The Chicago White Sox were never going to make headlines in 2024. With their lackluster play and lack of star power on their roster, the "Southsiders" were never going to stand a chance in an AL Central division race that included the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals. They deemed themselves irrelevant in a hurry — until they just couldn't stop losing.
Heading into Tuesday night's contest against the Oakland Athletics, the White Sox had astoundingly lost 21 consecutive games. It was a mark that certainly garnered interest from around the league, unfortunately for Chicago, for all the wrong reasons.
The White Sox were finally able to put an end to the misery on Tuesday as they topped the A's 5-1, per MLB.com's Sonja Chen. White Sox's rookie right-hander, Jonathan Cannon was to thank for the win as he went six innings while only allowing one run.
Phillies' 63-year-old record is shockingly still safe
Some streaks live on for years to come, while others, like this one, eventually come to an end. Let's take a look at the longest losing streaks in MLB history in the Modern Era (since 1900), per MLB.com's Sarah Langs.
Team | Record |
|---|---|
(1) 1961 Phillies | 23 straight losses |
(2-T) 1988 Orioles | 21 straight losses |
(2-T) 2024 White Sox | 21 straight losses |
(4-T) 1969 Expos | 20 straight losses |
(4-T) 1943 Athletics | 20 straight losses |
(4-T) 1916 Athletics | 20 straight losses |
(4-T) 1906 Boston Americans | 20 straight losses |
Somehow, after all this time and some hope the White Sox would continue their losing ways, The Philadelphia Phillies still own the consecutive losing record that has stood since 1961. Starting pitcher Robin Roberts and the Phillies would go on to finish that season a putrid 47-107 for a .305 winning percentage while falling behind the NL by a whopping 42 games. Another unfortunate piece of history the franchise owns on top of being the sole owner of the 11,000 loss club.
One silver lining that can be taken from the White Sox's failure to break the losing streak is their chance to set the worst 162-game record of all time. The 2003 Detroit Tigers currently hold the record at 43-119. The White Sox currently stand at 28-88 (.241 winning percentage), which puts them on pace for a 39-123 record.
Maybe the embarrassment of the Phillies' 63-year-old record still standing won't feel so bad knowing the finish that the 2024 White Sox are headed toward.