Biggest MLB Duds of Week 14, Position by Position
With the MLB All-Star break nearly upon us, the vast majority of the players who comprise this week's All-Dud team will have to wait nearly a week before getting a shot at redemption.
For some, the chance to step away from the game and clear their heads will rectify what ails them at the plate. For others, such a lengthy layoff will only exacerbate their struggles. Sadly, there's no over-the-counter remedy available to cure players of the funk, and what works for one may not work for another.
Taking traditional and advanced statistics (mainly FanGraphs' weighted runs created plus metric) into consideration, here's a look at the players holding out hope for a miracle cure.
Catcher: Dioner Navarro, Chicago White Sox
1 of 11
It's been 16 years since the New York Yankees signed Dioner Navarro as an international free agent, so chances are he's gotten over the 2005 trade that sent him to Arizona as part of the package that brought Randy Johnson to the Bronx.
But if he still harbored any ill will toward his former employer, the veteran backstop got some Fourth of July revenge, hitting a two-run shot off Yankees starter CC Sabathia to give Chicago a 5-2 lead.
That was the lone highlight of Navarro's week, however, as he recorded only one other hit, finishing the week 2-for-18 (.111) with three RBI, three walks, six strikeouts and a .516 OPS that was more than 200 points below our dishonorable mention's weekly mark.
Dishonorable Mention
Derek Norris (SD): 6 G, .211 BA (4-for-19), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 11 K, .739 OPS
First Base: Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
2 of 11
Was Chris Davis the American League's biggest All-Star snub? While his .236 batting average on the season says no, his 21 home runs, 56 RBI and .835 OPS certainly make a strong case for his inclusion—if not in the All-Star Game itself, at least in the Home Run Derby.
That he won't be in San Diego on Tuesday has overshadowed what was anything but a Midsummer Classic-worthy week by Baltimore's slugger. Davis failed to record an extra-base hit or drive in a run, hitting .120 (3-for-25) with four walks, a .361 OPS and a dozen strikeouts.
Dishonorable Mention
Chris Johnson (MIA): 5 G, .250 BA (5-for-20), 1 RBI, 7 K, .500 OPS
Second Base: Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals
3 of 11
Whit Merrifield could play the field blindfolded and still be considered a substantial improvement defensively over Omar Infante, who played his way out of Kansas City last month. And so far, the 27-year-old rookie has been superior to both Infante and Christian Colon at the plate for the Royals.
But he was anything but superior last week, hitting .125 (3-for-24) while leading all second basemen in strikeout rate (40 percent). He also posted the position's second-lowest OPS (.368) and, per FanGraphs, the worst wRC+ (minus-11).
Dishonorable Mention
Jace Peterson (ATL): 6 G, .136 BA (3-for-22), 2 BB, 5 K, .345 OPS
.png?w=256)
Third Base: Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds
4 of 11
How bad was Week 14 for Eugenio Suarez? Consider this: 33-year-old Jose Reyes, who hadn't played in the majors since October, was far superior to the 24-year-old Suarez, who rode a seven-game hitting streak into the week, during which he hit .345 (10-for-29) with a .732 OPS.
In fairness to Suarez, Reyes wasn't the only third baseman he failed to best statistically last week. He lagged behind all of his competition at the hot corner, hitting just .136 (3-for-22) with a .481 OPS—last and second to last at his position, respectively.
Dishonorable Mention
Manny Machado (BAL): 6 G, .222 BA (6-for-27), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, .633 OPS
Shortstop: Nick Ahmed, Arizona Diamondbacks
5 of 11
July started off about as well as it possibly could for Nick Ahmed. He carried a five-game hitting streak into the month and, along with his wife Amanda, welcomed his first child into the world. But things went south quickly for the 26-year-old upon his return from the paternity list.
Ahmed would muster only two hits in 16 at-bats, hitting .125 with two walks, two strikeouts and one RBI. Against San Francisco on Saturday, he went 0-for-3 while seeing only four pitches.
Dishonorable Mention
Jose Iglesias (DET): 7 G, .217 BA (5-for-23), 1 2B, 2 K, .478 OPS
Left Field: Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
6 of 11
It's been an odd season for Matt Holliday. A career .307 hitter entering the season, the 36-year-old is struggling to hit for average (.241) but is on pace for his highest home run (30) and RBI (103) totals since 2007 and 2010, respectively.
With All-Star Matt Carpenter sidelined by a strained oblique Wednesday, St. Louis needed someone to help pick up the slack in his absence. That wasn't Holliday, who rolled his ankle Friday and finished the week hitting .130 (3-for-23) with two RBI, two walks, four strikeouts and a .361 OPS.
Dishonorable Mention
Starling Marte (PIT): 6 G, .192 BA (5-for-26), 1 RBI, 4 K, 5-for-5 SB, .415 OPS
Center Field: Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds
7 of 11
As usual, Billy Hamilton put his world-class speed on display for all to see last week, whether it was chasing down a fly ball that nobody else could have gotten to against Miami or scoring from second base on a passed ball against Chicago.
But as usual, the rest of Hamilton's game was lacking. Cincinnati's speedster hit just .130 (3-for-23) with one double, one walk, six strikeouts and a .341 OPS—the lowest OPS among all outfielders and only percentage points away from ranking as baseball's lowest for the week.
Dishonorable Mention
Marcell Ozuna (MIA): 6 G, .174 BA (4-for-23), 2 BB, 8 K, .414 OPS
Right Field: Josh Reddick, Oakland Athletics
8 of 11
Admittedly, one bad week isn't going to do much to hurt Josh Reddick's trade value. But it certainly doesn't help Oakland facilitate a deal for its veteran right fielder when he hits .148 (4-for-27) with a .466 OPS and 22 wRC+.
But he's posted a mediocre .209/.292/.302 triple-slash line over 11 games since returning to action on June 28 after missing more than a month due to a thumb injury. If he continues to flounder at the plate, currently interested teams could turn their attention to other options, including Cincinnati's Jay Bruce.
Dishonorable Mention
Mac Williamson (SF): 6 G, .150 BA (3-for-20), 3 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, .427 OPS
Designated Hitter: Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals
9 of 11
After hitting .402 with a 1.108 OPS in June, it wasn't a question of if, but when, Kendrys Morales' bat would cool off. We didn't have to wait long to get our answer.
Morales barely beat out Detroit's Victor Martinez for the title of baseball's least productive designated hitter in Week 14. He'd reach base safely only five times (four hits and a walk) in 24 trips to the plate with five strikeouts and a .568 OPS.
Dishonorable Mention
Victor Martinez (DET): 7 G, .160 BA (4-for-25), 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, .570 OPS
Starting Pitcher: Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs
10 of 11
It's become trendy to wonder about a pitcher's health after a disappointing start or relief appearance. It's a trend that Jon Lester wants no part of.
"I don't know why if you pitch badly it has to be a physical reason," Lester shot back after being asked about his health, per the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales. "We all, just like hitters, go through slumps. And you have to figure out ways to contribute. The last two starts were null and void for me."
While Lester might be able to put his pair of ugly Week 14 starts out of his mind, fans aren't likely to be so resilient. The veteran southpaw lasted only 4.1 innings, allowing 13 hits (five home runs) and 13 earned runs while walking four and striking out five. Opponents hit .542 with a 1.850 OPS against him.
Dishonorable Mention
Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL): 2 GS, 0-2, 17.47 ERA, 2.82 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 11 H, 11 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Relief Pitcher: Michael Blazek, Milwaukee Brewers
11 of 11
Week 14 wasn't a complete bust for Michael Blazek, who tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief against Washington on Wednesday, allowing one hit and striking out two. The same can't be said for the 27-year-old's appearances that sandwiched that one impressive outing.
St. Louis tagged him for three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning last Sunday and four more earned runs Saturday, an outing during which he failed to record an out. Collectively, Blazek allowed four hits and seven earned runs over 2.1 innings of relief, which works out to a weekly 27.00 ERA and 3.43 WHIP.
Dishonorable Mention
Trevor Cahill (CHC): 2 G, 0-1, 12.00 ERA, 2.67 WHIP, 3 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 K
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs and MLB.com and are current through July 9. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
.png?w=480)
