Here’s one thing that can’t be argued: the 2024 Chicago White Sox are the worst MLB team of the modern era after losing their 121st game on Friday night.
But are they worse than the worst NHL team of all time? How about the NFL or NBA?
Let’s take a look at those legendarily awful teams and see how they stack up against the 2024 White Sox, who are now the losingest team in modern MLB history.
NFL: 2008 Detroit Lions, 0-16; 2017 Cleveland Browns, 0-16
Winning zero games is surprisingly hard to do in the NFL, despite the relatively small number of games in a season. Only two teams in the 16-game era (1978-2020) ended their seasons with zero wins and zero ties: the 2008 Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns. While it’s tough being a fan of a baseball team that’s losing repeatedly over 162 games, is it harder to be a fan of a team that wins zero of 16 games with a full week between most games?
NBA: 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, 7-59, .106 winning percentage; 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, 9-73, .110 winning percentage
There are two teams that can technically claim to be the worst NBA team of all time: the 2011-12 Bobcats and the 1972-73 76ers. That Bobcats team has the worst winning percentage in NBA history, though they did it in a lockout-shortened 66-game season. The ’72-’73 Sixers team owns the worst record in a regular 82-game season. Despite playing in a season 14 games shorter than normal, the Bobcats deserve to be here for ending their season on an abysmal 23-game losing streak.
NHL: 1974-75 Washington Capitals, 8–67–5, .131 winning percentage
Of every team on this list, the 1974-75 Capitals deserve the most sympathy. That was their first season of existence as an expansion team. And unlike teams in MLB and the NBA, NHL teams have a third possible game outcome: ties! (Ties are possible but rare in the NFL.) A tie is at the very least a change from losing, and when your favorite team is losing 67 games in a season, any change is welcome.
MLB: 2024 White Sox, 39-121 (2 left to play), .244 winning percentage
Because of the sheer number of games, it’s tough to compare baseball to other sports. The 2024 White Sox have more wins than than every other team on this list combined, and none of those teams lost 121-plus games in a single season. That’s what makes the MLB season so tough. It’s just as long as the other three major sports (roughly six months), but they play much more often.
With the differences between all the sports, is it really possible to determine which of these is worst? Ask the fans of any one of these teams and they’ll give you a convincing reason why their team deserves to be considered the worst of all time. And in truth, there’s no wrong answer.
But the White Sox have been so bad this season that surviving members of the 1962 New York Mets, the previous worst-team record-holders, have expressed sympathy for the 2024 White Sox squad. When something like that happens, it’s time to end the contest.
