Could the Rockies’ Rough Start Rival the Historic Collapse of the 2024 White Sox?

Ever felt like déjà vu is stalking the Colorado Rockies? After a dreadful start this season—with a 4-24 record worse than any major league team since 2003—it’s hard not to wonder if they’re gunning to outdo the infamous 2024 Chicago White Sox, who set the dismal MLB record with 121 losses. Sure, other teams have stumbled early only to bounce back, but the Rockies’ slide looks ominously familiar, making fans ask: are we witnessing the beginnings of another historic flop, or can this struggling squad climb out of the depths? With pitching woes, defensive blunders, and a lineup as quiet as a library, the Rockies’ season is teetering on the edge of futility. So, what’s next for this team trapped in a spiral? Let’s dig into how their rocky ride stacks up against the White Sox’s infamous collapse. LEARN MORE.
Jordan Beck hit five home runs in a three-game stretch last week (all losses), but Hunter Goodman has been their top hitter with a .256 batting average, five homers and team highs of 14 RBIs, 15 runs and 10 extra-base hits.

The post How the Slow-Starting Rockies Compare to the 121-Loss White Sox of 2024 appeared first on Opta Analyst.

If there’s good news for ninth-year manager Bud Black’s Rockies, our TRACR projection model projects the Rockies to finish 46-116 and avoid having the most losses in a season.

The Colorado Rockies have the worst record of any major league team through 28 games since 2003. Considering it comes one year after the Chicago White Sox set the 162-game record with 121 losses, there’s reason to believe the Rockies may challenge that futility.

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The Rockies enter play against the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night with a 4-24 record, which is actually two games worse than the White Sox’s 6-22 start in 2024.

The Rockies, mired in a seven-game losing streak that already is their third of at least six games, may challenge the White Sox’s record loss total. In fact, their 28-game start is the worst in 22 years and tied for the fifth-worst ever and the third worst of MLB’s modern era (since 1901).

MLB: Lowest Win Percentage in First 28 Games (All Time)

The light air at Coors Field would figure to help Colorado hitters, but the offense is ranked 28th in the majors in batting average (.212), on-base percentage (.286) and runs per game (3.29). The Rockies are 25th in offensive TRACR (minus-0.92).

• T1. 2003 Detroit Tigers, .107 (3-25)  
• T1. 1988 Baltimore Orioles, .107 (3-25)  
• T1. 1894 Washington Senators, .107 (3-25)  
• T1. 1882 Baltimore Orioles, .107 (3-25)  
• T5. 2025 Colorado Rockies, .143 (4-24)  
• T5. 1936 St. Louis Browns, .143 (4-24)  
• T5. 1893 Louisville Colonels, .143 (4-24)  
• T5. 1884 Kansas City Unions, .143 (4-24)  
• T5. 1876 Cincinnati Red Stockings, .143 (4-24)  

The Chicago White Sox set the record for losses in a 162-game season just last year, finishing 41-121.

If the Colorado Rockies’ losing ways make you feel like you’ve been here before with bad teams in Major League Baseball, you don’t have to look back far.

Yeah, gulp.

This year’s Rockies could believe that with maturation, some of the worst is behind them. They were only one game better than the White Sox after 28 games last season – opening 7-21 – yet wound up 20 games better at 61-101 (still, the worst record in the National League).

The 2024 White Sox were a worse hitting squad to the start last season – .207 BA, .274 OBP and 2.75 runs on average through 28 games. Those numbers were .221, .278 and 3.13, respectively, for the season.

In fact, after the Braves, eight of the Rockies’ following nine series are against teams that enter Tuesday’s action at least tied for a top-10 winning percentage.

It didn’t look so bad for the Rockies on opening day when starter Kyle Freeland fired six scoreless innings, but he’s 0-4 with a 5.93 ERA. Only two starters (Chase Dollander and Antonio Senzatela, who have both struggled) are in the win column.

Incredibly, the White Sox won five of their final six games last season, so their record loss total could have been worse (they finished with the fifth-worst winning percentage all time).

But a comparison of Colorado against the 2024 White Sox suggests a mile-low feeling will continue in Denver.

But following this week’s series against the red-hot Braves (eight wins in their last 10), the Rockies travel to the San Francisco Giants (19-10), then host the AL-leading Detroit Tigers (18-11) and the San Diego Padres (17-11).

The pitching staff hasn’t been helped by the defense as the Rockies’ 23 errors have led to a major league-worst 20 unearned runs. Colorado is easily the worst team in MLB in defensive TRACR (run prevention; so pitching AND defense) at 1.83.

For good measure, there’s often a team spiraling at the start: the 2022 Cincinnati Reds and the 2023 Oakland Athletics were both 5-23 through 28 games. But the Reds rebounded to finish above .500 that season and the Athletics didn’t even wind up with MLB’s worst record a year later.

The 2024 White Sox, however, never got on track, with losing streaks of 14, 21 (tying an American League record) and 12 games after April on the way to their 121 defeats.

The ’24 ChiSox had a 5.10 ERA and .258 BAA through 28 games, numbers that improved to 4.67 and .255, respectively, by season’s end.

The Rockies have been worse than the 2024 White Sox on the mound, ranked last in the majors this season in ERA (5.36 overall, but 6.53 among the starters) and batting average against (.295), and with the second-fewest strikeouts per game (6.82).
(Must have played 28 games; ties excluded)