This Year’s White Sox Fall to ‘62 Mets In Strat-O-Matic ‘Worst Team Ever’ Simulation

A current 21-game losing streak has put this year’s Chicago White Sox (27-88, .235 winning percentage through Monday) on a pace for an even poorer record than the famed 1962 New York Mets, who at 40-120 (.250) are acknowledged by many as the worst team in modern Major League Baseball history. So how would the 2024 ChiSox fare against Marvelous Marv Throneberry, Felix Mantilla and the rest of Casey Stengel’s expansion Amazins?

Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, decided to put that to the test today, simulating a seven-game series between the two lowly squads. And the battle came down to Game 7, where Jay Hook pitched a complete game and Sammy Taylor hit a grand slam in the fourth inning for a 7-5 Mets win.

The 2024 White Sox, further depleted by trade deadline deals that sent away Michael Kopech, Tommy Pham, Eloy Jimenez, Tanner Banks and Paul DeJong, all starters or key “contributors,” are on a pace to finish 38-124 based on their record to date. But Strat-O-Matic also decided to simulate the rest of this season with their current roster, and has the final record tabbed at 41-121.

In the ‘62 Mets series simulation, Chicago pitching, which has recorded an A.L.-worst 4.88 ERA, allowing the most walks (451), second most home runs (147) and fourth most hits (977) in actual MLB play to date, permitted 60 runs in the seven games for a 7.28 ERA that included 13 home runs and 41 walks. The ChiSox’s top hitter against New York was Luis Robert Jr., who hit .448 with two home runs and four RBI. Andrew Benintendi checked in at .316 with a home run and six RBI in the series.

Chicago won the first two games of the series and led, three games to two, but lost, 18-3 and 7-5 in the last two contests in New York.

Game 1

Chicago……. 2 0 1  1 2 0  0 0 0  1 –  7 14  2

New York…… 0 1 0  4 0 0  0 1 0  0 –  6  9  1

WP: Ellard; LP: Daviault; SV: Kuhl

HR: Robert Jr., Vaughn, Thomas

Game 2

Chicago……. 0 0 2  0 0 1  0 5 0  –  8 11  1

New York…… 0 1 3  0 0 0  0 2 0  –  6  8  0

WP: Anderson; LP: Jackson; SV: Kuhl

HR: Vargas, Mantilla, Thomas 2, Hickman

Game 3

New York…… 0 0 1  0 0 0  0 4 0  1 –  6 11  2

Chicago……. 0 0 0  0 1 2  0 2 0  0 –  5  8  0

WP: Mackenzie; LP: Brebbia

HR: Fletcher

Game 4

New York…… 1 0 0  0 3 1  2 0 0  –  7  9  3

Chicago……. 0 0 0  0 0 1  0 0 2  –  3  7  2

WP: Miller; LP: Martin

HR: Mantilla

Game 5

New York…… 0 7 0  0 0 0  1 0 2  – 10 12  0

Chicago……. 2 0 0  6 0 0  3 4    – 15 14  2

WP: Shuster; LP: Mackenzie

HR: Hodges, Robert Jr., Sosa

Game 6

Chicago……. 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 3  –  3  7  0

New York…… 0 0 6  1 0 1  010    – 18 17  2

WP: Jackson; LP: Flexen

HR: Vaughn, Mantilla 2, Thomas 2, Throneberry

Game 7

Chicago……. 3 0 0  1 0 1  0 0 0  –  5  7  1

New York…… 0 1 1  4 0 0  1 0    –  7  8  2

WP: Hook; LP: Cannon

HR: Benintendi, Lee, Taylor