The Chicago White Sox are on pace for the second-worst season (in terms of winning percentage) in modern MLB history; following their 10-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday, their record has fallen to an atrocious 29-93, putting them on pace for around 38 to 39 wins — surpassing the ignominious mark the 2003 Detroit Tigers set for most losses in a 162-game season. With this level of putridity, there are consequences, and it looks like this 2024 season will be costing the White Sox franchise financially.
White Sox senior vice president Brooks Boyer announced, via ESPN, that they are lowering season-ticket prices for next season by an “average of 10 percent”. This reflects the White Sox brass' recognition of the dwindling fan support amid the bleakest season in the history of the franchise, and they envision this price-drop as a way to encourage fans to keep on attending games in Guaranteed Rate Field.
“We understand where all the ticket prices are — whether it's season-ticket prices, secondary market. After looking at that, understanding where we are organizationally, we thought it was important that it's something that we do for our season-ticket holders who have been very loyal to us,” Boyer, who is also the team's chief revenue and marketing officer, said.
This is a logical business decision for a team that is no way, shape, or form equipped to sell an imminent future of solid baseball to White Sox fans. The front office will be hoping that they will not be as dreadful in 2025 as they've been in 2024, but that will be a tough idea to sell to fans given how depleted the roster is and will continue to be in a few key areas.
White Sox are on pace for the worst 162-game season in MLB history
Last season, the White Sox finished 61-101 — continuing their steep downturn. They appeared to be on course to build a sustainable contending team after graduating a few top prospects to begin the 2020s, but a combination of injury problems and unforeseen poor performances tanked the team beginning in 2022, and in 2024, they have hit one lower depth after another.
It has gotten to the point where the streets in the South Side of Chicago are throwing (figurative) parades whenever the White Sox win a ballgame. Winning has become such a rarity that there is a hullabaloo on social media every time the White Sox manage to emerge as a victor on any given night.
But there is reason to be hopeful that this historically-bad season is a one-off. According to the latest MLB.com farm system rankings, the White Sox's prospect pipeline ranks 11th in the entire league — with left-handers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith not too far off from joining Garrett Crochet in a rotation that's about to be fronted by southpaws. Shortstop Colson Montgomery and catcher Edgar Quero should provide a solid backbone through the middle of the diamond for years to come.
The White Sox could also add a few more prospects to their pipeline if they deal established stars Luis Robert Jr. or even Crochet; Robert and Crochet are under team control until 2027 and 2026, respectively, and could bring in quite the large haul in a trade.
But for now, the White Sox franchise has to take its fair share of limps — particularly on the financial side — as they trudge along in their road back to respectability.
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