At the very end of an awful season for the Chicago White Sox, there was a small sign of hope in the Deep South.

That’s where the Birmingham Barons — Chicago’s Double-A affiliate — closed out the first Southern League championship for the club since 2013.

The White Sox are picking up the pieces after they went 41-121 this year, breaking the modern major league record for most losses in a season. They had the majors’ worst team batting average at .221 and on-base percentage at .278, and they finished last with 507 runs, 133 homers and 485 RBIs.

Next year’s opening-day payroll for Chicago most likely will be less than this season’s number of almost $142 million — down from $189 million in 2023. So the best chance for any improvement for the White Sox in the near future is the development of their young players, along with progress in their minor league system.