There are some players expected to have big years who are off to terrible starts in MLB this season. Obviously, there is plenty of time for each to turn it around, but for now, these 10 players have been huge disappointments.
10. OF Lorenzo Cain - Kansas City Royals
Getty ImagesStats Through April 11: .190 batting average, 1 HR, 1 RBI. Cain emerged as an MVP candidate last season, but this year has been rough for him so far. Outside of one solo home run, he has essentially done nothing for the Royals. He's such a talented player, though, he's bound to break out of his funk sooner rather than later.
9. OF Byron Buxton - Minnesota Twins
Getty Images
Stats Through April 11: .182 batting average, 0 HR, 1 RBI. Buxton is supposed to be one of baseball's rising stars, but he has failed to meet expectations at the major league level so far. He hasn't stayed healthy enough to sustain success and he's off to a slow start this year. If he doesn't turn it around by the All-Star Break, the word "bust" is going to start getting tossed around.
8. OF Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels
Getty ImagesStats Through April 11: .217 batting average, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Trout might just be the best hitter on the planet, but he hasn't shown it so far this season. His Angels are in serious trouble, especially with him struggling. Since he's so good, don't expect his funk to last for long; he will be back to his MVP ways in no time.
7. OF Charlie Blackmon - Colorado Rockies
Getty ImagesStats Through April 11: .111 batting average, 0 HR, 3 RBI. Blackmon is a key piece for the Rockies and without his bat, they stand no chance of surprising anyone this season. At this point in the year, he hasn't been able to buy a hit, batting for no power and very little average. The season is young, though, so he has plenty of time to turn it around.
6. OF Ian Desmond - Texas Rangers
Joe Camporeale, USA Today SportsStats Through April 11: .129 batting average, 0 HR, 0 RBI. So far, the Rangers' experiment in moving Desmond to the outfield has been a miserable failure. Luckily for them, there is plenty of time for him to turn things around. In a tough division, though, they need him to turn things around sooner rather than later.
5. 1B Freddie Freeman - Atlanta Braves
Brett Davis, USA Today SportsStats Through April 11: .111 batting average, 1 HR, 2 RBI. Freeman is a key piece for the Braves and his struggles have directly affected Atlanta as they've gotten off to a horribly slow start. The infielder could potentially be traded, so the Braves better hope he ups his value before that point, if it comes to it.
4. DH Albert Pujols - Los Angeles Angels
Kelvin Kuo, USA Today SportsStats Through April 11: .148 batting average, 0 HR, 3 RBI. Pujols is one of the best hitters of his generation and he's coming off his best power year in Los Angeles, but he's limped out of the gate thus far. He is hitting for no power and is striking out a lot. That's a recipe for disaster in L.A. where they need everything they can get out of Pujols if they want to compete in the American League.
3. OF Jayson Werth - Washington Nationals
Jake Roth, USA Today SportsStats Through April 11: .063 batting average, 0 HR, 1 RBI. Werth missed much of last season and that really hurt the Nationals. Without him producing at a high level, they can't hold off the Mets in the division. He certainly hasn't gotten off to the best start, but he has time to start producing. Washington better hope he starts producing quickly.
2. SS Troy Tulowitzki - Toronto Blue Jays
Getty ImagesStats Through April 11: .120 batting average, 1 HR, 3 RBI. Tulo blasted the first home run of the major league season, but has done almost nothing since then. Luckily for the Blue Jays, they have plenty of other power hitters to pick up the slack for now. If he has a down year all season, though, Toronto could struggle in a competitive AL East.
1. OF Curtis Granderson - New York Mets
Ron Chenoy, USA Today SportsStats Through April 11: .042 batting average, 0 HR, 0 RBI. Granderson is off to a worse start than anyone else in MLB. Essentially, he has done nothing through the first week of the season and that's part of the reason the Mets are treading water. New York has a very average lineup, so it need its table setter to start actually setting the table sometime soon.
