Each MLB Team's Worst Player of the 2019 Regular Season
Baseball is an incredibly difficult game, and anyone who has reached the sport's highest level has an elite skill set shared by few.
With that being said, not everyone can be a superstar or even a positive contributor.
Ahead we've selected each team's worst player of the 2019 regular season. That doesn't mean they haven't played well in the past, and it doesn't mean they won't play well again in the future. It just means they've had a tough go of it this year.
In order to qualify for consideration, a player had to have tallied at least 100 plate appearances, 40 innings pitched or 30 appearances with the team in question, and he must still be a member of the organization he is representing.
Let's get started.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: 1B Chris Davis
Davis has been marginally better than he was in his abysmal 2018 season, when he posted a 49 OPS+ and minus-2.8 WAR, but not by much.
His 58 OPS+ and minus-1.1 WAR still make him the easy choice for the worst player on a 106-loss team, as he's batting just .179/.271/.326 with a 39.9 percent strikeout rate. The 33-year-old will bank $21.1 million this year, and he's still owed $63.4 million over the next three seasons.
Boston Red Sox: RHP Nathan Eovaldi
After posting a 1.61 ERA in 22.1 innings last October, Eovaldi signed a four-year, $68 million deal to stay with the Red Sox.
The 29-year-old made just four starts before missing more than three months while recovering from surgery to clean up his right elbow. He returned in a relief role and then moved back into the rotation, but he has struggled regardless, with a 6.03 ERA in 62.2 innings spanning 11 starts and 11 relief appearances.
New York Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes Jr.
Cortes has somehow made 31 appearances in the role of lefty reliever who can't seem to get left-handed hitters out.
Same-sided batters are hitting .337 with a .959 OPS and five home runs in 95 plate appearances against him, and he hasn't exactly been effective against right-handed hitters either. All told, he's logged a 5.51 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with a .274 batting average against in 65.1 innings.
Tampa Bay Rays: UT Daniel Robertson
While it was tempting to pick Mike Zunino with his .169 average and 46 OPS+, he remains a Gold Glove-caliber defender behind the plate, and that was enough to keep him out of the conversation.
Instead the choice was Robertson, who was a 2.6 WAR player in 2018 while filling a super-utility role. The 25-year-old injured his knee in June, and his production has plummeted, with a 65 OPS+ and 12 extra-base hits in 230 plate appearances representing a sharp downturn from last year's numbers.
Toronto Blue Jays: UT Brandon Drury
There are 196 players who have made at least 400 plate appearances this season, and Drury ranks dead-last among that group with a .264 on-base percentage. That inability to get on base easily overshadows his 21 doubles and 15 home runs.
And while he has played all over the field, he's only an above-average defender at third base, so his versatility is not as big of a bonus as it might seem.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: RHP Dylan Covey
It was hard to pick just one player from the three-headed monster of terrible that is Manny Banuelos, Dylan Covey and Ross Detwiler. That trio has made 30 starts, posting a brutal 7.53 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 130.1 innings while recording just three quality starts.
With an 8.45 ERA in his 12 starts and a 7.98 ERA in 58.2 innings overall, Covey has been the worst of the bunch, so he got the nod by the slimmest of margins.
Cleveland Indians: 1B/OF Jake Bauers
After posting a 94 OPS+ with 35 extra-base hits in 388 plate appearances and 0.6 WAR as a rookie, Bauers was expected to step into a prominent role following an offseason trade from Tampa Bay to Cleveland.
The 23-year-old, however, has failed to impress, posting a 78 OPS+ in 411 plate appearances. That middling production has not come close to offsetting his defensive shortcomings, as he's graded out below average at first base (-1 DRS, -1.6 UZR/150) and left field (-3 DRS, -1.3 UZR/150) en route to a minus-0.7 WAR season.
Detroit Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann
In the fourth season of a five-year, $110 million deal, Zimmermann is struggling through his worst campaign yet.
The 33-year-old has a 6.85 ERA that ranks 128th out of the 129 pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings, and he's earning $25 million on a back-loaded deal. He'll earn another $25 million next year as he looks to improve on a 5.59 ERA in 504.1 innings during his time in Detroit.
Kansas City Royals: 1B Ryan O'Hearn
O'Hearn posted a 154 OPS+ with 10 doubles and 12 home runs in 170 plate appearances as a rookie last season. Looking to establish himself as a long-term piece, he has instead hit .190/.281/.365 for a 69 OPS+, which coupled with his poor defense at first base has been worth minus-1.4 WAR.
Starting pitchers Glenn Sparkman (131.0 IP, 6.11 ERA) and Jorge Lopez (117.2 IP, 6.35 ERA) also earned serious consideration.
Minnesota Twins: LHP Martin Perez
Considering he was signed to a low-risk, one-year, $4 million deal during the offseason, Perez has performed roughly as expected with a 90 ERA+ in 159.2 innings. The fact that he qualifies as the "worst" player on this roster speaks volumes about the well-balanced team the Twins have assembled.
Reliever Trevor Hildenberger has been a disappointment with a 10.47 ERA in 22 appearances, but he isn't even halfway to the requisite 40 innings pitched to be considered.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros: LHP Framber Valdez
Valdez impressed down the stretch last year with a 2.19 ERA in 37 innings spanning five starts and three relief appearances, and he was expected to fill a swingman role this year.
The 25-year-old has done just that, logging 70.2 innings in eight starts and 18 relief appearances, but he has struggled to a 5.86 ERA. He has a 7.07 ERA and 1.71 WHIP as a starter and a 4.63 ERA and 1.63 WHIP out of the bullpen, posting minus-0.6 WAR in the process.
Los Angeles Angels: LHP Jose Suarez
Suarez was the No. 4 prospect in the Angels system at the start of the season, according to Baseball America, after logging a 3.92 ERA with 142 strikeouts in 117 innings over three minor league levels in 2018.
The 21-year-old made his MLB debut June 2, and the non-contending Angels have given him a long leash. While he still has a bright future, his 7.34 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 76 innings this season have made him one of the least effective starters in baseball.
Oakland Athletics: DH Khris Davis
Davis exploded out of the gate with a 1.021 OPS and 10 home runs in 73 plate appearances over his first 17 games before he crashed back to earth with the worst season of his career.
He's managed just a .611 OPS and 12 home runs in 446 plate appearances since that hot start, and he's batting a meager .192 with a .579 OPS since the All-Star break. After slugging 133 home runs over the past three seasons with a 130 OPS+, he's been a minus-0.4 WAR player with an 80 OPS+ this year.
Seattle Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez
One of the best pitchers of the 21st century, King Felix has not been an above-average starter since the 2016 season, and he's posted a 5.42 ERA while averaging 103 innings per year over the past three seasons.
In the final year of a seven-year, $175 million deal, he's logged a 6.51 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 66.1 innings. The 33-year-old will make what is likely to be his final start in a Mariners uniform Thursday before reaching free agency.
Texas Rangers: C Jeff Mathis
Mathis has never been much of a contributor at the plate, and with a 10 OPS+ in 244 plate appearances, that remains true. His strong defense has allowed him to continue finding work, but that part of his game has taken a sharp downturn in 2019.
- 2018: 18.6 DEF, 17 DRS, 13.1 FRM, 36.0% CS
- 2019: 1.4 DEF, 0 DRS, -2.2 FRM, 16.7% CS
Without his usual strong defense and framing to prop up his value, he's been a minus-1.5 WAR player.
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National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: UT Johan Camargo
Serving as the Braves' primary third baseman last season, Camargo posted a 115 OPS+ with 19 home runs and 76 RBI and played stellar defense on his way to a 3.7 WAR season.
Despite that performance, Atlanta signed veteran Josh Donaldson to a one-year deal, and it's a good thing. Moved into a super-utility role, Camargo has hit just .233/.279/.384 for a 68 OPS+ while posting below-average defensive metrics in a minus-0.8 WAR campaign.
Miami Marlins: OF Lewis Brinson
The prospect centerpiece of the Christian Yelich deal, Brinson hit just .199/.240/.338 over 406 plate appearances in his first extended MLB action last season.
The 25-year-old has a similar .181 average and .247 on-base percentage this year, and his slugging percentage has cratered to .233. He has zero home runs and just 10 extra-base hits in 237 plate appearances, and his minus-1.9 WAR makes him one of the least valuable players in baseball.
New York Mets: RHP Jeurys Familia
The Mets reunited with Familia on a three-year, $30 million deal in free agency after he posted a 3.13 ERA with 18 saves, seven holds and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 70 appearances in 2018.
Largely because of a walk rate that has spiked from 3.5 to 6.6 per nine innings, he has pitched to an unsightly 6.00 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 63 appearances and been relegated to a middle relief role.
Philadelphia Phillies: 3B Maikel Franco
Franco is still chasing the success he enjoyed as a rookie in 2015 when he posted a 130 OPS+ with 37 extra-base hits in 335 plate appearances. In the four years since, he's hit just .247/.299/.427 for a 90 OPS+.
The 27-year-old struggled this season to the point of being demoted to Triple-A in August. He's not hitting (80 OPS+), and he's a below-average defender at third base (-31 DRS for his career), so he might not get another shot to prove he can be an everyday player.
Washington Nationals: RHP Joe Ross
Ross looked like a rising star when he posted a 3.52 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 32 starts and three relief appearances during his age-22 and age-23 seasons in 2015 and 2016.
He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 and spent most of last season recovering, but he was expected to provide a major in-house boost to the starting rotation this year. While his 6.17 ERA in 54 innings is backed by a more palatable 4.83 FIP, his 1.74 WHIP and 4.8 walks-per-nine-innings rate provide little reason for optimism.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: UT Daniel Descalso
The Cubs paid for Descalso's career year in 2018—when he posted a 107 OPS+ with 22 doubles and 13 home runs in a 1.1 WAR season—giving him a two-year, $5 million contract.
In return, he's produced an invisible .177/.277/.256 line with eight extra-base hits in 189 plate appearances for minus-1.3 WAR. That's a staggering amount of negative value in just 79 games.
Cincinnati Reds: IF Jose Peraza
After a breakout offensive season in 2018 in which he hit .288/.326/.416 with 31 doubles, 14 home runs and 23 steals, Peraza looked like a long-term piece for the Reds.
He broke camp as the starting second baseman but ceded time while struggling to a .591 OPS over the first two months of the season. The 25-year-old has picked things up a bit with a .627 OPS and 61 OPS+ in 376 plate appearances overall, but he's still been a minus-0.7 WAR player and a major disappointment.
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes
Only two players have posted a WAR of minus-2.0 or worse this season: Burnes (-2.2) and Edwin Jackson (-2.3). No position player has a WAR worse than minus-1.9.
The season began with high hopes for the 24-year-old Burnes, as he moved into the starting rotation after going 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 38 innings as a multi-inning reliever in 2018. Instead, he was shelled to the tune of a 10.70 ERA through four starts and returned to the bullpen, where he has continued to flounder. All told, he has an 8.81 ERA and 1.83 WHIP in 47 innings.
Pittsburgh Pirates: C Elias Diaz
With veteran Francisco Cervelli missing significant time, Diaz was thrust into the starting catcher role this season after posting a 116 OPS+ with 10 home runs and 1.6 WAR in 2018.
The 28-year-old has failed to build on that success, struggling to a .241/.296/.307 line with just two home runs in 332 plate appearances. However, that pales in comparison to his defensive struggles, as he's logged an unthinkably bad minus-25 DRS.
St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Dominic Leone
The Cardinals acquired Leone prior to the 2018 season in the deal that sent Randal Grichuk to the Blue Jays. At the time of the trade, he was coming off a brilliant season in which he posted a 2.56 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings and 11 holds in 65 appearances.
After logging a 4.50 ERA in 29 appearances during an injury-marred first season in St. Louis, there was some hope he would return to form in 2019. That hasn't happened, as he's struggled to a 6.08 ERA and 1.51 WHIP despite racking up 42 strikeouts in 37 innings.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Taylor Clarke
Clarke got off to a strong start after making his MLB debut April 20, posting a 2.35 ERA with a pair of quality starts in his first three outings.
However, he's since scuffled to a 6.12 ERA with just one quality start in 64.2 innings spanning 12 starts and six relief appearances. The 26-year-old will be facing an uphill battle to win a spot in the rotation next spring.
Colorado Rockies: RHP Wade Davis
There was no shortage of candidates on the Rockies roster. Antonio Senzatela (118.2 IP, 6.90 ERA, -0.4 WAR), Kyle Freeland (101.1 IP, 6.84 ERA, -0.7 WAR) and Ian Desmond (83 OPS+, -1.9 WAR) all received serious consideration.
But closer Wade Davis took top billing with his $18 million salary, 8.65 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and 6.1 walks per nine innings in 42.2 frames. This season has been an unmitigated disaster for a pitcher who was once one of the game's most dominant relievers.
Los Angeles Dodgers: C Austin Barnes
After hitting just .196/.288/.328 in his first 233 plate appearances, Barnes was demoted to the minors at the end of July, paving the way for prospect Will Smith to emerge as the Dodgers' catcher of the present and future.
So while this story had a happy ending, Barnes has nonetheless fallen well short of expectations after entering the season as the team's primary backstop in a timeshare with veteran Russell Martin.
San Diego Padres: OF Wil Myers
Even in a down year at the plate in 2018, Myers was still a 2.4 WAR player who posted a 110 OPS+ with 11 home runs and 13 steals in 83 games.
This season, he's been a below-average offensive contributor (93 OPS+) and a dreadful defender (-11 DRS) en route to minus-0.6 WAR. With his salary set to spike from $5.5 million to $22.5 million as the second half of his extension kicks in, he'll need to right the ship quickly to keep that deal from looking like an albatross.
San Francisco Giants: OF Steven Duggar
While Dereck Rodriguez received some serious consideration, Duggar got the nod after entering the season as the presumptive everyday center fielder and a potential long-term building block.
While he's remained a standout defender in the outfield, a brutal 64 OPS+ and a .278 on-base percentage in 281 plate appearances just don't cut it for an everyday player. With the emergence of Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Dickerson and Austin Slater, Duggar could have a hard time cracking the roster next spring.
All stats accurate through Monday and courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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