Cause for concern: One player on every MLB team who needs to turn his season around
Nearly a month into the baseball season, some of the biggest stars in the game are struggling at extreme levels, and plenty of other key players have failed to contribute the way they their teams hoped.
Here's a look at a player on every team who needs to turn his season around if his team hopes to make an impact:
AL East
Orioles: Adam Jones – Limited by a rib strain for the first two weeks of the season, Jones hasn’t been himself. He has gone 13-for-60 (.217) to start the season, with one home run and a .594 OPS. While Baltimore has been fine even with Jones struggling, it’s unlikely Mark Trumbo and Joey Rickard can maintain their hot starts and the team will need their five-time All-Star to have another strong season.
Red Sox: Clay Buchholz – Boston’s rotation behind David Price was an area of concern and while Rick Porcello has pitched well, Buchholz, 31, has a 6.51 ERA in five starts, giving up 31 hits with a 1.46 K/BB ratio. With their powerful offense, the Red Sox can get by with decent pitching, so it’s imperative that Buchholz and the back end of the rotation put in consistent performances.
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Rays: Chris Archer – Archer struggled down the stretch in 2015 and that carried over. The righty has a 5.65 ERA in his last 11 starts dating to September, but his there’s reason for optimism after he turned in 6 2/3 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks on April 25.
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Blue Jays: R.A. Dickey – Through five outings, the former Cy Young winner has just one quality start and a 6.75 ERA. Opponents are hitting .306 with an .882 OPS.
Yankees - Chase Headley: He’s never going to replicate his 31-homer, 115 RBI season from 2012, but the Yankees desperately need production from their third baseman. His .425 OPS ranks 192nd among 193 qualified players, no help for a Yankees offense that ranks in the bottom third of the majors in nearly every category.
AL Central
White Sox: Jose Abreu – Chicago leads the division, despite its first baseman starting the season 16-for-84 (.207) with just three home runs and 23 strikeouts. Abreu has been fairly streaky since his debut in 2014, but he’s never gone through a rough patch like this.
Royals: Lorenzo Cain – Arguably the team’s most important player, Cain's just 15-for-74 (.203) through 20 games with two extra-base hits, down from his .307 average last season. Cain’s ability to steal bases as the No. 3 hitter is part of what makes the Royals offense so dangerous, but after swiping 28 in each of the past two seasons, the 30-year-old isn’t getting on base (.289 OBP) and only has two steals so far.
Indians: Cody Allen – Though he’s near the top of the league with seven saves, there have been a number of red flags for Cleveland’s closer. Allen has a 6.52 ERA, with five walks and only eight strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings. Allen struck out 99 batters in 2015, good for a 12.85 K/9 ratio and had 3.96 strikeouts per walk, but that sort of dominance has eluded him in 2016.
Tigers: Justin Upton – Signed to a six-year, $132.75 million deal in the offseason, Upton’s first month in Detroit has been ugly, as he has started 16-for-87 (.198) with just one home run in his first 21 games. Detroit is getting production from the rest of the lineup, but Upton was signed to be the guy who put the offense over the top.
Twins: Kevin Jepsen – Minnesota has a ton of problems, but the back end of the bullpen has been ugly, blowing seven saves in 21 games. The Twins lost closer Glen Perkins early in the month to a shoulder injury, forcing Jepsen into the ninth-inning role. Coming off a strong 2015 campaign, Jepsen has converted just two of his five save opportunities. When Perkins returns and Jepsen goes back to being the set-up man, how will the early struggles impact his confidence?
AL West
Rangers: Prince Fielder – We’ve started to see Fielder’s power decline in recent years, but two home runs in 22 games to start this season is disconcerting. The 31-year-old compensated in 2015 with a .305 batting average, but is 15-for-79 (.190) with just four extra-base hits. Fielder has managed to drive in 15 runs.
Mariners: Kyle Seager – The AL West is anyone’s for the taking, and Seattle needs its $100 million man to get it together. Seager is batting 11-for-77 (.143) through 20 games and his slugging percentage is down 200 points. To be fair, the 28-year-old does have four home runs and his .121 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) should find its way closer to his .284 career mark.
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Athletics: Chris Coghlan – Oakland lucked into Coghlan being deemed excess by the Cubs, after the former Rookie of the Year revived his career with two strong seasons in Chicago. Coghlan, however, is off to a 10-for-64 (.156) start, has been gradually demoted in the order.
Angels: Albert Pujols – His batting title days are long-gone, but April will likely be the worst batting average month of Pujols’ career, starting the season 14-for-83 (.169). Coming back from foot surgery last year, the 36-year-old is hitting homers and driving in runs, but he’s going to have to get on base more for an Angels team that ranks near the bottom of the league in average and OPS.
Astros: Carlos Gomez - A popular pick to win the World Series, Houston is in last place in the AL West. Gomez is hitting just .197 through 21 games with no home runs, struggling along with the club's pitching. It’s also Gomez’s contract year, so his bank account would appreciate a strong showing.
NL East
Nationals: Anthony Rendon – His 2015 was marred by injuries, but Rendon was expected to bounce back and provide a potent bat ahead of Bryce Harper in the Nationals’ lineup. Things haven’t gone according to plan so far, with Rendon posting a .574 OPS through his first 21 games, with just four extra-base hits. He had 66 in 2014, when he finished fifth in MVP voting. He's 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position, but he will get more opportunities when leadoff man Ben Revere returns from injury.
Mets: Wilmer Flores – The acquisitions of Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker pushed Flores into a super-sub role for 2016, and the 24-year-old hasn’t made much of his few opportunities early in the season, starting 2-for-24 with six strikeouts. As the backup at every infield position and with David Wright’s durability a concern at third, Flores is a crucial player for the Mets.
Phillies: Ryan Howard – We feel bad picking on the guy, but everyone else on the Phillies is actually faring pretty well. Howard is on pace for 30+ home runs, but his slash lines are down through the first month. Howard, 36, has played in 21 of 22 games, which could result in even more struggles if he doesn’t get regular rest.
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Marlins: Adeiny Hechavarria – The 27-year-old established himself as a solid major league shortstop over the past two seasons, particularly against left-handers. He’s 12-for-66 (.182) and has already committed three errors after making just nine last season.
Braves: Erick Aybar – Everyone knows Aybar is a stop-gap at short, but the former All-Star has been perhaps the worst every-day player in the majors. He ranks last in the league in OPS and is expected to be pushed to second base in favor of rookie Daniel Castro. Aybar’s most valuable asset for the Braves should have been his trade value, but that’s not looking great with three months until the deadline.
NL Central
Cubs: Jorge Soler – Yeah, Anthony Rizzo is around the Mendoza Line, but the first baseman actually has his highest career OPS. Soler meanwhile, has failed to step up and provide the power that the Cubs lost when Kyle Schwarber got hurt. He’s 10-for-54 (.185) with a lowly .607 OPS.
Pirates: Francisco Liriano – Pittsburgh’s most reliable starter the previous three seasons, Liriano has walked 17 batters and surrendered 19 hits in 21.1 innings so far in 2016. Has the 32-year-old lefty begun his career decline?
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright – With a 7.16 ERA and 1.70 WHIP through five starts, it might be time to panic about the veteran righty. Wainwright has a 3.35 career K/BB ratio as a starter, but has walked 11 with 14 strikeouts to start 2016. The Cardinals don’t necessarily need the 34-year-old to put up ace-like numbers, but Wainwright’s re-emergence could be key to keeping the Cubs from running away with the NL Central.
Reds: Joey Votto – Everybody knows Votto is the king of OBP, entering 2015 with a .423 career mark. The 32-year-old is at just .311 through 21 games, batting .221, compared to his .309 career average.
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Brewers: Taylor Jungmann – A first round pick in 2011, Jungmann had a nice debut season in 2015, posting a 3.77 ERA in 21 starts. This year has not started well for the 26-year-old, going 0-4 with an 9.15 ERA in four starts. He’s not the only culprit as Milwaukee’s starters have a 6.11 ERA through Thursday but the Brewers were counting on Jungmann to be a steady piece in the rotation.
NL West
Dodgers: Justin Turner – After coming out of nowhere to give the Dodgers two very strong seasons, Turner isn’t there yet, putting up a .707 OPS through 21 games. The Dodgers don’t need Turner to put up big power numbers, but their third baseman needs to be contributing more at the plate, especially if he’s batting third and fourth.
Giants: Jake Peavy/Matt Cain – We’re doubling up here because the back end of the Giants’ rotation needs to get its act together. Both aces in a past life, Peavy and Cain have combined to give up 31 earned runs in 42 innings to start the season.
Diamondbacks: Zack Greinke – Through five starts in Arizona, Greinke has a 6.16 ERA and has given up 39 hits in 30 2/3 innings, the most in the majors. Fellow newbie Shelby Miller has had an even rougher go, but the Diamondbacks need Greinke to be the stopper that they paid him to be.
Rockies: Jorge De La Rosa – One of the most successful starters in franchise history, the 35-year-old lefty has a 10.18 ERA through five starts. Nobody expects him to be an ace (or any Colorado pitcher to be, ever), but for a guy with a sub-4 ERA over the previous five seasons, this is an unwelcome development.
Padres: Derek Norris – San Diego has the third-worst OPS in baseball and that’s due in large part to their catcher’s struggles. Out of 195 qualified hitters through Wednesday, Norris ranks 193rd with an OPS of .438. That’s down from .738 over his past three seasons.
