It’s official. The White Sox have lost 100 games for the first time since 2018. Saturday’s 6-1 loss to the Padres marked just the fifth time in franchise history that the White Sox has reached triple-digit losses.
The previous 100 loss seasons came in and the aforementioned 2018 season. The difference between that season and this one is that the team was in the middle of a rebuild. One hundred losses in the middle of their so-called “contention window” makes it all the more embarrassing.
Many fans had the White Sox projected to win the division (myself included). Vegas was not as optimistic with most books having the White Sox win total set at 83.5.
The analytics were even more skeptical of the White Sox. The PECOTA standings had the White Sox finishing third in the American League Central with 79 wins. According to PECOTA, the White Sox’s chances of winning the division were at just 7.4 percent, while their odds of making the playoffs were at 17.8 percent.
Meanwhile, the Zips projections painted an even grimmer picture. ZiPS projected standings had the White Sox going 74-88 and finishing third in the division behind the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins.
When the season officially ends the White Sox will have failed to win 63 games and finished in fourth place in the AL Central ahead of only the lowly Kansas City Royals. The White Sox’s -194 run differential after Saturday’s game is the second-worst mark in the American League ahead of just the A’s -339 mark.
Adding to the embarrassment is the team’s sub .400 record at home. After Saturday’s loss to the Padres the White Sox 2023 record at home sits at 31-48. Only the A’s and Royals have more losses in their own ballparks.
The numbers in the box score don’t seem nearly as bad when you unpack everything that went on to get to that point.
Before Spring Training the team had to answer questions about Mike Clevinger’s domestic violence allegations. At the trade deadline, the White Sox were forced to sell six pitchers. Later in the season, a report came out that exposed the White Sox locker room as a dysfunctional mess. This included players skipping practice, sleeping in the bullpen, and fighting. The Executive Vice President and General Manager were fired and women got shot inside of the stadium all in the same week. It is only a brief summary of the mountain of misfortune that this team brought on themselves.
The 2023 season may go down as one of the worst seasons in franchise history if not all of baseball given the expectations that were placed on the White Sox before the start of the season. One hundred losses is a fitting way to end it.
