DETROIT -- It was just a few days before the start of Spring Training 2024 when Baseball Prospectus released its annual PECOTA standings projections, and the White Sox were given a 0.0 percent chance to reach the postseason, much like Blutarksy’s famous grade point average in the movie Animal House.

White Sox personnel scoffed at the idea, even coming off a dismal 101-loss season in ‘23, believing everyone had a chance at that point.

In hindsight, PECOTA missed badly on the Tigers (5.6 percent chance) and the Royals (0.5 percent) in terms of preseason postseason analysis. But they clearly knew what they were talking about with the White Sox.

It was a dismal season beyond any realm of expectations for the White Sox. How dismal, you ask?

They set the single-season record for losses in the Modern Era with 121. They needed a 5-1 record over the final week, including a 9-5 victory over the Tigers on Sunday afternoon, to secure their second road series win of the year just to get to that point.

Fans loudly and demonstratively expressed their displeasure and disillusionment with the franchise during this past week’s three-game sweep of the Angels. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf issued two separate statements on the state of the team, including a 500-word letter to the fans coming during the second inning of Sunday’s victory.

Let’s be honest. The White Sox were not going to be a good team in ‘24, despite some rumblings in Spring Training about taking advantage of a less-than-stellar American League Central over the past three seasons. The division got decidedly better -- thanks in part to beating up on the White Sox -- and the White Sox got worse.

Significant injuries suffered by center fielder Luis Robert Jr., third baseman Yoán Moncada and designated hitter Eloy Jiménez derailed the offense at the outset. Key cogs -- such as first baseman Andrew Vaughn and left fielder Andrew Benintendi -- struggled through much of the first half, as a team with no room for error had nothing but errors.

There was a manager change from Pedro Grifol to Grady Sizemore on Aug. 8, along with three changes on the coaching staff. The team showed more fight and more energy, by the players’ admissions.

Sizemore is in consideration for the full-time White Sox job, per general manager Chris Getz. It was identified as the “organization’s most important decision in the coming months,” in Reinsdorf’s letter.

“I'm only thinking about being here. I haven't thought about exploring other options. I'm committed to the team,” Sizemore said. “I want to come back and just be a part of the turnaround.

“It's been a tough year but I have enjoyed my time here and I've enjoyed working with the guys. I'm not ready to just move on from the team and the organization. I want to do everything I can. Whatever role that is, I want to be part of this being turned around."

Double-A Birmingham won the Southern League title behind manager Sergio Santos and a sterling mound performance from southpaw Noah Schultz, the top White Sox prospect and No. 13 overall, per MLB Pipeline. Single-A Kannapolis reached the Carolina League playoffs, while numerous young players had a chance to gain valuable Major League experience, reinforcing that every dark cloud does have a silver lining.

Second baseman Lenyn Sosa, who homered and drove in three Sunday, had the second-highest batting average among AL qualifiers in September. Rookie right-handed starter Jonathan Cannon, who picked up Sunday’s victory, proved himself as a steady rotation piece. Rookie third baseman Bryan Ramos, who also became a U.S. citizen in ‘24, had two hits and two RBIs, as a few examples.

A group of reporters were standing outside the visitors clubhouse in San Diego last Sunday, waiting to talk to the White Sox about loss No. 120. As the misery of the season was being discussed in detail, one of the reporters brought up a fairly interesting question.

Back in late February/early March, what seemed more likely to happen during the 2024 season -- a surprise White Sox playoff appearance or their single-season Modern Era record-breaking 121 losses? It’s a question the White Sox don’t want to be on the table in ‘25, but in the scheme of a rebuild, there’s a long way to go.

Players won’t forget ‘24. They can use the failure but also the camaraderie forged as a building block to potential future success

“To be able to put consistent wins together and play baseball well …” Cannon said. “I mean, it’s just a huge confidence boost for everyone that’s going to be back here next year and just moving forward for this team.”

“We’ve supported each other through this because at the end of the day, everybody on this side of the clubhouse is going through it together,” first baseman Gavin Sheets said. “We stuck through it, and it was a terrible season. But we have stuck in there.”