We discuss the worst performing MLB players over the past month.
Yesterday we looked at a few MLB players who are trending upwards, and today we’ll be looking at (you guessed it) players who are trending downwards.
We will focus on players who have played enough minutes in the past 30 days to qualify.
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Worst hitter
Among eligible hitters, the Toronto Blue Jays have the fewest hits in the past 30 days with just 12. Those hits came in 77 at-bats and 85 total plate appearances.
Springer has been a huge disappointment this season, batting below .200 this season despite being a top 85 pick in most drafts.
Springer is still owned by about 80% of leagues, but that number is decreasing almost daily. If his ADP wasn’t so high, it would be lower. I judge Springer’s status on my fantasy team by the overall performance of the team. If he’s struggling, I’ll move on, but if he’s performing well, I’ll hold onto Springer a little longer.
The Washington Nationals have recorded 13 hits in the past 30 days, while their teammates have recorded 14. The Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles also have recorded 14 hits each.
Winker was very good early in the season but has fallen off significantly since then. Currently, Winker is owned by about 20% of leagues and outside of some of the deeper leagues, I don’t see any reason to hold onto him any longer.
Senzel is only a fantasy option in very deep leagues and currently has a 3% ownership rate, and while he’s batting just under .200, he has a .321 on-base percentage, so if he can find a way to get more hits he could be an attractive waiver wire candidate.
Perkins has been performing well during his absence from the Milwaukee Brewers over the past few weeks, so the timing is right as the star hitter is back and Perkins has been all out of form.
Perkins is currently owned in only 4% of leagues and is one of the fantasy options in deep leagues, and if an injury to a teammate results in Perkins playing near-everyday, he’s a player to watch, but otherwise is largely irrelevant for fantasy purposes.
Cowser was one of the top fantasy hitters early in the season, but his form has declined considerably. The Baltimore Orioles outfielder is still hitting .262 this season, which speaks volumes for his 59% average.
As I mentioned in my recent demotion candidates article, I view Koswar as a pretty strong fantasy outfield backup despite his declining performance, and I expect him to be able to perform well at the plate again and at the very least be a viable fantasy backup.
Another hitting statistic I like to look at is strikeouts, as they can have a negative impact on fantasy players.
The Cincinnati Reds have two of the top three players in strikeouts over the past month: the with 42 strikeouts, and the and Chicago Cubs with 38 each.
I would estimate that Benson is owned in about 10% of leagues, mostly in very deep leagues, and while he’s batting below .200, he has some power (six home runs) so I can see him having some value to fantasy owners in deep leagues.
Bush started the season on a roll, but is currently batting just .235. After a strong start, he is owned by 51% of leagues, but if he continues to struggle at the plate, those numbers will fall further. He also has some power (seven home runs), decent RBIs, and decent runs scored, so I can understand fantasy team owners having high hopes. I’m willing to let Bush go in most fantasy situations.
De la Cruz is owned in 99% of leagues, so he’s obviously different than the other two mentioned in the strikeout section. He’s batting just .254 this season, but his home runs (9), stolen bases (31), runs scored (35) and RBIs (23) are good, so he obviously has good fantasy value. He’s off to a very good start but hasn’t been able to sustain it. If I owned De la Cruz, I’d be willing to at least entertain a trade offer.
Worst pitcher
The Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians and Washington were the three teams with the worst defensive ratings over the past month.
Cecconi has a 6.84 ERA in 26 1/3 innings over five appearances (four starts). He’s 0-4 with just 19 strikeouts during that span, so he’s not a good candidate for streaming.
Carrasco has a 6.33 ERA over 27 innings pitched across five starts. He’s 1-3 with 18 strikeouts during that span. Carrasco is currently out with an injury, but upon his return he will only be a fantasy option in higher leagues.
Corbin is often a streaming option when he pitches, but he has struggled for much of the season, going 1-2 with a 6.08 ERA in 26 2/3 innings across five starts over the past 30 days. Corbin has only struck out 14 batters in that span. Until he proves he can put up decent fantasy numbers, it’s best to avoid Corbin.
We’ll also look at missed saves, but we’ll focus only on the primary closers.
The New York Mets have had three failed saves in the past month, the Baltimore Orioles have had two, as have the Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals.
Diaz is the best name out of this group, going 1-1 with an 8.71 ERA in 10 games and 10 1/3 innings over the past 30 days. He’s not really 100% owned anymore, which isn’t a good thing considering he was one of the first closers taken in fantasy drafts. I don’t think he’ll struggle for long because he’s too talented, but if he does, trade Diaz or cut him outright.
Kimbrel is currently owned in 89% of leagues. He’s 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 11 games and 8 innings over the last 30 days. His overall numbers are pretty solid, so I’m a bit surprised his percentage isn’t higher.
Estevez hasn’t been great this season for the Angels, posting a 5.06 ERA and three losses. Over the past month, he’s 0-3 with a 7.00 ERA, spanning nine innings and nine games. Estevez has only struck out 10 batters in that span, good for a career high of 47%. He’s a fantasy option in deeper leagues, but one to avoid in standard leagues until he proves himself a better, more reliable closer.
Iglesias is owned in 96% of leagues and has very good numbers overall with a 2.33 ERA and 12 saves. However, his strikeout rate is down at 6.5 per nine innings. Iglesias has been pretty consistent with a 2.45 ERA despite two failed saves in the last 30 days. Fantasy team owners would like to see an increase in strikeouts, but he is at least closing out games and earning saves.
MacArthur is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA over the past 30 days, pitching 10 innings in nine games. This season he is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 11 saves. He wasn’t a closer to start the season, but now has a 62% ownership rating. While there are better options out there, he’s having a pretty good season and could be a contributing player for your fantasy team in any league type.
#2024-Fantasy-Baseball
