The 2024 White Sox set the wrong kind of history, as Chicago (AL) lost 121 games, beating out the 1962 Mets for most losses in a single season. Chicago went through two different managers in a season that saw the Sox struggle offensively and on the mound. However, there were some bright spots despite what was a tough season in the South Side. Here’s our recap of the 2024 White Sox.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 507 | 30th |
| Home Runs | 133 | 30th |
| OPS | .618 | 30th |
| Whiff% | 26.1% | 21st |
| Hard Hit% | 35.3% | 29th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.62 | 25th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 4.73 | 28th |
| Strikeouts | 1,366 | 17th |
| Whiff% | 25.8% | 11th |
| Chase% | 27.1% | 29th |
The Good
Given that the White Sox lost 121 games last season, it’s safe to say there weren’t too many positives in the Majors last season. But, there were some.
Erick Fedde, a former first-round pick who overhauled his arsenal in Korea, was a great pickup last winter. Fedde struck out 108 over 121.2 IP for the Sox, posted a strong 3.11 ERA, and was one of the best AL starters before he was traded to St. Louis in the summer.
Fedde made the most of his stuff, constantly keeping hitters off balance with a steady diet of cutters, changeups, sinkers, and sweepers. His sweeper became his ace pitch, working well with the spin of his sinker to smartly tunnel on hitters.
The other great story — and arguably the best one — was the rise of Garrett Crochet. Crochet, a 2020 first-round pick, got his chance to start four years after the Sox grabbed him from the University of Tennessee. The lefty had been used exclusively as a reliever in his first two seasons, much like Chris Sale was during his early days, during Chicago’s playoff runs in 2020-21.
However, this version of Crochet was very different. Crochet incorporated a cut fastball into his arsenal. It’s a nasty, low-90s pitch that hit 95 MPH at times and with his plus extension, sped up on hitters with its glove-side movement.
Crochet put up electric results in 2024, despite have his innings limited in the second half. The 25-year-old struck out 209 batters over 146 innings and demonstrated great repeatability of his delivery. That kept the walks (5.5% BB%) and the ERA (3.58) down.
The Bad
I’ll keep this section as brief as possible.
The White Sox were not playing for 2024. That was blanantly obvious by the moves made by the team before — and during — the season. Chicago moved out Dylan Cease, Tommy Pham, Paul DeJong, Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, and Eloy Jimenez all in the last calendar year. Some of those names were short-term pickups, while others were long-time Sox.
Some of those names went on to do big things outside of Chicago. Kopech won a World Series title with the Dodgers, Cease found his groove in San Diego, while Fedde (113 ERA+) fit in nicely in St. Louis. However, those moves led to more prospects and for right now, more pain.
No player on the White Sox who played 100 or more games last season had an adjusted OPS (OPS+) above league.
Andrew Benintendi, who re-found his power stroke and hit 20 home runs, posted a .685 OPS. Andrew Vaughn, who’s yet to look like the star he did at California, had a .699 OPS and 19 home runs. And Miguel Vargas, a former top prospect with the Dodgers who was acquired midseason, hit .104/.217/.170 after coming over and looked lost at times.
Luis Robert Jr., meanwhile, played only 100 games and wasn’t right at the plate when on the field. Robert Jr. hit .224/.278/.379 with 14 home runs, one year after the 27-year-old hit 38 home runs and looked like the superstar many expected him to become five years ago.
All of that lead to the Sox scoring 507 runs, fewest in MLB last season. It’s also the second-fewest runs scored by the franchise in a 162-game season (1968 White Sox (463)).
And on the mound, 17 pitchers made at least one start for the White Sox.
There was some hype around Michael Soroka, who got a chance to start once more with Chicago. However, he flailed (.856 OPS, 6.39 ERA) as a starter before he became a very reliable reliever (2.75 ERA, 60 K over 36 IP). Jared Shuster, also acquired from Atlanta, didn’t last long in starting role either, as he made just four starts.
Another well-known prospect for Chicago, Nick Nastrini, gave up 28 earned runs over 35.2 IP.
What hurts even more for the White Sox’s future is that even though Chicago lost more games than anyone else in the Majors last season, the team won’t have much to show for it in the MLB Draft order. Due to the MLB Draft lottery rules, the Sox can’t pick in the top nine of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Meaning, the Sox miss out on the chance to grab high-school sensation Ethan Holliday or Texas A&M slugger Jace LaViolette, both of whom are early favorites to go first overall next July.
Early Projected Lineup for 2025
- C: Korey Lee
- 1B: Andrew Vaughn
- 2B: Lenyn Sosa
- 3B: Miguel Vargas
- SS: Jacob Amaya/Colson Montgomery
- OF: Andrew Benintendi (LF), Luis Robert Jr. (CF), Austin Slater (RF)
- DH: Dominic Fletcher
- SP: Garrett Crochet, Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin
- RP: Justin Anderson, Steven Wilson, Jordan Leasure, Ron Marinaccio, Sean Burke, Prelander Berroa, Jairo Iriarte, Fraser Ellard
The pain will likely not get much better in 2025. Not only does Chicago have arguably the worst lineup in the American League, the White Sox may move Garrett Crochet out of town. Rumors circulated in the summer but never went anywhere, as Crochet wanted to remain in any potential suitor’s rotation for the remainder of the 2024 season and a new contract.
Teams need pitching and at 25 years old, Crochet is a potential game-changing talent. So, why would the White Sox, a team that desperately need young talent, give up their ace at that age? Well, it is a numbers game. The White Sox can pawn Crochet for a hefty price, bolster their organizational depth, and move off a player with two years of control left.
The good news for the Sox, though, is that some help is on the way. Youngsters Ky Bush and Jairo Iriarte, potential rotation pieces for the future, made their debuts in 2025. And for their lineup, top hitting prospects Edgar Quero and Colson Montgomery, the latter of whom was added to Chicago’s 40-man roster, could be in town at some point next season.