Biggest MLB Duds of July, Position by Position
Friday saw us take a look at the best that baseball had to offer in July. Now it's time to focus on the other end of the spectrum—the worst of the worst.
Appearing on July's All-Dud team doesn't mean that these players are, like Donny Kerabatsos, out of their element, only that they've found themselves in a horrendous funk that can't end fast enough.
The same rules that apply to our Team of the Month remain in place here. We've picked 10 players—one per position, including a designated hitter and starting pitcher—who have put together forgettable performances over the past 31 days.
Who are the players that can't wait until the calendar flips to August? Let's take a look.
Catcher: Derek Norris, San Diego Padres
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Some players can strike out a bunch and still be productive at the plate. Derek Norris isn't one of those players.
Per FanGraphs, Norris struck out an MLB-high 44.3 percent of the time in July, going down on strikes 35 times in 79 trips to the plate. It's no surprise, then, to see that he hit just .139 with an MLB-worst .479 OPS for the month; though, he did manage to drive in seven runs and pick up five extra-base hits (two home runs) when he did make contact.
For all of his struggles at the plate, Norris is a "near-lock" to be moved by San Diego at the trade deadline, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Dishonorable Mention
Dioner Navarro (CHW): .194 BA, .585 OPS, 6 XBH (1 HR), 10 RBI
First Base: Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
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Two things happened to Eric Hosmer in July that would lead most to believe the 26-year-old was anything but a dud: He was named the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player and immortalized, in bobblehead form, as an X-Wing pilot from Star Wars.
Unfortunately, those platitudes did nothing to help Hosmer lead Kansas City back into contention. While the Royals' 7-18 July record isn't all Hosmer's fault, he was unable to stop the bleeding, hitting just .198 with four extra-base hits (two home runs), nine RBI and a .533 OPS.
Dishonorable Mention
Chris Davis (BAL): .148 BA, .538 OPS, 4 XBH (3 HR), 7 RBI
Second Base: Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics
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If you're looking for the player who posted the American League's lowest OPS in July, look no further than second base in Oakland, where Jed Lowrie's .482 mark made him the Junior Circuit's only qualified batter to post a monthly OPS below .500.
The 32-year-old, who racked up 62 extra-base hits, including 15 home runs back in 2013, posted an MLB-worst .245 slugging percentage in July, hitting only .202 with four doubles and three RBI in the process.
Dishonorable Mention
Logan Forsythe (TB): .204 BA, .597 OPS, 7 XBH (4 HR), 10 RBI
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Third Base: Danny Valencia, Oakland Athletics
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It wasn't so long ago that Danny Valencia's name was one of, if not the hottest, on the rumor mill. With only a day to go before the non-waiver trade deadline arrives, chatter surrounding the 31-year-old has, for the most part, gone silent.
“It’s no secret I’ve been struggling defensively,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, who adds the veteran was surprised to learn rookie Ryon Healy had replaced him at third base. But he probably shouldn't be surprised.
Aside from not being part of Oakland's long-term vision, Valencia hit just .233 with four extra-base hits (two home runs), eight RBI and a .634 OPS in July, striking out 30 percent of the time.
Dishonorable Mention
Manny Machado (BAL): .217 BA, .663 OPS, 5 XBH (4 HR), 8 RBI
Shortstop: Alexei Ramirez, San Diego Padres
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After signing veteran shortstop Alexei Ramirez to a one-year deal back in January, San Diego general manager A.J. Preller sounded like a man who was certain he had found a short-term solution for a long-time problem.
"He plays, he has that track record, he loves to play. You look at the back of his baseball card, it's 144 games most years," Preller told MLB.com's Corey Brock. "That was definitely part of it. We know what we're getting into."
What the Padres got into was a past-his-prime veteran, one whose season-long struggles continued in July. Ramirez hit just .195 with a .515 OPS, collecting six extra-base hits (no home runs) and driving in seven runs.
Dishonorable Mention
Alcides Escobar (KC): .233 BA, .566 OPS, 3 XBH (0 HR), 4 RBI
Left Field: Cody Asche, Philadelphia Phillies
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Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin made it very clear, on more than one occasion, that how he fares in 2016 is going to dictate whether Cody Asche is going to bask in future Phillies glory.
“As I said earlier in the season, this is a very big year for Cody to prove that he can be part of the future and he needs to step it up,” Mackanin told CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury. He's failed to do so.
Asche hit just .147 with five extra-base hits (two home runs), seven RBI and a .514 OPS in July, and heads into August with a .222 batting average and .671 OPS on the season. With hotshot prospect Nick Williams showing that he's nearly ready for his big league debut, the 26-year-old may not get another chance.
Dishonorable Mention
Ezequiel Carrera (TOR): .175 BA, .544 OPS, 3 XBH (1 HR), 7 RBI
Center Field: J.B. Shuck, Chicago White Sox
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With Austin Jackson out of action due to knee surgery, career journeyman J.B. Shuck, who has played for four different organizations over parts of five big league seasons, was hoping to take advantage of his opportunity for regular playing time.
"When you get a chance you want to try to do as best you can," Shuck told the Chicago Tribune's Chris Kuc last month. "Sometimes you get into where you start pressing a little bit and it actually makes you worse. So you just realize you can't control some of the things. You kind of think about it and it helps you slow down and realize to just play your game and it will work out."
Except it hasn't worked out the way Shuck hoped it would.
Hitting .239 with a .625 OPS heading into July, the 29-year-old couldn't even reproduce those mediocre numbers in the season's fourth month. Shuck hit a measly .195 with four extra-base hits (one home run), five RBI and a .522 OPS.
Dishonorable Mention
Carlos Gomez (HOU): .189 BA, .565 OPS, 5 XBH (2 HR), 11 RBI
Right Field: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
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Bryce Harper would appreciate it if all of us—you, me, his coaches, his friends and fans—would stop giving him advice on how to break what has been a three-month slump for the reigning National League MVP.
“Everybody means well, but when this guy or that person says something, it’s going to get in there in your head. You remember it,” he explained to the Washington Post's Thomas Boswell. “It’s like quicksand. The harder you fight, the deeper you sink.”
While he drew 15 walks in July, Harper continued to fight—and sink, hitting .170 with five extra-base hits (four home runs), 10 RBI and a .613 OPS, the latter just beating out Chicago's Jason Heyward (.610) for the lowest mark among qualified NL right fielders.
Dishonorable Mention
Jason Heyward (CHC): .218 BA, .610 OPS, 6 XBH (1 HR), 5 RBI
Designated Hitter: Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals
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Kendrys Morales isn't a superstar by any means, but as a seasoned veteran with pop and an expiring contract, you'd think that contenders in need of another bat would be checking in with Kansas City about the 33-year-old's availability.
"I'll be honest, I have not heard Kendrys Morales' name at all," Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan told host Danny Parkins while a guest on 101 ESPN Radio in St. Louis, per Brandon Kiley.
A miserable July likely has something to do with that. While Morales went deep five times, he drove in just 10 runs while hitting .198 with a .677 OPS. Among qualified designated hitters, only Detroit's Victor Martinez (.222 BA, .637 OPS) was nearly as unproductive.
Dishonorable Mention
Victor Martinez (DET): .222 BA, .637 OPS, 4 XBH (3 HR), 17 RBI
Pitcher: Yovani Gallardo, Baltimore Orioles
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We've been saying for months that Baltimore's starting pitching would be its downfall, and Yovani Gallardo offered further proof of that Saturday against Toronto. The Blue Jays chased the 30-year-old from the game after only 4.1 innings, during which he allowed five earned runs on five hits, including a home run.
Afterward, Gallardo acknowledged what his biggest issue has been—not only Saturday, but all season long.
"[I struggled with] my command more than anything...," Gallardo told the Baltimore Sun's Eduardo A. Encina. "I just wasn't able to get ahead of guys, got a little bit away from the game plan I had a little that inning. Had a battle with my command there even since the first inning."
Gallardo walked five Blue Jays on Saturday, the fourth time in six July starts that he issued at least four free passes. On the month, Gallardo walked 22 batters over 32 innings of work, going 0-2 while pitching to a 5.63 ERA and 1.78 WHIP, striking out 25 along the way.
Dishonorable Mention
Matt Wisler (ATL): 5 GS, 1-4, 8.89 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 26.1 IP, 38 H (9 HR), 8 BB, 21 K
All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and MLB.com unless otherwise noted, and are current through games on July 30.
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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