There’s good news if you’re a Rockies fan. Relatively speaking, sure, but good all the same.
Colorado entered the month of July on pace for 125 losses, which would have broken the record that the White Sox reset just last year by another four defeats. While they didn’t have a good month, by their own very low standards, they were once again excellent, and it might have been enough to shift the tide in their favor a bit here in the season’s final two months.
Maybe. We’ll see how it goes.
As always, let’s kick off with the 10 worst modern-era seasons by losses to load up on context.
The 10 worst records of the modern era by losses (1901-2024)
1. 2024 Chicago White Sox: 41-121, .253 W%
2. 1962 New York Mets: 40-120, .250 W%
3. 2003 Detroit Tigers: 43-119, .265 W%
4. 1916 Philadelphia Athletics: 36-117, .235 W%
T5. 2018 Baltimore Orioles: 47-115, .290 W%
T5. 1935 Boston Braves: 38-115, .248 W%
7. 2019 Detroit Tigers: 47-114, .292 W%
8. 1904 Washington Senators: 38-113, .252 W%
T9. 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-112, .273 W%
T9. 2023 Oakland Athletics: 50-112, .308 W%
T9. 1965 New York Mets: 50-112, .308 W%
T9. 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-112, .272 W%
The Rockies will begin August with a record of 28-80 after going 9-15 in July. While their wins and losses weren’t all that different from June’s 10-16, they were outscored by significantly more runs: Colorado allowed 149 against 93 scored, for a run differential of -56 compared to June’s -38. Granted, this is still light years ahead of May, when they were outscored by 106 runs and went 4-24, but it’s still worth pointing out the slide there.
Now, who the Rockies were to this point isn’t necessarily who they are going to be from here on out. Consider the effects of the trade deadline: Colorado shipped Ryan McMahon to the Yankees, for instance. While McMahon has just been a league-average-ish bat for a third baseman in 2025, he’s an excellent defensive player who had put up about 1.5 wins above replacement in the season because of it. Do you think the Rockies, at 28-80, are overflowing with players who might finish with an average-or-better season? McMahon was ranked second on the Rox behind catcher Hunter Goodman in bWAR, with just one other player in the lineup – shortstop Ezequial Tovar – making it to one full win above replacement to this point.
The only pitcher on the roster with a bWAR over one, by the way, is reliever Jimmy Herget. Jake Bird, who had an average ERA+ despite a 4.73 ERA – remember, Coors Field and all – was dealt to the Yankees. He was one of three pitchers on the roster with an average or better ERA+, with another reliever, Juan Mejia, the other.
Which is to say that the defense just got worse and so did the bullpen and lineup – McMahon has been replaced at the hot corner by Orlando Arcia, who is hitting .179/.217/.255 in 53 games in 2025, has a 661 OPS for his career and is a far worse defender than the player whose shoes he’s stepping into.
The Rockies might not be out of the woods yet, even if they’re on pace for 120 losses – which would be the second-most in modern history – rather than the most by a long shot.
How about those White Sox, while we’re on the subject? They were still on pace for 108 losses at the start of July, out of top-10-worst range by a few games, but still, woof. They finished 12-13, their best month of the season and first full month with a winning percentage over .400 since June of 2023. They now find themselves on pace for 101 losses, which is both a bit shocking and also means they’re within striking distance of not losing 100 games. The 121-loss 2024 took up a lot of the oxygen in the room, naturally, but let’s not forget they also dropped triple digits in Ls in 2023.
They didn’t have a particularly active deadline, or at least not the kind that sets off alarm bells like the Rockies did. They just might pull this one off, in addition to avoiding making history a second time.
Let’s look in at winning percentage.
The 10 worst records of the modern era by winning percentage (1901-2024)
- 1916 Philadelphia Athletics: 36-117, .235 W%
- 1935 Boston Braves: 38-115, .248 W%
- 1962 New York Mets: 40-120, .250 W%
- 1904 Washington Senators: 38-113, .252 W%
- 2024 Chicago White Sox: 41-121, .253 W%
- 1919 Philadelphia Athletics: 36-104, .257 W%
- 2003 Detroit Tigers: 43-119, .265 W%
- 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-112, .273 W%
- 1909 Washington Senators: 42-110, .276 W%
- 1942 Philadelphia Phillies: 42-109, .278 W%
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