Biggest MLB Duds of Week 25, Position by Position
No MLB player had a worse week than Carlos Frias.
The Los Angeles Dodgers starter turned in one of the least effective pitching performances in the history of baseball Wednesday at Coors Field.
The Oakland Athletics and the Milwaukee Brewers, who have both toppled in the standings, are also well-represented on the all-dud team for Week 25. There's even room in this notorious lineup for a couple of players on clubs that have already punched their tickets to October.
Catcher: Derek Norris, Oakland Athletics
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It's easy to forget that Derek Norris was an American League All-Star this summer.
The backstop has completely collapsed in the second half after an impressive start to the season. With John Jaso sidelined with a concussion, Norris has been catching every day and has been devoured by right-handed pitching. In six games last week, he hit .235 (4-for-17) with zero extra-base hits.
1st Base: Adam LaRoche, Washington Nationals
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It's nearly impossible to play baseball with a bad back. Unfortunately for the Washington Nationals, that's exactly the injury that Adam LaRoche has been dealing with for a few weeks, as Mark Zuckeman of CSN Washington reports.
Over his last five games, the first baseman hit .053 (1-for-19) with five strikeouts. However, that one hit was a big one. On Friday, LaRoche clubbed home run No. 25 to power the Nats to a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
2nd Base: Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers
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Ian Kinsler has been a major contributor for the Detroit Tigers in his first season with the club. However, the second baseman didn't offer much production at the plate last week. In six games, he hit .192 (5-for-26) and drew just one walk. On the season, the right-handed hitter has been extremely impatient, totaling just 27 free passes in 153 games.
At least his base running was slightly improved. A couple of weeks back, Kinsler was picked off on two occasions.
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Shortstop: Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals
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As the St. Louis Cardinals continued their quest to lock up the top spot in the National League Central, Jhonny Peralta plodded his way through a forgettable week.
The shortstop posted a .200 (5-for-25) average, but he did add home run No. 21. That total ties Peralta for the second-most in all of baseball at his position.
Jed Lowrie of the Oakland Athletics is also worth a dishonorable mention. The 30-year-old has been slumping at the plate and pitched in a costly throwing error Tuesday in the club's 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.
On Thursday, after the Athletics were swept away by Texas, Lowrie discussed his own struggles and those of the entire team, via John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, saying: “We just need to forget what’s happened and try to hit the reset button."
3rd Base: Aramis Ramirez, Milwaukee Brewers
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Over the past week, not much has gone right at the plate for Aramis Ramirez. The 2014 NL All-Star hit at a clip of .136 (3-for-22) with just one double and one RBI. With the Milwaukee Brewers fading in the wild-card chase, the club could certainly use a strong end to the season from the 36-year-old.
Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals also endured an ugly week. The third baseman, who has been one of the team's most consistent producers throughout the season, ended the week with a .174 (4-for-23) average and didn't drive in a single run.
Left Field: Khris Davis, Milwaukee Brewers
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The month of September has not been kind to Khris Davis. The week that just ended wasn't much better. The left fielder appeared in five contests for the Milwaukee Brewers and went hitless in four of them.
Davis has totaled 22 home runs, but in recent weeks, the 26-year-old's power has vanished. He hasn't collected an extra-base hit since September 6.
Center Field: Rajai Davis, Detroit Tigers
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Rajai Davis didn't have much success at the plate last week.
In six games for the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers, the 33-year-old collected just three singles. Admittedly, that third base hit was a crucial one, as it provided the Tigers with a key RBI in the club's 3-2 win over the division rival Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Right Field: Kole Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels
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The unheralded Kole Calhoun has been one of the most productive table-setters in the AL in 2014. However, the right fielder didn't exactly live up to that description last week.
While appearing in seven contests for the Los Angeles Angels, the 26-year-old posted a .136 (3-for-22) average and scored just two runs. Even with the off week, Calhoun is still hitting .278 on the year.
Designated Hitter: Kendrys Morales, Seattle Mariners
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The 2014 season has been an absolute nightmare for Kendrys Morales, and last week was no different.
In seven games, the 31-year-old hit .174 (3-for-23), and his average on the year dropped to .220. On Friday, Morales even managed to punch out on a pitch that went between his legs. Since landing in the Pacific Northwest for the stretch run, the veteran has provided the Seattle Mariners with a .621 OPS.
Starting Pitcher: Carlos Frias, Los Angeles Dodgers
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On Wednesday, Carlos Frias turned in a historically bad performance.
While facing off against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Filed, the right-hander was torched for eight runs while working just two-thirds of an inning. Afterward, Frias was unable to provide any insights on just what exactly went wrong, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
"I don't know what happened," he said. "It was a bad day."
A bad day, indeed. The start marked the first time in the modern era that a pitcher had allowed 10 hits without recording three outs, as Hernandez notes.
Closer: Sean Doolittle, Oakland Athletics
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On Wednesday, Sean Doolittle had a terrible night at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland. The closer entered the game with the Oakland Athletics holding on to a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning and ended up allowing five runs on three hits and two walks while recording just a single out.
That appearance definitely wasn't indicative of how the 2014 AL All-Star's season has gone. Before that debacle, the left-hander last gave up a run July 6.
Still, to lose any lead late is crushing for a team that is free-falling in the standings.
Note: All stats courtesy of MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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