Ryan Braun and 9 Others Who Will Slump in 2012

Ryan Braun has been talked about recently for all of the wrong reasons and I am going to add to that by predicting that he will slump heavily in 2012.

Braun won the NL MVP in 2011 but he will have to deal with some changes in 2012.

Braun will constantly be asked about his positive-test by the media and it will inevitably end up affecting his performance in some form or fashion.

The attention that the story takes away from baseball will lead to less time in the batting cage preparing to succeed on the field.

Braun is one of ten players who will have difficulty matching their performance of a season ago.

Ryan Braun

Where's Prince Fielder?

That is what Ryan Braun will be asking when he gets walked again and again this season.

With all of the controversy surrounding him, I expect 2012 to be a tough year for the reigning National League MVP.

Braun will spend countless hours in front of cameras and microphones answering questions about performance-enhancing substances.

Braun will have to face the scrutiny of the media which could have a large impact on his performance this season.

Josh Hamilton

Another player with controversy surrounding his name this offseason is Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton is not the type of hitter who will go through an abysmal slump but I do see him having a down year.

He hit .268 in an injury-shortened 2009 and he has dealt with hernia issues in recent history.

Josh Hamilton could have a rough season in 2012.

Carlos Beltran

Shown as a member of the Mets

Carlos Beltran was a comeback player of the year candidate last year when he hit .300 with the Mets and the Giants

I expect Beltran to bat below his career average of .283 this season with the Cardinals.

Melky Cabrera

Cabrera heads to the Bay Area to play for the San Francisco Giants in 2012,

After hitting .305 in 2011 Cabrera will be expected to produce in an offense that had trouble doing so last season.

Cabrera is a candidate to slump in 2012 as he is a career .275 hitter and is back in the National League.

Derek Jeter

Jeter was able to put together a solid offensive season in 2011 but it will be tough to repeat.

His groundball rate has been over 60 percent for the past two seasons and his knack for finding holes is bound to be slowed down in 2012.

Jeter's .297 batting average is 2011 is likely .20 points higher than where it will finish in 2012.

David Ortiz

Big Papi hit .309 in 2011 which is much higher than his career .283 average.

Ortiz has been consistent in the power category but his batting average has fluctuated from season to season.

Look for his batting average to dip in 2012.

Alex Gordon

Yes, Alex Gordon hit .303 season ago.

But his career .262 mark spells regression in 2011 for the Royals left-fielder.

Jhonny Peralta

Peralta is another player who had a career-high batting average in 2011 that is likely to slump in 2012.

Peralta's .299 average was much higher than his career average.

In four seasons prior to 2011, Peralta's mean batting average was .251.

Casey Kotchman

Shown as member of the Rays

The newly signed first baseman hit .306 last year for the Tampa Bay Rays but Indians fans need to keep realistic expectations.

Kotchman is a career .268 hitter who will be moving to a new environment and role.

He hit .217 in 2010 with the Mariners which proves that he is a candidate to slump in 2012.

Howard Kendrick

Kendrick had a magnificent 2011 for the Angels hitting .286 with 18 home runs.

His career average is .295 so this candidate is more of a gut feeling than anything else.