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The most frustrating players from the 2019 MLB season
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The most frustrating players from the 2019 MLB season

The 2019 MLB season didn't go well for every player in MLB. These 25 players had particularly frustrating campaigns.

 
1 of 25

Chris Archer, SP, Pirates

Chris Archer, SP, Pirates
Jeff Curry / USA Today Sports Images

Pittsburgh had high hopes for Archer after trading Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows to acquire him from Tampa Bay last season. He was bad late last year and even worse this season with a 5.19 ERA in 23 starts. Just when Archer was starting to get right in August, he suffered a shoulder injury and has been shut down for the rest of the season.

 
2 of 25

Trevor Bauer, SP, Reds

Trevor Bauer, SP, Reds
Aaron Doster / USA Today Sports Images

After a breakout 2018 campaign in Cleveland, Bauer's control regressed early this season. His struggles caused him to throw a ball over the center field fence during his final start in Cleveland before he was traded across the state to Cincinnati. Since joining the Reds, Bauer has a 7.40 ERA in eight starts and is at risk of finishing with one of the worst ERAs of his career.

 
3 of 25

Andrew Benintendi, LF, Red Sox

Andrew Benintendi, LF, Red Sox
Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today Sports Images

Benintendi showed glimpses of stardom during his first two seasons, but his bat has regressed this year. He's hit only .269-13-68 with a .783 OPS over 130 games, especially disappointing with the way the ball has flown out of the park around MLB this season.

 
4 of 25

Byron Buxton, CF, Twins

Byron Buxton, CF, Twins
Steve Mitchell / USA Today Sports Images

Buxton was Baseball America's No. 1 overall prospect in 2014, but injuries continue to be a theme to his career. He had major shoulder surgery in September after playing only 87 games, hitting .262-10-46 with 14 stolen bases. Buxton's 2020 season could be disrupted following the surgery.

 
5 of 25

Lorenzo Cain, CF, Brewers

Lorenzo Cain, CF, Brewers
Steve Mitchell / USA Today Sports Images

Cain's first season in Milwaukee couldn't have gone much better, but it's been the reverse this year. He's hit only .251-9-44 with 17 steals in 138 games, as he's battled through a thumb injury.

 
6 of 25

Matt Carpenter, 3B, Cardinals

Matt Carpenter, 3B, Cardinals
Michael McLoone / USA Today Sports Images

Carpenter was streaky last year en route to hitting a career-high 36 home runs. The hot streak never arrived this year, as Carpenter has hit only .224-12-41 in 118 games. Next year is the start of a two-year, $39 million extension, so the Cardinals are hoping it was just a one-year bump in the road.

 
7 of 25

Carlos Correa, SS, Astros

Carlos Correa, SS, Astros
Thomas Shea / USA Today Sports Images

Injuries have plagued Correa for most of his career, and that's no different this season. He suffered broken ribs due to a massage, or so he claimed, and has been out recently with a back injury. He played 109 games in 2017, 110 games in 2018 and won't come close to those game totals this year.

 
8 of 25

David Dahl, CF, Rockies

David Dahl, CF, Rockies
Stan Szeto / USA Today Sports Images

Dahl has shown superstar ability when he's been on the field, but staying healthy remains a problem. He had two extended stays on the injured list this season, including an ankle injury that ended his year. His 100 games played is still a career high for his MLB career despite arriving to the big leagues in 2016.

 
9 of 25

Khris Davis, DH, Athletics

Khris Davis, DH, Athletics
Kevin Jairaj / USA Today Sports Images

Davis had established himself as one of the most consistent power hitters in the game prior to this season. A hip injury that he suffered in a rare opportunity to play the field early in the year has hindered him, and Davis has only 22 home runs in 125 games after averaging 44 homers over the last three seasons.

 
10 of 25

Edwin Diaz, RP, Mets

Edwin Diaz, RP, Mets
Wendell Cruz / USA Today Sports Images

The Mets traded a king's ransom to Seattle for Diaz and Robinson Cano in the offseason, but neither player has performed up to expectations. Diaz has been particularly disappointing, with a 5.83 ERA in 61 appearances after posting a 1.96 ERA and 57 saves last year.

 
11 of 25

Mike Foltynewicz, SP, Braves

Mike Foltynewicz, SP, Braves
Dan Hamilton / USA Today Sports Images

Elbow problems disrupted Foltynewicz's early season, and he's struggled to get on track. He was Atlanta's ace last year with a 2.85 ERA in 31 starts but has a 4.80 ERA in 19 starts with the Braves this year.

 
12 of 25

Kyle Freeland, SP, Rockies

Kyle Freeland, SP, Rockies
Ron Chenoy / USA Today Sports Images

Success for pitchers in Coors Field usually doesn't last for long, and Freeland is the latest example. After finishing last year fourth in the NL Cy Young voting with a 2.85 ERA in 33 starts, he has an ERA near 7.00 this year. He's almost missed time recently with a groin injury.

 
13 of 25

Kenley Jansen, RP, Dodgers

Kenley Jansen, RP, Dodgers
Robert Hanashiro / USA Today Sports Images

Jansen remains the Dodgers closer, but fans don't exactly seem comfortable with that arrangement going into the playoffs. He has the worst ERA of his career (3.57), mostly due to the long ball, and has blown seven saves.

 
14 of 25

Corey Kluber, SP, Indians

Corey Kluber, SP, Indians
Peter Aiken / USA Today Sports Images

Kluber has been durable during his career, but he suffered a freak arm fracture on a liner early in the year. He was set to return late in the season, but a strained oblique injury during his rehab assignment will ultimately limit Kluber to only 35.2 innings pitched in 2019.

 
15 of 25

Joe Musgrove, SP, Pirates

Joe Musgrove, SP, Pirates
Eric Hartline / USA Today Sports Images

Musgrove's 2018 season ended early due to injury, but his peripherals showed a pitcher on a cusp of a breakout season. Unfortunately he hasn't pitched up to expectations for Pittsburgh this year with a 4.52 ERA in 159.1 innings, though most of the strong control that he showed in the past is still intact.

 
16 of 25

Wil Myers, OF, Padres

Wil Myers, OF, Padres
Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today Sports Images

Myers is one of San Diego's biggest contracts, but he hasn't performed well since last year. He had only 11 home runs in 83 games last season and has hit just .244-18-53 with a .755 OPS in 146 games while trying to find his way in a crowded Padres outfield.

 
17 of 25

Jose Peraza, SS, Reds

Jose Peraza, SS, Reds
Michael McLoone / USA Today Sports Images

Peraza finally established himself as a solid regular last year but has seen his play drop off this year. Serving mostly as a utilityman late in the year, Peraza is hitting just .235 with a .623 OPS and was even demoted to Triple-A in the second half. Cincinnati's acquisition of Freddy Galvis indicates the team might not see Peraza as a regular next year.

 
18 of 25

Nick Pivetta, SP, Phillies

Nick Pivetta, SP, Phillies
Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports Images

Pivetta was a key factor in Philadelphia's 2019 pitching staff, so it's no coincidence it's been a disappointing year with Pivetta's struggles. He had a 4.77 ERA but fanned 10.3 batters per nine innings last year. This year Pivetta has a 5.52 ERA between starting and relief, and his strikeout rate has plummeted.

 
19 of 25

Rick Porcello, SP, Red Sox

Rick Porcello, SP, Red Sox
Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today Sports Images

Now in his fifth season with Boston, Porcello's 2016 season continues to look like a major outlier. He has a career-high 5.83 ERA in 29 starts, leading the AL in earned runs allowed as he enters free agency this offseason.

 
20 of 25

Jurickson Profar, 2B, Athletics

Jurickson Profar, 2B, Athletics
Stan Szeto / USA Today Sports Images

Formerly an elite prospect, Profar's career was disrupted by injuries. However, it looked like he finally put it all together last year hitting .255-20-77 as a utilityman in Texas. That convinced the A's to trade for Profar and install him as their starting second baseman, but he's hit only .210 while also having major issues defensively.

 
21 of 25

Jose Ramirez, 3B, Indians

Jose Ramirez, 3B, Indians
Wendell Cruz / USA Today Sports Images

Ramirez established himself as a superstar in Cleveland over the last two seasons, but 2019 was a forgettable year. He hurt his leg late in spring training and hit a pitiful .218-7-35 in the first half. Ramirez finally got his bat going after the break, hitting .327-13-40 in only 41 games before suffering a season-ending wrist injury.

 
22 of 25

Chris Sale, SP, Red Sox

Chris Sale, SP, Red Sox
David Richard / USA Today Sports Images

Despite missing significant time last year to a shoulder injury, Boston signed Sale to a lucrative contract extension this year. The immediate return hasn't been good, as Sale posted a career-worst 4.40 ERA in 25 starts and is missing the final stretch of the regular season with elbow trouble.

 
23 of 25

Travis Shaw, 3B, Brewers

Travis Shaw, 3B, Brewers
Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports Images

Shaw would like to turn the page on his 2019 season. After hitting 31 home runs in 2017 and 32 home runs last year, he's hit just .155-7-15 in 256 plate appearances and is seeing multiple demotions to the minors.

 
24 of 25

Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Yankees

Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Yankees
Noah K. Murray / USA Today Sports Images

Stanton has played only nine games this season due to a variety of injuries and setbacks. One of the premier power hitters in the game, he has only one home run going into mid-September, though the Yankees hope to have him back for late September and the playoffs.

 
25 of 25

Joey Votto, 1B, Reds

Joey Votto, 1B, Reds
Jeff Curry / USA Today Sports Images

Age is finally starting to show for Votto, now at 35. After leading the NL in on-base percentage over the last three seasons, Votto has a career-worst .359 OBP and has hit just .269-15-47 in 133 games. He earned $25 million this season and is set to earn the same salary over the next four years, so the decline isn't great news for the Reds.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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