With the 2022 season more than a third of the way through, there are still some marquee players who have not returned to form.
While there’s still time, hitting the panic button would not be premature at this point in the season.
Here are some of the biggest underperformers in the MLB this season:
Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez
This list had to start with Báez, who has checked all the boxes for disappointment. Not only is the star shortstop underperforming compared to career standards, but he’s doing so after signing a six-year $140 million contract.
Out of the 159 qualified hitters in the MLB this season, Báez ranks dead last with a .524 OPS. His .232 on-base percentage ranks 158th and his .190 batting average 154th. He has 37 hits in 51 games to go along with three home runs, 16 RBIs and a 54-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman
Bregman is another infielder falling short of expectations. His post-scandal numbers have been substantially lower without the help of some trash can banging, but was still a productive hitter. This year, he’s taken another step down, with an abysmal .212 batting average due to his 46 hits in 61 games. His .331 on-base percentage has helped Bregman prevent a total statistical downfall, leading to a 102 OPS+.
Not to start another controversy, but Bregman has a .846 OPS at home and .577 on the road, and his sOPS+ dispartity — 136 at home 70 on the road — is even worse. The stat measures how a hitter is performing compared to league average for the given split. A 100 OPS+ or sOPS+ is league average. In other words, Bregman is about twice as good at home as on the road compared to his peers.
Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier
Kiermaier is not having his best year offensively, but that is not why he made this list. The former Platinum Glove winner has some concerning defensive metrics.
The 32-year-old Rays product has a minus-1.2 ultimate zone rating, tied for the second-worst UZR of the 18 qualified center fielders. UZR is a defensive metric that attempts to measure defense in a slightly different manner than defensive runs saved, another metric that does not look favorable for Kiermaier. He currently has one DRS in 2022, tied for ninth in the same grouping. For perspective, his career high is 38, and he racked up 13 last season.
Texas Rangers middle infield duo
The Rangers invested half a billion dollars into their middle infield in the offseason and have not seen near the return they were hoping for. It took Marcus Semien 44 games to hit a home run, one season after he set the record for most home runs by a second baseman, with 45.
After coming in third for the American League MVP last season, Semien is hitting .221 with six home runs and a 82 OPS+.
Corey Seager is a career .290 hitter but has started out 2022 hitting just .222. The good news? It appears the slugging shortstop has found his power stroke, with 13 home runs in 61 games. He averages 15 a season. Granted, his extensive injury history is the leading factor in that regard. His OPS+ is 102, but the Rangers did not sign him to a 10-year, $325 million contract to be a league-average player.
