Biggest MLB Duds of Week 24, Position by Position
From Yasiel Puig to Chris Davis, there are players on every MLB playoff contender who are letting their teams down at the worst possible moment.
There are all sorts of ways to land a spot on the "all-dud" team for Week 24. Davis made the cut thanks to the 25-game ban he earned for testing positive for amphetamines right as the Baltimore Orioles were cruising into October. Puig just can't seem to do anything right, whether he's at the plate or in the field. Plus, there's room on the squad for a big-time starting pitcher who just might have sustained a serious injury.
Catcher: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
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Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost sees an extremely bright future for Salvador Perez, as he explained, via Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star.
“I think Salvy, when it’s all said and done, his reputation is going to be every bit as good as Pudge Rodriguez’s is. Salvy’s going to end up being one of the best catchers to come out of Latin America of all time.”
The 2014 American League All-Star certainly didn't live up to that praise over the past week. As the Royals battle the Detroit Tigers for the top spot in the AL Central, Perez hit .138. The notoriously impatient right-handed hitter also didn't draw a single walk.
First Base: Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
2 of 11Chris Davis won't be playing anytime soon.
On Friday, MLB slammed the left-handed hitter with a 25-game suspension for testing positive for amphetamines, as Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun reports. The ban for Davis, who is hitting just .196 in 2014, is contentious.
As Jon Heyman of CBS Sports explains, the home run champ from a season ago previously had a therapeutical-use exemption for Adderall, the drug for which he tested positive. Davis lost that exemption at some point before the 2013 season. As Heyman notes, over 100 players are cleared to use Adderall each season.
Now, the 28-year-old will miss out on the balance of the Baltimore Orioles' regular season and the first eight games of the playoffs if the O's make it that far.
Second Base: Jonathan Schoop, Baltimore Orioles
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The second half of the season has been a grind for the Baltimore Orioles' Jonathan Schoop. Last week was more of the same for the 22-year-old, who provided almost zero production for the AL East front-runners.
Over the past six games, the rookie second baseman has been mired in a 1-for-24 slide, which has dropped his average on the season to .210.
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Shortstop: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
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Mathematically, the New York Yankees are still in the race for a wild-card spot.
As Derek Jeter makes his final rounds, the Captain hasn't been doing much in terms of helping the team with a late-season push into October. The 40-year-old is in the midst of a 1-for-21 skid and isn't exactly 100 percent healthy.
His manager, Joe Girardi, told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com that Jeter will need a couple of days off in the final weeks of the season as he deals with an ailing elbow.
Third Base: Chris Johnson, Atlanta Braves
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Thanks to an offense that simply can't score runs, the Atlanta Braves are fading in the National League playoff race. Chris Johnson has played a central role in the club's second-half decline.
The third baseman is swinging at just a .230 clip since the Midsummer Classic. Last week, the 29-year-old collected just three singles in six contests, which worked out to a .136 average and a .273 OPS.
Left Field: Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals
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Jayson Werth is out of position in left field, but his stats over the past week indicate that the 35-year-old fits right in on the Week 24 all-dud team.
In the last six contests, the right-handed hitter checks in with a .150 average. While Werth has been off as of late, he's still hitting .282 on the season, and the Washington Nationals are rolling toward the NL East title.
Center Field: Austin Jackson, Seattle Mariners
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Austin Jackson has been piling up punchouts. Last week, the Seattle Mariners center fielder totaled 12 strikeouts in six contests, including a four-strikeout night Wednesday against the Houston Astros.
The 27-year-old hasn't found much success since landing in the Pacific Northwest after his midseason trade from the Detroit Tigers. In 39 games, the M's table-setter has a .275 OBP and a .557 OPS.
Right Field: Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
8 of 11On Monday, a wild throw from Yasiel Puig sparked one of the ugliest defensive sequences of the entire season. Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully shared his take on the debacle in the MLB.com video above.
"I can't believe it. Holy Mackerel. That's embarrassing."
The 23-year-old Cuban has also been enduring all sorts of issues at the plate. However, Puig did show some signs that he is emerging from his funk, going 3-for-5 in the Dodgers' 17-0 rout of the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Designated Hitter: Brandon Moss, Oakland Athletics
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Brandon Moss doesn't just deserve a spot on the all-dud team for his play during Week 24, but rather for that of the entire second half of the season.
The 2014 AL All-Star hasn't gone yard since July 24. Over the past week, Moss has been spending a lot of time on the bench, as the Oakland Athletics have faced a slew of left-handed pitchers. In the five games he has appeared in, Moss is just 2-for-12.
The 30-year-old is one of the streakiest hitters in all of baseball, and Oakland will be hoping that Moss manages to break out of his epic slump before the end of the season.
Starting Pitcher: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Los Angeles Dodgers
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With the Los Angeles Dodgers holding on to a two-game advantage in the NL West, now is not the time for Hyun-Jin Ryu to hit the shelf.
Unfortunately for the first-place club, that could be what's about to happen.
On Friday night, the left-hander exited his start against the Giants after just a single inning due to a problem with his shoulder.
"Obviously, you get one of your top guys and he's feeling something in his shoulder, at any point in the season you'd be concerned," manager Don Mattingly told Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles.
The news is especially concerning considering that there are just two weeks left in the season. As Saxon reports, Ryu will have an MRI on Monday and is unlikely to take the mound for his next start.
Relief Pitcher: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
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The adjustment to the bullpen hasn't been smooth for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
The right-hander was absolutely torched in his most recent outing against the division-rival Dodgers on Saturday night. In three innings of relief, Lincecum served up five earned runs on seven hits, including a double by Zack Greinke that nearly went yard at AT&T Park.
Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com. Stats are current entering play on Sunday, Sept. 14.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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