The futility of the Chicago White Sox is becoming historic. The White Sox lost again Sunday afternoon, this time to Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies (PHI 8, CWS 2). The loss dropped Chicago to 3-18 on the season. 3-18! They are the tenth team in history to drop 18 of their first 21 games, and the first in two decades.
Here are the nine previous teams to lose at least 18 of their first 21 games:
| Team | Start | Final record |
|---|---|---|
1988 Baltimore Orioles | 0-21 | 54-107 |
2003 Detroit Tigers | 2-19 | 43-119 |
2022 Cincinnati Reds | 3-18 | 62-100 |
2018 Cincinnati Reds | 3-18 | 67-95 |
1993 Kansas City Royals | 3-18 | 72-90 |
1969 Cleveland | 3-18 | 62-99 |
1952 Pittsburgh Pirates | 3-18 | 42-112 |
1936 St. Louis Browns | 3-18 | 57-95 |
1907 Brooklyn Dodgers | 3-18 | 65-83 |
There are some run of the mill bad teams in there and also two of the worst teams in baseball history in the 1952 Pirates and 2003 Tigers. The 2018 and 2022 Reds are a reason to be optimistic, I suppose. Cincinnati is loaded with young talent and is now one of the most exciting teams in the game. Can the White Sox swing that in a few years? It's on GM Chris Getz to make it happen.
The White Sox scored two runs Sunday and that is more or less exactly their season average: 2.14 runs per game. They managed only four hits, the eighth time in 21 games they've had six hits or fewer, and their run differential sits at minus-71. On average, the White Sox have been outscored by 3.38 runs per game in 2024. That is almost unfathomable.
Chicago heads to Minnesota next for a four-game series with the slumping Twins. The Twins are 7-13 following Sunday's loss (DET 6, MIN 1) and I'm sure they're looking forward to playing seven of their next 10 games against the White Sox. Minnesota needs to get the season on the rails and there's no better opponent to get you on the right track.
Dayn Perry chronicled the White Sox's ineptitude recently and it has somehow only gotten worse. The 2024 White Sox are shaping up to be one of the worst teams in history.
