-44) at this juncture. While this figure is alarming, it falls short of the 2004 Montreal Expos’ abysmal -103 differential through 22 games.
– The team has scored a mere 45 runs, averaging just 2.04 runs per game, a figure lower than all but the 2004 Montreal Expos, who lacked a designated hitter.
– Additionally, the American League Central division features three teams—the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland Guardians—performing above expectations, making it a challenging season for the struggling White Sox.
With these daunting statistics and stiff competition within their division, it appears that the White Sox are in for a grueling season, making for an arduous April and potentially a long summer ahead.
