2012 MLB Predictions: Albert Pujols and Superstars Guaranteed to Disappoint

The 2012 Major League Baseball season is right around the corner. Spring training is one month away, and there are a lot of intriguing storylines to look for as we move closer to pitchers and catchers reporting. 

Of course, the big story of this offseason has been the Los Angeles Angels signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to big contracts. The franchise is desperate to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2002, and they let everyone know that they are serious. 

But not all moves work out the way that you expect them to. Some surprise you in a positive way, while others leave you wondering just what went wrong.

So which players are in the most trouble heading into the 2012 season?

Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels

Pujols is going to have a good year, but the question is whether or not he is ever going to be able to duplicate the performance that earned him a 10-year, $254 million contract. 

Considering that he is going to be 32 years old, had by far the lowest walk rate (9.4 percent), on-base percentage (.366) and slugging percentage (.541) of his career last year, he is not likely to get back to being the player that he used to be. 

Plus, he is going to be hurt by playing a lot more games in the not-so-homer friendly ballparks of Los Angeles, Seattle and Oakland. There is a lot more pitching depth in the American League West than in the National League Central, so he is going to have to make that adjustment as well.

There are too many factors working against Pujols to expect him to get back to being the player that he used to be. He will still be good, but that decline we saw last year will continue in 2012. 

Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins

The Marlins have put a lot of their hopes for 2012 into Reyes' ability to stay healthy. Even casual fans know that he doesn't actually have that ability, but blind squirrel's tend to find nuts every now and then. 

Reyes is just 28 years old, so in theory he should have a few elite years left before he starts his decline. But his game is predicated on speed and running, and considering his history with hamstring injuries, he is not likely to be as fast as he needs to be in order to be great. 

And even if he is, the odds of him playing in more than 130 games this season are slim. Don't expect another season of .337/.384/.493 from him. 

Hunter Pence, Philadelphia Phillies

Admittedly, Pence is not a prototypical superstar. He is made to be a better player than he is because of where he plays. That said, he had a career year in 2011 and is unlikely to come close to duplicating it again. 

His walk (8.4 percent) and strikeout (18.6 percent) rates were roughly in line with the rest of his career, but the biggest difference was his batting average on balls in play (BABIP). He had a .361 BABIP in 2011, which was 33 points higher than his career average. 

Pence's power numbers (22 home runs, .502 slugging percentage) will likely stay the same, but everything else should decrease by a substantial margin for him in 2012. 

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