Chicago’s 6-3 loss to Seattle on Sunday was their 14th straight defeat, bringing their season record to 27-81. This means their winning percentage is .250, which matches the 1962 New York Mets’ winning percentage when they set the modern record for losses with a 40-120 record.
At this stage in the 1962 season, the Mets had a record of 29-79, which was better than the White Sox’s current record. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, who hold the record for the worst winning percentage at .235 after going 36-117, started their season at 23-85 before slightly improving later on.
The White Sox’s run differential, which is a measure of how many more runs they have allowed compared to how many they’ve scored, isn’t as bad as their record.
They’ve been outscored by 218 runs, the worst in baseball. However, this is still not as severe as last year’s Oakland A’s, who were outscored by 259 runs after 108 games and had a record of 30-78. The A’s finished the season at 50-112, avoiding the 1962 Mets’ record.
This year’s White Sox lost 22 of their first 25 games. After a 14-game losing streak (and they’ve had more than one this season), they were 15-48 in early June.
For about a month after that, they played well enough to suggest they might avoid reaching 120 losses, but now that possibility is back on the table, especially if they trade away key players like Erick Fedde or Garrett Crochet, who have been performing well this year.
To lose this many games, both bad luck and poor performance are involved. The 1962 Mets played more one-run games than any team in the National League and had a record of 19-39 in those games. The White Sox are 8-22 in one-run games this year.
One player who represents Chicago’s struggles might be right-hander Mike Soroka. He has dealt with injuries in recent years but was given a chance for a fresh start after being traded to the White Sox. His stint in the rotation lasted just over a month, and after being moved to the bullpen, Soroka is now 0-10 with a 5.23 ERA. The White Sox have only won 1 of the 22 games he has pitched in.
