High expectations lead to grand disappointments. For an alarmingly high number of MLB stars slumping in 2016, small sample sizes also don’t help.
Any baseball player who sticks around long enough will endure a rough patch during his career. Most of these guys, however, are paid exorbitant salaries to avoid those ebbs and flows. It’s one thing when the No. 7 hitter or back-end starter labors, but the award-winning star and nine-figure investment are supposed to rise above human fallibility.
Even studs can conceal a tumultuous July, but a poor start sticks out like an original summer blockbuster not about superheroes. Look back to this list in October, and it shouldn’t be all gloom for these slumping stars.
Yet the disappointing players highlighted carry legitimate flaws that can’t be discredited as flukes. David Price could have frequented the list, as he opened his megadeal with the Boston Red Sox by posting a 6.00 ERA. He has struck out 65 batters over 48 innings while sporting a 2.55 fielding independent pitching (FIP), though, so he gets a pass since his struggles look reversible.
Unfortunately for the following players, advanced stats can’t cover their blemishes. Approaching the one-quarter mark of 2016, they have yet to turn the corner on discouraging starts.