Top 25 Disappointments Around MLB So Far in 2013
Top 25 MLB Disappointments in 2013
The MLB has been pretty interesting so far in 2013. There have been many surprises so far this season such as the Cleveland Indians taking over first place in the AL Central from the Detroit Tigers.
Another huge surprise has been the Boston Red Sox. Yes, I said usually one of the best teams in baseball has been a surprise. They were not expected to do anything this season after getting rid of multiple key players, but have proved people wrong as the proud owners of the best record in the American League and the second-best overall mark in baseball.
While there have been many surprises that have attracted many people's attention, such as the emergence of Yasiel Puig or Chris Davis' 31 home runs, there have also been many disappointments.
When you think of the word disappointment, you think of players and teams that have underachieved -- and done so immensely.
Some teams count on their star players to carry their them to the playoffs, while some teams have seen the core group of their top players struggle, and therefore the team has struggled mightily.
The Los Angeles Angels are a perfect example of a disappointment this season. They were expected to rock the league with their killer lineup and their strong pitching staff, however, the opposite has been the case. Los Angeles is four games under .500 and in third place in the AL West. Star players such as Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols have failed to get going, and have held them back a bit.
Here are 25 of the top disappointments in all of baseball so far this season.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
25. Alexei Ramirez
Alexei Ramirez burst onto the scene five years ago with an impressive rookie campaign of 21 homers and a .290 average. However, he's been on the decline every year since and is now hitting .283 with just a single home run and only 17 RBIs. He hasn't exactly been what the Chicago White Sox expected.
24. Josh Willingham
The Minnesota Twins got a steal last season when they picked up Josh Willingham. They had no idea how much production he would bring to the team and after 35 homers and 110 RBIs, expectations for 2013 were sky-high for the 10-year vet. His 10 home runs, .224 average and 37 RBIs just aren't cutting it for the struggling Twins.
23. Dan Haren
Dan Haren was once one of the top pitchers in the league, but in recent years he has struggled. His performance so far in 2013 with the Washington Nationals has been far beyond a struggle. With an ERA of 6.15 in 15 starts, many are speculating that he won't be on the major league roster much longer.
22. Kevin Youkilis
Prior to the 2013 season, Kevin Youkilis was one of the premier third basemen in baseball. The 2013 season hasn't been kind to the former Boston Red Sox third basemen and current New York Yankees vet as he's hitting just .219 with two homers and eight RBIs in just 28 games. Sure, his numbers are down because of an injury, but I bet the Yankees thought they'd be getting more from the 34-year-old.
21. Vernon Wells
Vernon Wells started off the season red-hot for the Yanks, but has since cooled off. Hitting just .228 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs, he hasn't hit a home run since May 15 and has only eight RBIs since that home run as well.
20. Cole Hamels
With a career ERA under 3.50, Cole Hamels has been as reliable as they come for the Philadelphia Phillies. However, along with the other struggling pitchers on the staff besides Cliff Lee, the 29-year-old starter has been off his game. His ERA is hovering around 4.50 and he's on pace to get nearly 20 losses.
19. Victor Martinez
Victor Martinez wasn't expected to do too much coming off major knee surgery, but he has been anything but productive so far in 2013. He was unbelievable for the Detroit Tigers in 2011, hitting .330 with 12 homers and 103 RBIs, proving he can still hit at his age. It may take him a while to get back into the swing of things, but a .231 average and six homers isn't a great start.
18. Jered Weaver
After missing nearly two months with an injury from early April to late May, Jered Weaver has struggled a bit to get back to form. His ERA ballooned all the way up to a 4.65 before the ace had two strong starts in his last two, lowering his overall ERA to 3.79. The Angels will need much more from Weaver if they want to make a deep run in October.
17. Ryan Braun
Sure, you could make the argument that he hasn't played since early June, but that's exactly why Ryan Braun has been a disappointment. Well, that and the fact that he's in the midst of a performance-enhancing drug scandal. Braun is a former MVP and is still a superstar, but sitting out nearly two months now, the Milwaukee Brewers aren't too happy that he may be out another 100 with a suspension.
16. San Francisco Giants
What are the expectations like after winning two World Series titles in three years? Just ask the San Francisco Giants. They won the 2012 World Series title and are currently in last place in the NL West. Their most recent disappointment? They were just no-hit by Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati Reds. Tough start to the season.
15. Yoenis Cespedes
Yoenis Cespedes was one of the biggest names last season to hit the MLB landscape. The 27-year-old Cuban superstar was a hot commodity and the Oakland Athletics paid big bucks to get him. However, he was expected to be an all-around great hitter, but he's hitting just .227 thus far with 15 homers and 43 RBIs.
14. Starlin Castro
Starlin Castro is one of baseball's budding stars, but has yet to prove that in 2013. The Chicago Cubs are hoping for anything -- anything at all -- to go their way, but in his fourth season in the majors, Castro is struggling. Hitting just .232 with four homers and 26 RBIs, Castro has taken a step back in the growing process.
13. B.J. Upton
Wow. Who could have seen this type of start coming for the Atlanta Braves' newest center fielder. B.J. Upton has had a tough season so far on his new team, hitting just .180 with eight homers and 19 RBIs. His brother has been bashing home runs, while Upton has been struggling more than anyone on the team.
12. R.A. Dickey
Coming off a Cy Young season in 2012, R.A. Dickey was expected to do big things again in 2013 when he was picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays. The 38-year-old knuckle-baller is 8-8 with a 4.59 ERA. Not exactly what the Blue Jays had in mind when they paid him a handsome $25 million for two seasons.
11. Justin Verlander
On June 11, Justin Verlander was sitting pretty with a 4-3 record and a 1.93 ERA. Two months and a pretty solid 4-2 record later, the best pitcher in baseball has seen his ERA go from 1.93 to 3.77. Sure, that's not bad, but for a guy who's gotten used to having his ERA in the 2.50-range, he's not playing to potential.
10. Matt Cain
Matt Cain has been one of the best pitchers in the National League in the past few seasons. Since 2009, he hadn't finished a season with an ERA above 3.14. So far in 2013, his ERA is 4.29 and his 5-4 record isn't very impressive. Tough go for the World Series champ thus far.
9. C.C. Sabathia
C.C. Sabathia is in one of the most prominent roles in all of baseball: the ace on the New York Yankees pitching staff. Many pitchers would kill to be in his position, but the pressure that comes with it is unbelievable. When you struggle in New York, it's magnified and that's exactly what's happening with Sabathia and his 4.15 ERA and 8-6 record.
8. Roy Halladay
Watching this guy go from the top to the absolute bottom has been tough. Roy Halladay was once the best pitcher in baseball, but now finds himself on the DL with no return in sight. He had a rough start to the season before his injury with an 8.65 ERA and a 2-4 record.
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
Besides the recent emergence of Puigmania, the Los Angeles Dodgers had been performing under expectations all season long, floating around last place in the NL West. Since Yasiel Puig has joined the team, the Dodgers are 17-11 and are no longer in last. However, with the additions this team made in the offseason and the elevated expectations, fourth place in the division is no accomplishment.
6. Paul Konerko
Paul Konerko has been the best and most consistent hitter on the Chicago White Sox for the better part of a decade now. However, the 2013 season has seen a bit of a power outage with just seven homers and 30 RBIs. Oh yeah, and his batting average is sitting at .249 -- just an all-around bad start to the season for Konerko.
5. Albert Pujols
A couple of seasons ago, when you heard the name Albert Pujols, fear was brought to your being. Nowadays, when you hear that name, you think of nothing more than an overpaid superstar -- at least since joining the Angels. I would have called him the best hitter of his generation before his recent downfall, and his .247 average, 13 homers and 49 RBIs this season don't necessarily help his case.
4. Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp is one of the most respected guys in baseball, but that doesn't exactly raise his average. Kemp is hitting just .245 with two homers and 20 RBIs while missing a handful of games with an injury. He has been riddled with injuries in the past couple of seasons, but needs to stay healthy or this team will struggle.
3. David Price
Ah, we've finally reached the top-three. David Price comes in at No. 3 on this list and after winning the Cy Young in 2012, the expectations have to be pretty high for the Tampa Rays ace. He began the 2013 season with a 5.24 ERA in his first nine starts with a 1-4 record. He then went on the disabled list on May 15 then came back July 2 and pitched a gem. Maybe a sign of things to come?
2. Josh Hamilton
When the Angels added Josh Hamilton in the offseason, there were very few skeptics -- that is, until they saw how much he was being paid. Being paid more than nearly everyone in baseball, the aging star has been quite the disappointment, especially for the cash. Hitting just .223 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs, the 33-year-old is off to the worst start in his career.
1. Los Angeles Angels
Sitting in third place in the AL West at the halfway mark of the season was on nobody's radar when the season began for predictions on the Angels. They are sitting at 40-43, 8.5 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers in the division. They have one of the best offensive teams in the league -- which comes as no surprise -- but having one of the worst pitching staffs has been their Achilles' heel. With guys like Weaver, Joe Blanton and C.J. Wilson on staff, that shouldn't happen.
