The Chicago White Sox of 2024 are headed towards a shameful spot in baseball history.

After reaching the 100-loss milestone on August 25 in only their 131st game, the White Sox are likely to break the record for the most losses in a single MLB season. As of September 17, they had a record of 36 wins and 115 losses.

This season, the Sox faced a historic 21-game losing streak from July 10 to August 5, which was a tie for the American League record and ultimately resulted in the firing of manager Pedro Grifol and several coaches on August 8.

“Everyone can see that our team’s performance this season has fallen short on many fronts,” expressed GM Chris Getz.

MLB’s Most Disastrous Teams

The White Sox are aiming for an unwanted historic achievement, sitting at 115 losses as of September 16. Here’s how they compare with the worst teams in MLB history:

Most losses in a single MLB season (since 1900):

• New York Mets, 1962: 120 losses
• Detroit Tigers, 2003: 119 losses
• Philadelphia Athletics, 1916: 117 losses
• Chicago White Sox, 2024: 115 losses
• Baltimore Orioles, 2018: 115 losses
• Boston Braves, 1935: 115 losses
• Detroit Tigers, 2019: 114 losses
• Washington Senators, 1904: 113 losses

(Source: Baseball-Reference.com)

The All-Time Worst Team

One team that the White Sox can’t surpass is the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who recorded a staggering 20 wins and 134 losses, giving them a ‘winning’ percentage of .130.

The Spiders had previously been a strong team in the early National League but faced disaster when their owners acquired a bankrupt NL club in St. Louis and transferred nearly all of the Spiders’ star players, including famous pitcher Cy Young, to the St. Louis team.

This resulted in the severely weakened Spiders concluding the 1899 season with the lowest record ever of 20 wins and 134 losses. They were among four National League teams that were eliminated after that season.