Biggest Disappointments of the 1st Quarter of the 2015 MLB Season
For the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Andrew McCutchen, it's still much too early to hit the panic button.
Then again, as the 2015 season reaches the one-quarter mark, two of the game's most dominant superstars have yet to get on track. While Kershaw and McCutchen are the most prominent players to tumble into a slump, there are also starting rotations, batting orders and even entire squads that have yet to find their way.
The good news for these slow starters is that the 162-game season is a marathon, and there's still plenty of time to change course. Still, that doesn't mean the players and teams on this list have any intention of being patient. One of the biggest names to make the cut has already enlisted the help of one of baseball's all-time greats in an effort to put his early-season funk in the rear-view mirror.
The Tribe's Underwhelming Start
1 of 9
The Cleveland Indians are digging a big hole.
With an 11-19 record, Cleveland is already eight games off the pace in the ridiculously competitive American League Central. Simply put, the Tribe's starting five hasn't been giving the squad a chance to win on a consistent basis. The group has racked up a 5.46 ERA, which is the third-worst mark in baseball.
No one has been more disappointing than 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.
The righty is sporting a 5.04 ERA and is still searching for his first win after pitching five losses. What's more, Cleveland hasn't won in any of Kluber's first seven outings. Per ESPN Stats & Info, that's the longest such streak to open a season for a defending Cy Young recipient.
With the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers flying along and the Minnesota Twins smashing expectations, Kluber and Cleveland need to turn their campaign around before they get buried for good.
The Chicago Cubs' Porous Defense
2 of 9
One of the hallmarks of a playoff-bound team is the ability to catch the ball.
The Chicago Cubs haven't been checking that box in 2015. The upstart club has committed 27 errors, which is tied for the most in the NL.
For now, skipper Joe Maddon isn't overly concerned with his squad's glove work: "We lead the league in errors, which really surprises me because our defense is not that bad," said Maddon, via Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. "Sometimes that can be a misleading stat regarding just purely making errors. I think we've made a lot of plays, too, and I'm really pleased with that."
It's a shrewd observation from Maddon, but considering the youth of the Cubs, the quality of Chicago's defense will be storyline to track and promises to be a crucial factor in team's hunt for a playoff spot.
The Los Angeles Angels' Slumping Attack
3 of 9
A single season can make all the difference.
Last year, the Los Angeles Angels led the bigs in runs. This year, the Halos can't buy a hit. After 32 contests, Los Angeles checks in with a team average of .228, which is 29th in the majors.
While the team's glacial start at the dish has been troubling, at least one of the Angels' big-time bats is beginning to find his swing. Albert Pujols has hit .282 with a couple of yard shots in his past 10 games. Even with the uptick, the masher is still saddled with a .230 average and a .682 OPS.
.png?w=256)
The Historic Decline of Chase Utley
4 of 9
Chase Utley has been the worst everyday player in baseball in 2015.
The six-time All-Star has collected just four extra-base hits and is the owner of a .122 average and a .430 OPS. For comparison, Dee Gordon of the Miami Marlins is sporting a .425 average.
Utley's early stats aren't just ugly, they're historically bad. After the Philadelphia Phillies first 30 contests, Utley was wallowing at .099. As Todd Zolecki of MLB.com notes via Baseball-Reference.com, that was the worst mark among qualified hitters through that time frame since 1914.
The Losing Ways of the Seattle Mariners' Bullpen
5 of 9
In 2014, the Seattle Mariners' bullpen was locked in.
The relief corps led the majors with a 2.50 ERA and was second with a .219 opponents' average. Even though key cogs like Fernando Rodney, Danny Farquhar and Dominic Leone have all returned, the results have been substantially worse early in the 2015 campaign.
The pen has already accounted for nine losses, which is second only to the Oakland Athletics' gas can of a pen. As Jon Morosi of Fox Sports notes, the M's relievers were only on the hook for 20 defeats during the entire 2014 season.
The Early Struggles of Clayton Kershaw
6 of 9
Even though Clayton Kershaw has stumbled out of the gate, the 21-10 Los Angeles Dodgers are rolling along.
The lefty ace has been uncharacteristically hittable in 2015, as he's served up 45 knocks in 44.1 frames on his way to piling up a 4.26 ERA. In seven outings, Kershaw has been tagged for 21 earned runs. Last year, he only allowed 39 earned runs in 27 outings.
As Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times notes, the ball just hasn't been bouncing the 27-year-old's way. Over the course of his career, the opposition has hit .272 against Kershaw on balls in play. This year, that figure has shot up to .342.
For his part, Kershaw has no interest in making excuses: "I don't really believe in luck," said Kershaw, via Helfand. "You either pitch good or you don't."
Kershaw certainly hasn't lost his remarkable ability to induce swings and misses. The three-time Cy Young Award winner leads MLB with 56 strikeouts. His 11.4 K/9 ratio is actually the highest mark of his career.
Boston's Train Wreck of a Rotation
7 of 9
The Boston Red Sox's starting rotation has face-planted in 2015.
The staff has reeled off a staggering 5.63 ERA, which is the worst mark in the AL and the second-worst in the major leagues. Entering the season, the fear was that the AL East squad was lacking an ace. As it turns out, the team is lacking competent big league starters. Of the team's five pitchers, Rick Porcello has the lowest ERA at 4.50.
With the Red Sox sitting in a tie for fourth place in the AL East, this is a group that needs help—a lot of help. According to Jim Bowden of ESPN, general manager Ben Cherington might not waste any time finding some. Bowden explained to Damon Bruce of 95.7 The Game that "it's possible Red Sox GM Ben Cherington is here in Oakland scouting Scott Kazmir."
The lefty figures to be a prominent target. The Oakland Athletics have sputtered to a 12-22 start, and Kazmir has been flat-out dealing, posting a 2.78 ERA and an 8.5 K/9 ratio. It also helps that the 31-year-old is pitching on a $13 million salary and is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
The Implosion of Steve Cishek
8 of 9
With a 10.32 ERA and just three saves in seven tries, Steve Cishek has pitched his way right out of the ninth inning.
According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, Miami Marlins skipper Mike Redmond is planning to utilize the deposed closer earlier on in ballgames in an effort to get the sidewinder right.
The Fish are looking outside the organization to try and find ninth-inning relief. As Frisaro reports, the Marlins have had "some dialogue" with Scott Boras, the agent of veteran reliever Rafael Soriano. The 35-year-old who lost his closer's gig with the Washington Nationals last summer was far from sharp in the second half of 2014. In 27 outings after the All-Star break, Soriano reeled off a 6.48 ERA.
The Slow Start of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 2014 MVP Contenders
9 of 9
Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates had two players land in the top 10 on the National League MVP Award ballot. Superstar center fielder Andrew McCutchen placed third, while super-utility man Josh Harrison checked in at No. 9.
This year, neither player has been performing anywhere near an MVP level.
McCutchen, who has been hobbled by a sore left knee since spring training, has connected on just two home runs, while putting up a .650 OPS. The 28-year-old is doing whatever it takes to return to his usual level of excellence. Per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, McCutchen recently had a chat with hits king Pete Rose in an effort to get out of his early-season funk.
Meanwhile, Harrison has been ice-cold for the Bucs. The right-handed hitter is swinging at a clip of .173 and has posted a .491 OPS.
GM Neal Huntington thinks Harrison could be feeling weighed down by the four-year, $27.3 million deal he inked in the offseason:
"He is trying to justify the contract, he is trying to show those who doubted him and show those of us that had faith in him that he is deserving," explained the executive, via Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "But we just need him to take a deep breath and go be the player that he is capable of, bring the energy, be the leader, be the dangerous guy in the box.”
If Harrison can't shake his slump, the team has a viable replacement option in Jung Ho Kang, who's batting .419 in his last 10 games.
.png?w=480)
