Will the White Sox pass the Phillies for baseball’s worst losing streak ever? They’re getting close.
The 1961 Phils hold the record for baseball’s longest skid at 23 games, but it’s not the longest such streak in pro sports. It’s not even the longest in the city.
If you think the Phillies’ current struggles are bad — eight losses in their last nine games — that’s nothing compared to what’s going on in Chicago. On Monday, the White Sox lost their 21st consecutive game, tying the second-longest losing streak in MLB history.
It’s been a season to forget on the Southside, as the White Sox sit at the bottom of the league with a 27-88 record and still decided to hold onto their heavy hitters, Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet, at the trade deadline. The Sox’ losing streak is the worst since the 2021 Orioles lost 19 consecutive games.
But the White Sox are chasing the longest MLB losing streak of all time, which still belongs to the 1961 Phillies. Here’s everything you need to know …
How bad is the White Sox losing streak?
It’s bad. The aforementioned 2021 Orioles lost 19 games while actively tanking for prospects, and hey, it worked! In the following draft, they picked Jackson Holliday first overall.
So, good times may be ahead for the Sox. But for right now, they’re rewriting the record books as one of the worst teams in baseball history. This is their second long losing streak of the season, having lost 14 in a row earlier this year.
What is the worst losing streak in baseball history?
The 1961 Phillies hold the worst streak ever, losing 23 straight games. The White Sox are two games away from tying that record and three away from beating it.
» READ MORE: A 1961 Phillie recalls record losing streak as White Sox close in: ‘Have you ever been booed by 30,000 people?’
When would the White Sox break the 1961 Phillies’ record?
If the White Sox continue to lose, they’ll officially tie the streak on Wednesday against the A’s. They’re off on Thursday, so if they beat the streak, it’ll come at home vs. the crosstown rival Cubs on Friday.
What’s the worst losing streak in pro sports?
It should surprise no one that the Process-era Sixers had two of the worst losing streaks in pro sports history. But they’re not at the top — the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals, now the Arizona Cardinals, are. They lost 29 straight games from 1942-45.
The Sixers are tied for second worst, losing 28 consecutive games between the 2014-15 season and the 2015-16 season. The Pistons tied them at second in 2023. The Sixers also lost 26 consecutive games in a separate streak in 2014 for fourth place on the list.
So the White Sox still have a bit to go to reach those heights.
Will the White Sox finish with the worst record in MLB history?
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the worst record in MLB history, going 20-134 (.130), and the White Sox have already done better than that in terms of total wins. But the original expansion 1962 Mets hold the worst record in modern MLB history, at 40-120, and the Sox’ current win percentage comes in below that, at .235 as of Tuesday.
After their loss on Monday night, they’re on pace to lose 123 games this season.