As the 2024 MLB season ends, the race everyone is watching is what gonna happen with the wild card spot. Sure there is still a chance that division leads can flip. However, with the smallest lead being only 3.5 games it’s the same to assume the divisions are wrapped up. So all eyes turn to the Wild Card races in both leagues. In both races, four teams are competing for the final three spots in the playoffs. It should be a race that comes down to the finale weekend. However, there’s a race the White Sox are involved in that they’re hoping to lose.
The White Sox currently have a record of 36-116, by far the worst record in recent memory. Plus they’re still on track to be the worst record of all time. If the White Sox were to lose five more games they would pass the 1962 Mets for the most losses in the modern era. Whether or not the White Sox break their record or not, these two teams will be tied at the hip for the rest of him. However, how do these two teams compare and which one is truly worse?
The Origins of the 1962 Mets
When the Dodgers and Giants went to the West Coast at the end of 1957 they left a major hole for New York baseball fans. New York went from being the pinnacle of baseball with three dominant teams to not having a team in the National League. This caused many former Dodgers and Giants fans to ask for an expansion team. A team to come in and replace the hole left by the two teams now out West. After years of petitioning the National League finally granted an expansion team to New York in 1960. Then two years later, in 1962 the National League returned to the Big Apple when the Mets took the field.
As stated before this team was really bad. They would finish the season 40-120, setting the record for most losses in a season. However, when you look at the way this team was assembled, this record shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. When the Mets built their team in the expansion draft they focused on getting household names. Guys who were either famous Dodgers or Giants, or had a very successful MLB career.
Now on paper, this seems like a great idea. Fill your roster with experienced MLB talent. Guys who have had success in New York and the MLB as a whole, you would think this team would be good. The problem was that all these players were past their prime. Their days of success were well past them and they were a shell of what they once were. Causing the team to struggle and finish with as bad of a record as they did.
Are the 2024 White Sox or 1962 Mets Worst?
Now that the context of the 1962 Mets has been explained we can say for certain that the 2024 White Sox are the worst team. Sure the 1962 Mets have more losses right now, but winning wasn’t the main goal for that team. If you look back at that 1962 expansion draft, there wasn’t much talent. So Mets Team President George Weiss changed his strategy. Instead of using the expansion draft to make his team a winner, he used it to make as many people Mets fans as possible. So the old Dodgers/Giants legends will capture the old Dodgers and Giants fans in the area. Plus having the past legends would bring people to the ballpark and the hope was a good trip to the ballpark might make them Mets fans. Sure the team wanted to win, however, it was the goal when assembling the roster.
Unlike the Mets, this White Sox team was once seen as a dynasty. Sure it’s been a few seasons, but go back to the end of 2021. They had just dominated the AL Central, had seemed to have a bright future. However, underachieving and injuries have completely derailed the team in 2022 and 2023. Plus not being able to replace players with quality free agents didn’t help. However, despite all this, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if the White Sox were competitive. Not saying they were World Series contenders, but if everything broke right it wouldn’t have been a surprise had this team been in a playoff chase. Instead, this team regressed even further and cemented themselves as the worst team in MLB history.
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