Photo Credit: AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
2020 has not been a great year by any means. While it’s great that we have sports back, some players probably wish they could’ve just sat out and gotten a fresh start in 2021. Here’s four players that fit into that category.
Pete Alonso
I will preface this by saying I am a huge fan of Alonso – both on the field and off for everything he’s done for charity since breaking into the league in April 2019. He burst onto the scene like wildfire during his rookie campaign by setting the MLB record for home runs in a rookie season with 53. By breaking the previous record set by Aaron Jude, he endeared himself to fans even more. He also drove in 120 runs and scored 103. He played first base well enough to have fans questioning the merit of his minor league scouting report. He also won the Home Run Derby with a herculean performance against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Just about the only knock on his 2019 season was how he insisted the grounds crew not stop their game against the Cardinals in the 9th inning which resulted in a blown save. Expectations were sky high for his sophomore season, and even the most pessimistic Mets fans were penciling him in for a .900+ OPS and .600 SLG.
So far it’s pretty much been a nightmare for the Polar Bear. Outside of his walk-off HR against the Yankees, he has really regressed at the plate and in the field. He has hit 12 home runs, but his rate statistics are awful. His slash line of .215/.314/.441 is way below expectations. His BABIP of .228 suggest some bad luck (.300 is league average), but he is also expanding the strike zone way too much and only drawing walks in 9.8% of his at bats. His regression hurts less considering the emergence of Dominic Smith, but it is still not what the organization had hoped entering the season. He also has made several crucial errors defensively and has been relegated to DH duties of late. When he gets a hold of one, it will still go a mile, but his average exit velocity is down 1.6 MPH from last year. To the naked eye, you can see he is swinging & missing at pitches out of the strike zone and the number confirm that he O-contact % is down to 50% from 56% last year suggesting that he is swing at pitches out of the strike zone and making less contact.
I think that he will adjust. I think he got out of the gate slow and started pressing. He clearly proved last year he has the makeup to succeed in New York. Now it’s just a matter of can he adjust quicker than the league adjusted to him.
Gary Sanchez
Nine of Sanchez’s 19 hits have gone for HRs this season. That would be fine if we were two weeks into the season. Instead, his AVG is sitting at a paltry .145. I didn’t realize this but he hit .86 in 2018 so I would say that the fanbase has soured on him – particularly when you consider the defensive struggles that have accompanied that. Granted, the Yankees have been able to overcome his struggles with their 8-game win streak and power surge. Kyle Higashioka hit 3 HRs the other day and certainly has been stealing some time. It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do this off-season. They can sign J.T. Realmuto to replace Sanchez or they can try to push him to be better and sign a competent backup. He will turn 28 in December. I would be hesitant to give up on him completely and look at the Mets decision to cut ties with Travis d’Arnaud prematurely as a cautionary tale (140 OPS+).
Jose Altuve
This is how Altuve’s swings are looking pic.twitter.com/6F9GQ10zG5
— 2020 Astros Shame Tour (@AsteriskTour) August 15, 2020
Altuve’s disappointing season has come to the delight of many fans who viewed his 2017 AL MVP campaign as fraudulent after the sign-stealing controversy. The 30-year-old had been one of the most consistent players in baseball since his first full season in 2012. He is a six-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger and compiled a .316 average between 2012 and 2019. After his walk-off HR in the ALCS against Aroldis Chapman, he solidified himself as one of the great postseason performers of this generation (13 HR, 29 RBI in 50 games).
Then 2020 happened. Altuve was off to a miserable start. He has struck out 32 times over 153 at bats (19.2 %) – very uncommon for him. In fact, last season’s 15% K rate was the highest of his career. His wRC+ (weighted runs created +) is 66, or 34 percent lower than league average. He’s also not running nearly as much. His career high in stolen bases came in 2014 when he stole 56 bags. This season he has only 2. Additionally, he was just on the DL with a knee injury. At 30-years-old, you don’t want to have joint issues.
Madison Bumgarner
Seven starts. Zero wins, four losses and 13 home runs allowed. He’s been worth -0.8 WAR. The 3-time World Series champ that was absolutely dominant in postseason action has proven to be abysmal after getting a hefty contract from the Arizona Diamondbacks this off-season. You have to be kicking yourself if you are the D’Backs front office after watching him carve up the NL West since 2009. It’s hard to believe Mad Bum is only 31 considering how long he’s been in the league. Consider his postseason stats: 8-3 record, 2.11 ERA, 0.89 WHIP. Bumgarner’s best days are certainly behind him, but for the Diamondbacks sake – they need to hope he has at least a little left in the tank to avoid a Jed Lowrie situation.
