The Chicago White Sox are on pace for one of the worst seasons in modern MLB history. They’re at least showing some self-awareness.
The struggling club announced on Wednesday that it would cut season ticket prices for the 2025 season by an average of 10%, according to the Associated PressHere’s how Senior Vice President Brooks Boyer explained the perspective behind the decision:
“We know where all the ticket prices are, whether it’s season tickets or the secondary market,” said Boyer, the team’s chief revenue and marketing officer. “After looking at it and understanding where we are organizationally, we felt it was important to do this for our season ticket holders who are very loyal to us.”
It’s rare for teams to slash ticket prices, but what’s even rarer is the form the White Sox have been in this season. The team entered the season Wednesday with a 29-92 record, which equates to a .240 winning percentage.
It’s not just the worst record in MLB. It’s on pace to reach the worst winning percentage the league has seen in more than a century. Only the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, with a 36-117 (.235) record, have posted a worse winning percentage than Chicago’s in the modern era (since 1900). The worst record in any division of the history books remains the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, with a 20-134 (.130) record.
The White Sox are also on pace to go about 39-123, which would break the 1962 New York Mets’ record for most losses in MLB history. The Mets went 40-120 in their inaugural season.
The White Sox have had no shortage of setbacks this season, from a record 21-game losing streak to the firing of manager Pedro Grifol. Plus, the team is likely to be even worse at the end of the season after being sold at the trade deadline.
There’s little reason to expect the 2025 season to be much better, barring a transformative offseason, so the team is hoping a price drop will help boost demand.