Each MLB Team's Worst Player of the 2018 Regular Season
With the MLB playoffs fast approaching, we're about to celebrate the game's best teams and many of its best players.
Here's a more dour proposition: outlining the worst player on each of the 30 clubs.
Before we begin, a few ground rules:
- We looked at 2018 performances only. Career credentials didn't factor in, though we noted if players are earning superstar money based on past output.
- To qualify, hitters must have at least 200 plate appearances and pitchers a minimum of 30 appearances or at least 100 innings entering play Tuesday. Also, they need to be employed by the club in question.
- We utilized FanGraphs' WAR calculation as the final arbiter for both hitters and pitchers, with weighted runs created plus used as a tiebreaker for hitters. Is WAR a perfect stat? No. Does it paint a decent picture of the guys who've vastly underperformed? You betcha.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: 1B Chris Davis (-3.2 WAR)
Chris Davis is slashing .168/.243/.296. The Baltimore Orioles are paying him $23 million this season and will keep paying him $23 million annually through 2022.
There's bad, and then there's historically bad. Davis is on course for the latter.
Oh, and did we mention he's 32 years old and playing for a team in unambiguous rebuild mode?
Ouch.
Boston Red Sox: C Sandy Leon (-0.8 WAR)
The Boston Red Sox have barreled past 100 wins and will enter the postseason as a hard-hitting favorite.
If we're picking nits, let's glance behind the dish. Sandy Leon is slashing .180/.236/.281. On Sept. 19, he broke an 0-for-30 streak and collected his first RBI since Aug. 14, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
The Sox have enough mashers in their lineup, including Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, to alleviate the deficit. And Leon checks in as the game's fourth-best pitch framer, per StatCorner. His offensive futility, however, can't be ignored.
New York Yankees: INF/OF Neil Walker (-0.1 WAR)
Neil Walker might be a useful piece for the New York Yankees as they head into the playoffs. At the very least, he's a versatile veteran with some postseason experience.
On the other hand, Walker has slashed .219/.306/.344 for the Yankees and is hitting .167 in September.
Aaron Judge's wrist injury, Gary Sanchez's struggles and a wobbly starting rotation have been bigger worries for New York, but Walker's numbers are the ugliest of all.
Tampa Bay Rays: OF Carlos Gomez (-0.4 WAR)
Carlos Gomez was an All-Star who picked up stray MVP votes as recently as 2014.
This season, he's been a subpar drag with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 116 games, Gomez is hitting .212 with a .643 OPS.
He's been hit by an AL-leading 21 pitches and last week launched a Twitter war against umpire Andy Fletcher.
His 2018 campaign has defined dreadful.
Toronto Blue Jays: INF Yangervis Solarte (-0.8 WAR)
The Toronto Blue Jays are no longer a factor in the AL East. They are a below-average club floundering in irrelevance.
That makes Yangervis Solarte an ideal microcosm.
Check out his .231/.282/.386 slash line. Peep the negative defensive runs saved figures he's posted at every position. After a decent go-round with the San Diego Padres, Solarte has been an underachiever the Jays apparently deserve.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: LHP Hector Santiago (-0.3 WAR)
The Chicago White Sox are in a transitional phase, with loads of promising youngsters knocking on the door of MLB stardom or marinating in the minors. In the interim, they will employ various journeymen on low-risk, low-reward contracts.
Enter southpaw Hector Santiago, who has posted a 4.35 ERA and 5.23 FIP for the ChiSox.
Santiago is an impending free agent who'll likely be replaced by another sub-replacement arm as the White Sox strike a balance between filling roster spots and developing talent.
Cleveland Indians: RHP Josh Tomlin (-1.3 WAR)
The Cleveland Indians cruised to another AL Central title. Now, their goal is to snap baseball's longest championship drought.
Will Josh Tomlin play even a nominal role in the Tribe's quest?
He's made eight starts and appeared in 31 games. During that span, he's posted a 6.44 ERA and coughed up 24 home runs in 65.2 innings.
His place on the Indians' postseason roster is in question. His ho-hum results are not.
Detroit Tigers: DH Victor Martinez (-1.6 WAR)
First, let's heap praise on Victor Martinez, a five-time All-Star and two-time top-10 AL MVP finisher.
Even the brightest sun must set, however, and Martinez has sunk behind the horizon in 2018 with a .251/.297/.353 slash line.
He's all but announced his retirement. "This is going to be it. I'm just enjoying these last six weeks, and I'll finally go home," he said, per Fox Sports Detroit (via MLB.com's Jason Beck).
Tip your cap.
Kansas City Royals: RHP Brandon Maurer (-0.9 WAR)
Brandon Maurer's career 5.35 ERA over six seasons speaks to a mediocre middle reliever.
The 7.71 ERA he's posted in 36 appearances with the Kansas City Royals speaks to a placeholder on a club spiraling into the depths of a painful, protracted rebuild.
K.C. has shot past 100 losses; worst-player candidates abound.
On the fecklessness scale, Maurer will suffice.
Minnesota Twins: 1B/DH Logan Morrison (-0.7 WAR)
Logan Morrison clubbed 38 homers and posted an .868 OPS with the Rays last season. The Minnesota Twins snagged him on a one-year, $6.5 million deal, hoping for similar results.
Whoops.
In 95 games with the Twinkies, Morrison has hit .186 with a .644 OPS.
Minnesota won an AL wild-card slot in 2017 but is below .500 in 2018. Similarly, Morrison has gone from a pleasant surprise to a full-blown dud.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros: RHP Chris Devenski (0.0 WAR)
The Houston Astros are the defending MLB champions for a reason. They're a pretty dang complete team with few glaring weaknesses.
So let's pick a nit and call out right-handed reliever Chris Devenski.
With a 4.12 ERA in 47 games, Devenski has tumbled from a 2017 All-Star and top bullpen option to a guy who may not make the Astros' postseason roster.
Los Angeles Angels: INF Jefry Marte (-0.4 WAR)
As they process another failed attempt to hoist Mike Trout onto the postseason stage, the Los Angeles Angels must reckon with many harsh realities.
A case in point: Jefry Marte and his .214/.265/.353 slash line.
The 27-year-old embodies the subpar philosophy of the Angels, who will surely shed him like so much dead weight.
Oakland Athletics: OF Dustin Fowler (-0.6 WAR)
In his age-23 season, Dustin Fowler has slashed .224/.256/.354 for the Oakland Athletics in 203 plate appearances.
To be fair, he's barely past the prospect cocoon stage and coming off a career-threatening injury. Most essentially, he's on a small-market club that loves to give rope to young players.
Fowler isn't a star yet. But give him time.
Seattle Mariners: 1B Ryon Healy (-0.6 WAR)
Ryon Healy jumped from the A's to the division-rival Seattle Mariners via a November trade. He's posted career lows in average (.239) and OPS (.697).
To shove salt in the wound, Healy has recorded minus-nine defensive runs saved at first base.
His 24 home runs are worth noting, but he's been a net negative on a Mariners club that's going to extend its MLB-leading postseason drought to 17 years and counting.
Texas Rangers: LHP Matt Moore (-0.1 WAR)
It's been a dreary year for the Texas Rangers, and lefty Matt Moore has been a suitable poster boy.
In 36 games and 12 starts, Moore owns a 7.05 ERA. His status as a rising All-Star on the 2013 Rays is in the rearview.
Texas can be rid of him after the season for a $750,000 buyout, per Cot's Baseball Contracts, an option the club will surely take. In the interim, Moore and the Rangers can play the roles of mutual losers on a sinking ship.
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National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: RHP Peter Moylan (-0.4 WAR)
Before landing on the 60-day disabled list with a forearm strain, right-hander Peter Moylan posted a 4.45 ERA and a more damning 5.48 FIP for the Atlanta Braves.
His numbers were bad. His peripherals were even worse. The veteran reliever does not exemplify the up-and-coming Braves in any way, shape or form.
His brutal performance is a downer on a club whose trajectory is otherwise aimed straight up.
Miami Marlins: CF Lewis Brinson (-0.9 WAR)
We've known all season the Miami Marlins were sinking toward the cellar of the NL East. We've also known their roster was stuffed with young players who might struggle for now and succeed down the road.
Enter Lewis Brinson, a former blue-chip prospect whose .201 average and .584 OPS belie his untapped potential. At some point, the Fish may rise. If so, Brinson will rise with them.
For now, the operative word is "sink."
New York Mets: INF Jose Reyes (-0.9 WAR)
Jose Reyes was a star in his day. Between 2006 and 2011, he made four All-Star teams.
Now, he's a fading veteran playing out his career with the New York Mets. He's hitting .190 with a .585 OPS, numbers befitting a player at the tail end of his career.
"In baseball, nothing is easy and you never know what is going to happen," Reyes recently said, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Truer words have never been spoken.
Philadelphia Phillies: OF Aaron Altherr (-0.4 WAR)
A toe injury placed Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr on the shelf for the remainder of the season. Prior to that, he slashed .181/.295/.333 across 105 games..
It's easy to write the 27-year-old off. Then again, the rebuilding Phils can use all the young help they can get.
Altherr, who cracked 19 big league home runs in 2017, is an intriguing-if-flawed option.
Washington Nationals: C Pedro Severino (-0.8 WAR)
The Washington Nationals are going to miss the playoffs in Bryce Harper's likely swan song. The future is muddled in the nation's capital.
Part of that future may be 25-year-old catcher Pedro Severino. Then again, Severino has hit a scant .168 in 68 games with a .501 OPS.
On a Nats squad looking for post-Harper saviors, Severino's stock is tumbling.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: LHP Brian Duensing (-0.9 WAR)
Yu Darvish was the Chicago Cubs' biggest offseason splash. He's also the team's biggest offseason disappointment.
However, injuries have prevented Darvish from qualifying for that ignoble distinction from a service-time standpoint. Instead, based on our criteria, the title belongs to lefty reliever Brian Duensing.
A revelation last season, Duensing sports a 7.65 ERA in 48 games.
Relievers come, relievers go.
Cincinnati Reds: RHP Austin Brice (-0.5 WAR)
Speaking of disposable relievers, the Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of a rebuild and may soon part ways with 26-year-old Austin Brice.
In 37.1 innings with the Reds, Brice owns a 5.79 ERA with 13 walks and 32 strikeouts.
Brice has been good enough to hang around but not good enough to distinguish himself, which neatly sums up the Reds' 2018 season.
Milwaukee Brewers: SS Orlando Arcia (-0.9 WAR)
The Milwaukee Brewers are in the thick of the NL playoff race thanks to strong contributions from an array of players. That doesn't include shortstop Orlando Arcia, who is slashing .221/.256/.291.
If you're keeping score at home, those numbers are...not good.
The Brew Crew are on track to make the postseason for the first time since 2011. If they do, it will be in spite of Arcia's anemic stick.
Pittsburgh Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (-0.5 WAR)
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded franchise outfielder Andrew McCutchen and ace Gerrit Cole last winter. They got off to an improbably strong start and seemed like contenders for a moment.
They've since returned to earth and are back in ostensible rebuild mode.
What player best encapsulates Pittsburgh's mediocrity? How about lefty reliever Steven Brault, who's posted a 4.90 ERA and 5.12 FIP in 41 games?
The 26-year-old has potential, but he's also been mostly overmatched. Sounds a lot like the Bucs.
St. Louis Cardinals: OF Dexter Fowler (-1.2 WAR)
The St. Louis Cardinals owe Dexter Fowler close to $50 million through 2021. Before a fractured foot put him on the bench, he was slashing .180/.278/.298 for the Cards.
That's a far cry from the output that made him an All-Star with the Cubs in 2016.
"Ten years in and the first one like that," Fowler said of his struggles, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Obviously, I didn't feel like I was myself. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who saw that."
He wasn't. And you can be certain the Cardinals and their fans will be watching carefully.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: INF/OF Chris Owings (-0.8 WAR)
In 20 September at-bats, Chris Owings is hitting .350 with a .900 OPS. In the world of "what have you done for me lately," he's winning.
Overall, however, Owings is slashing .210/.273/.307 for an Arizona Diamondbacks squad that's going to miss the playoffs.
A Triple-A demotion might have gotten Owings' head and bat right. If so, his about-face came too late for the Snakes.
Colorado Rockies: OF/INF Ian Desmond (-0.7 WAR)
The Colorado Rockies are locked in a battle for playoff position in the NL. They're gunning for at least a wild-card slot, although a surprise division title is still mathematically possible as well.
There's credit to spread around. But Ian Desmond deserves none.
The 33-year-old veteran is earning $22 million on a deal that carries him through at least 2021, yet he's slashing a scant .235/.305/.415. Those numbers are especially galling for a man who plays half of his games at mile-high altitude.
Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP Daniel Hudson (-0.1 WAR)
The Los Angeles Dodgers are clawing for the postseason and seeking to bust a 30-year championship drought.
Whether or not they accomplish that feat, few will remember the contributions of 31-year-old right-hander Daniel Hudson, who posted a 4.11 ERA and 4.37 FIP before going on the DL with a forearm injury.
The Dodgers will move on without Hudson. How far? That remains to be seen.
San Diego Padres: INF/OF Jose Pirela (-0.7 WAR)
On a rebuilding San Diego Padres team, Jose Pirela might have found a place after an intriguing 2017 campaign.
Instead, the 28-year-old has posted a .647 OPS and increasingly looks like the odd man out.
The Pads have MLB's No. 1 farm system, according to Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter. With so many impact prospects banging on the door, it's tough to imagine Pirela sticking around.
San Francisco Giants: OF Hunter Pence (-0.8 WAR)
Hunter Pence was a key part of the San Francisco Giants' title runs in 2012 and 2014. He's an eminently likable, quirky personality. And he can deliver one heck of a motivational speech.
This season, he's been a sad reminder that the Giants' even-year dynasty is officially over.
Giants icons such as Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey have dealt with injuries and inconsistency. But Pence's fall from grace—he has a .224 average and .578 OPS—has been the most emblematic of all.
All statistics accurate through Monday and courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.
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