The Chicago White Sox lost their 121st game of the season on Friday, further etching their name in baseball infamy.
With a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox fell to 39-121. They now solely own the MLB record for losses in a season in the modern era, a period that dates back to 1900. The team took the news with the irreverence that has dominated social media accounts of late.
Here’s how the final out was recorded in the record-breaking loss, which coincidentally sent the Tigers into the postseason:
The White Sox were previously tied with the 1962 expansion New York Mets, who finished at 40-120-1. The Sox reached that low point on September 22 with a 4-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. A surprising three-game home sweep of the Angels delayed the ignominy for a few more days.
The White Sox have two games remaining on their regular-season schedule and still have time to extend the record before their season ends Sunday, putting it further out of the reach of future exceptional losers.
It was a season full of lowlights on the South Side of Chicago. This is undoubtedly the lowest.
The White Sox winning percentage is now .244. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics played eight fewer games than the 1962 Mets and will hold the record for the worst winning percentage (36-117, .235) in modern history.
The historic White Sox season also features two notable losing streaks, one of which cemented a place in the MLB record books. The White Sox went on a franchise-record 14 consecutive losing streak that ended on June 7. They came out of that losing streak with a record of 15-48 (.238).
Chicago then surpassed that record with an extended losing streak that stretched through the All-Star break. The White Sox lost their last four games before halftime and their first 17 games of the second half for a 21-game losing streak. That tied the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the longest lead in American League history and left the White Sox at 27-88 (.235).
If there’s any consolation to take from this streak, Chicago didn’t extend it to 22 to claim the AL record as its own. The White Sox also failed to tie or pass the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, who held the record for the longest losing streak in MLB history at 23 games.
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What makes it worse is that after all these losses, the White Sox don’t have a premium draft pick to look forward to. MLB rules prohibit big-market teams (defined as teams that do not receive revenue sharing) from receiving lottery picks in consecutive drafts. The White Sox received a lottery pick (No. 5) in July and therefore cannot pick higher than 10th in the 2025 draft.
Based on statements from general manager Chris Getz, it appears the franchise isn’t planning on making any major leaps in free agency.
