The Rockies were on pace for the worst-ever season, and then May was worse

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The 10 worst records of the modern era by losses (1901-2024)The 10 worst records of the modern era by winning percentage (1901-2024)

One month ago, we checked in on the poor starts by the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox to gauge where they stood historically, and where they were in danger of heading. Things have gotten a bit better for the White Sox since then — not good, but better — and have somehow gotten worse for Colorado, even though they were already unfathomably poor to begin with.

The Rockies, after being swept by the New York Mets over the weekend, now sit at 9-50 on the season — yes, they lost 50 games before they won 10. That start represents not just the fastest-ever to 50 losses in a season, besting the 1932 Boston Red Sox by two games, but is also the worst overall start through 59 games in MLB since the game’s modern era began in 1901. The fastest any team has lost 51 games is 63 games into the season, when those same Red Sox managed that indignity; the Rockies are already one L away from that mark. Colorado is on pace for 137 losses.

The White Sox, meanwhile, improved from 8-23 to 18-41, with their winning percentage jumping from .258 to .305 because of it. And yet, they’re on pace for 113 defeats. Again, this isn’t good, but it is better. Still not quite good enough, however, as you’ll see.

The 10 worst records of the modern era by losses (1901-2024)

1. 2024 Chicago White Sox: 41-121, .253 W%

2. 1962 New York Mets: 40-120, .250 W%

3. 2003 Detroit Tigers: 43-119, .265 W%

4. 1916 Philadelphia Athletics: 36-117, .235 W%

T5. 2018 Baltimore Orioles: 47-115, .290 W%

T5. 1935 Boston Braves: 38-115, .248 W%

7. 2019 Detroit Tigers: 47-114, .292 W%

8. 1904 Washington Senators: 38-113, .252 W%

T9. 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-112, .273 W%

T9. 2023 Oakland Athletics: 50-112, .308 W%

T9. 1965 New York Mets: 50-112, .308 W%

T9. 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-112, .272 W%

(You might have noticed that the ranking of total losses and of winning percentage don’t neatly match up: that’s because of differing season lengths. The 162-game schedule wasn’t introduced until the 1961 season.)

Saying any team is a lock for anything on June 2 seems like a mistake, but it seems fair to suggest, at least, that the Rockies will find themselves added somewhere to the above list by season’s end. The White Sox, so long as they lose at least 113 games, will still have produced one of the 10 worst seasons by total losses since 1901. May was an improvement, but they still have some room to improve further, is the thing.

Strong months from starting pitchers like Sean Burke (2.73 ERA in 5 starts, 33 innings) helped stabilize the White Sox at least a little bit in May. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The Rockies are on pace to smash the loss record of 121 that the White Sox just set last summer. They’ve actually gotten worse, too, as they were 6-25 and on pace for 131 losses a month ago: they’ve doubled their losses for the season since, while adding just the three wins. They might not lose 137 games in 2025, sure, but the number going up the more games they play instead of down as small sample noise works itself out is not very encouraging in terms of whether they’ll be able to avoid “besting” Chicago’s recent historical ineptitude.

Let’s check in on winning percentage, too, to see where these teams sit in comparison to the … well, not the greats, but you get the idea.

The 10 worst records of the modern era by winning percentage (1901-2024)

1916 Philadelphia Athletics: 36-117, .235 W%
1935 Boston Braves: 38-115, .248 W%
1962 New York Mets: 40-120, .250 W%
1904 Washington Senators: 38-113, .252 W%
2024 Chicago White Sox: 41-121, .253 W%
1919 Philadelphia Athletics: 36-104, .257 W%
2003 Detroit Tigers: 43-119, .265 W%
1952 Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-112, .273 W%
1909 Washington Senators: 42-110, .276 W%
1942 Philadelphia Phillies: 42-109, .278 W%

The Rockies’ winning percentage is .158. You could say that they’ve got a little bit of wiggle room between their current standing and the all-time worst by this metric, the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics. The White Sox have managed to exit this particular conversation thanks to their performance in May, but they aren’t so far away from it yet that they can rest, either. Another month like April and they’ll be right back in this conversation, at the least.

It’s worth taking a moment to reflect on some other struggles going on around MLB. The A’s are maybe the most noteworthy, given that they sat at 20-16 on May 5, in possession of a wild card spot, and have gone 3-21 since that point … or, the same record that the Rockies put together over the same stretch. The Athletics are now on pace for 100 losses themselves, which isn’t enough to gain attention as far as historically awful seasons go, but they’re a team to keep an eye on now. It’s difficult to imagine them putting up another stretch like the one they just had, but just to explain the stakes, going 3-21 again over their next 24 games would put the A’s at 26-58, or, on pace for 112 losses, basically where the White Sox sit now.

The Athletics didn’t have many bright spots in their 3-21 stretch, but shortstop Jacob Wilson (.382/.440/.584 in 100 PA) stood out. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

The other teams on pace for 100 or more losses are likely safe, insofar as being historically relevant in this capacity goes. The Orioles (22-36, .379 W%) are on pace for 101 losses. The Pirates (22-38, .367) are on pace for 103. The Marlins aren’t on a 100-loss pace, but they are on track for 97, and that could matter in another way that’s historically meaningful. There have never been five 100-loss teams in an MLB season before, and as of now, five teams are on pace for at least that many defeats, with the Marlins hovering unsettlingly close to that triple-digit threshold as well.

There is a whole lot of season left, and things can change in that regard — the Orioles might play more like they should, the Marlins might be just good enough to avoid it, the Athletics maybe turn things around again — but, like with the Rockies and White Sox, this is at least something notable to keep in mind as the season rolls on.

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