Three hitters looking to bounce back in 2023
2022 was a down season offensively across the league, with the MLB posting a collective .243 batting average. The worst season output since 1968 and tied for the fifth worst in the history of the sport dating back to 1871.
There were plenty of All-Star caliber players who struggled in 2022, but these three are primed to regain their form in 2023.
Ketel Marte
Marte has been one of the most consistent hitters in the MLB since joining the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017, Posting a .295/.358/.495 slash line over his first five seasons in the desert.
His best season came in 2019 when he would make the National League All-Star team, batting .329 with 32 home runs and 92 RBIs.
In 2022 Marte struggled with a .240/.321/.407 slash line. It wasn't a total letdown for Marte though as he set a career-high with 42 doubles and 55 walks.
The Diamondbacks have an underrated offense, with tons of young talent infused throughout the lineup. The team is banking on Marte regaining his All-Star form as a major key to pushing for a playoff spot in 2023.
Nick Castellanos
Since debuting with the Detroit Tigers in 2013, Castellanos has done nothing but hit.
In 2019 he spent the season with both the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs. He would have 58 combined doubles for the two teams, good enough for seventh all-time in the record books.
2021 saw Castellanos make his first All-Star team after eight years in the major league. Putting up a .309 average with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs for the Cincinnati Reds.
But in his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies, Castellanos struggled with a .263/.305/.389 slash line, he also posted his lowest home run total since his rookie year hitting only 13.
Castellanos will look to bounce back and pick up some of the slack early in the year with Bryce Harper expected to miss the first few months of the 2023 season.
Jonathan India
India broke onto the scene winning the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year with the Reds. In 2022 he dealt with nagging injuries and had a disappointment of a season.
Slashing .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs in his rookie campaign. India struggled in 2022 posting a .249/.327/.378 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs.
Not only did his offense take a hit, but his defense also took a huge hit. India wasn't a Gold Glove candidate but he was a very capable defender during his rookie year. He ranked as one of the worst at his position in 2022.
India is thought to be one of the franchise cornerstones, so 2023 will prove to be a big season for him as he looks to be a bright spot on a rebuilding team.
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