Biggest MLB Duds of Week 11, Position by Position
In the grand scheme of things, one week's worth of games over the course of a 162-game season is fairly insignificant.
However, that doesn't make it any easier to battle through a slump, especially with the trade deadline fast approaching and teams looking to solidify their rosters.
With that in mind, what follows is a look at Week 11's biggest duds, with one player chosen to represent each position along with a starting pitcher and a closer.
Simply put, to qualify as a dud, a player had to struggle significantly relative to expectations over the past week. Players with a chance of being unseated by someone else on the roster can't afford to rank as a dud, and there are a few such guys on the ensuing list.
There is still plenty of time for the following players to get on track, but things have not gone well of late.
Catcher: Mike Zunino, Seattle Mariners
1 of 10
Last Week's Stats
6 G, 3-for-20, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Player Overview
When the Seattle Mariners made University of Florida catcher Mike Zunino the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 draft, the expectation was that the team had found its franchise catcher—one capable of being a perennial All-Star.
He moved quickly through the system and debuted in 2013, then took over everyday duties last season.
The results were a mixed bag, as he hit 22 home runs and was among the best in the league at pitch framing, but he also finished the year with a .199/.254/.404 slash line and a 33.2 percent strikeout rate.
Still, many pegged the 24-year-old as a potential breakout candidate heading into this season, as his raw power and overall receiving skills relative to his age were plus tools.
Instead, his struggles at the plate have continued, as he's hitting .158/.230/.300 with seven home runs and a 37.6 percent strikeout rate.
His ability to handle the staff will keep him in an everyday role, as Mariners pitchers have a 3.41 ERA with him behind the plate and a 5.58 ERA without him, but it would give the team a big boost if he could turn things around offensively.
First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
2 of 10
Last Week's Stats
7 G, 4-for-30, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Player Overview
Adrian Gonzalez began the season as the hottest hitter in baseball, and he continued to be a consistent run producer in the middle of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup up until this past week.
The 33-year-old entered the week with a .311/.391/.554 line on the season, but by the end of Saturday's game, those numbers had dropped to .290/.366/.508, respectively.
Even the best hitters in the game go through a rough patch occasionally throughout the course of a 162-game season. We're seeing that here with Gonzalez.
Don't expect it to last long, though. After all, he's been able to drive in at least 99 runs during each of the past eight seasons for a reason.
Second Base: DJ LeMahieu, Colorado Rockies
3 of 10
Last Week's Stats
7 G, 3-for-30, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Player Overview
The National League Gold Glove winner at second base last season, DJ LeMahieu was not really known for his offensive abilities heading into 2015.
That's not to say the 26-year-old has been a liability at the plate in the past, but his .267/.315/.348 line last year made it clear that he was in the everyday lineup for his glove work.
This season has been a different story, though. Even after a brutal 3-for-30 week, he's hitting .317/.366/.410 with 15 extra-base hits—for the sake of context, he had 25 in 494 at-bats last year—and 33 runs scored for a 1.3 WAR.
A high .377 BABIP and 6.8 percent walk rate, per FanGraphs, are decent indications that LeMahieu will continue to see those triple-slash numbers fall in the weeks and months to come. Up until now, however, he's been a pleasant surprise, to say the least.
.png?w=256)
Third Base: Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers
4 of 10
Last Week's Stats
7 G, 2-for-23, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 13 K
Player Overview
Towering home runs and plenty of strikeouts—that's what fans were told to expect from Joey Gallo, and that's what he's delivered so far for the Texas Rangers.
In his first 17 big league games, Gallo has five home runs that have gone an average distance of 440.4 feet, according to ESPN Home Run Tracker.
However, he also has a .220 batting average and 28 strikeouts in 59 at-bats for a dizzying 47.5 percent strikeout rate.
His call-up was originally supposed to be temporary until veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre returned from a thumb injury, but it now looks like the veteran might not be back until after the All-Star break, according to Jared Sandler of CBS Dallas Fort-Worth.
That gives Gallo plenty of time to prove he deserves an everyday gig the rest of the season, whether it's at first base, designated hitter or in the outfield.
More weeks like this past one won't help his case, though.
Shortstop: Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
5 of 10
Last Week's Stats
7 G, 3-for-26, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K
Player Overview
With each passing week of struggles at the plate, it looks more and more like the Chicago White Sox made a mistake not selling high on shortstop Alexei Ramirez at the trade deadline last season.
His influence as a veteran leader on a young, rebuilding team was important, but the shortstop market is always thin. The White Sox likely could have received an impressive haul for him a year ago.
Now the 33-year-old is hitting .223/.242/.296 on the season, with a .538 OPS that ranks dead last out of 165 qualified players.
Really, Ramirez's struggles at the plate began in 2014.
A .329/.361/.479 line over the first two months of the year earned him a spot on the AL All-Star team, but it also did a great job of masking that he proceeded hit just .243/.274/.370 the rest of the way.
At this point, it's no sure thing that the White Sox will exercise his $10 million option for next season. While he would likely still generate some interest on the trade market, the return will be a fraction of what the team could have gotten a year ago.
Left Field: Justin Upton, San Diego Padres
6 of 10
Last Week's Stats
7 G, 3-for-26, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 5 BB, 7 K
Player Overview
The San Diego Padres rank as one of the bigger disappointments of the 2015 season so far, as their 34-37 record has them sitting in fourth place in the NL West.
This was expected to be a team with a legitimate chance of contending after a busy offseason, but the Padres could instead wind up selling at the deadline. That means teams should be watching Justin Upton closely.
With the 27-year-old slugger set to hit free agency this offseason and the Padres unlikely to hand him a long-term megadeal, Upton is a clear candidate to be traded if the team does start selling. If that happens, he'd be the best bat on the market by a long shot.
Even after a tough week, he's still hitting .272/.357/.465 with 13 home runs, 43 RBI and 14 stolen bases on the season.
Always prone to hot and cold streaks, Upton could explode at any time, so a brief slump won't affect his trade value.
Center Field: Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
7 of 10
Last Week's Stats
7 G, 2-for-22, 1 3B, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Player Overview
Byron Buxton may have the best all-around tools of any prospect in baseball, but the 21-year-old has quickly learned that life in the big leagues is no walk in the park.
Promoted straight from Double-A where he was hitting .283/.351/.489 with 25 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases in 59 games, Buxton just wrapped up his first week in the big leagues.
While the results were less than stellar, Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor has no plans of shipping him back to the minors any time soon.
"At least until we figure out where this thing is going to go, he’s going to be out there. We need him defensively," Molitor told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Buxton has legitimate superstar potential, and it's clear that Aaron Hicks is not the answer in center field for the Twins.
It makes a lot of sense to getting the young star accustomed to life in the majors now, ensuring he's ready to make an impact down the stretch for a potential playoff push.
Right Field: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
8 of 10
Last Week's Stats
7 G, 2-for-26, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Player Overview
After a slow start to the season, Ryan Braun was once again starting to look like the dynamic offensive force he was before his suspension.
All told, he wrapped up the month of May with a .932 OPS to go along with six doubles, eight home runs and 28 RBI, which tied him for the MLB lead with Bryce Harper and Prince Fielder.
For as good as he was in May, he's been equally bad in June, hitting just .190/.239/.349 with two home runs and five RBI in 17 games.
The 31-year-old has five years and $96 million remaining on his contract, plus a $15 million option year in 2021 that carries a $4 million buyout.
When he was hitting last month, there were some rumblings of him being a potentially interesting trade chip for a team looking to add a power bat, as Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel alluded to. Given his recent struggles, however, that contract again looks immovable.
Starting Pitcher: Shaun Marcum, Cleveland Indians
9 of 10
Last Week's Stats
1 GS, 2.0 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Player Overview
To say the No. 5 starter spot has been a revolving door for the Cleveland Indians this season would not quite do the situation justice.
The foursome of Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco have been terrific as expected, going a combined 23-20 with a 3.69 ERA in their 54 starts.
Meanwhile, the likes of T.J. House, Bruce Chen, Zach McAllister and Shaun Marcum have made 13 starts and gone 3-8 with an 8.94 ERA in an attempt to round out the staff.
So when Marcum put together back-to-back quality starts on June 5 (6.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER) and June 11 (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER), it was starting to look like the team had an answer.
Not so much.
The Chicago Cubs shelled Marcum on Wednesday, scoring the first six runs of what would be a 17-0 shellacking against him. That was enough for the Indians to designate him for assignment following the loss.
Cleveland designated Marcum once before the season, as he cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment.
Relief Pitcher: Cory Mazzoni, San Diego Padres
10 of 10
Last Week's Stats
2 G, 1.2 IP, 12 H, 12 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Player Overview
Cory Mazzoni is not a high-profile reliever by any means, but when you put together two of the week's worst relief appearances, you earn a spot on this list.
Acquired from the New York Mets during the offseason in exchange for lefty reliever Alex Torres, Mazzoni had served as a starter the past three seasons in the minors, but he made the move to relief work upon joining the Padres.
The move appeared to suit him well, as he posted a 1.99 ERA, 0.971 WHIP and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 17 appearances for Triple-A El Paso before earning a promotion.
Things have not gone nearly as well in the big leagues, though, as the 25-year-old has a 20.77 ERA with at least one run allowed in five of his eight appearances.
That includes four hits and five runs in one inning against the Oakland Athletics on Monday, followed by eight hits and seven runs in just 0.2 innings two days later against that same A's squad.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted, and are current through Saturday, June 20.
.png?w=480)
