MLB's five most disappointing players: Sandy Alcantara, Oneil Cruz, others fall short

In 2025, some MLB players soared while others struggled through forgettable seasons. Here are five players who fell short of expectations and ranked among the year’s biggest disappointments:

RHP Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins

Once the ace of the rotation, the 30-year-old was awful in 2025. A two-time All-Star and the 2022 NL Cy Young winner, Alcantara finished with the third-worst ERA in the majors at 5.36 — a career worst. (He also posted a WHIP of 1.27, his highest since 2019.) Of his 33 starts, only 12 qualified as quality outings.

On Friday, Alcantara (11-12) reflected on a terrible season.

“I'm a strong man,” he said, per MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. “The way that I started the season, I saw a lot of negative things in the media and everywhere, but [that] didn’t stop me from keep doing what I was doing. Everything feels great. Today was my last game, but next year it's going to be completely different.”

CF Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates

Cruz’s season was a stark reminder that raw talent doesn’t always translate into production. Despite boasting the highest average exit velocity and fastest bat speed in MLB, the Pirates center fielder delivered some of the league’s worst numbers. 

His .200 batting average ranked last among all qualified hitters, and his 32% strikeout rate tied for the third highest in the majors, highlighting his ongoing struggle to make consistent contact. 

Defensively, the issues continued, as Cruz led all outfielders with 11 errors — compounding an already frustrating season.

RHP Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks

With Corbin Burnes getting season-ending Tommy John surgery in June, Gallen was thrust back into the role of ace for the Diamondbacks — but the results were far from ace-like. 

After placing fifth and third in NL Cy Young voting in 2022 and 2023 and earning an All-Star selection in 2023, Gallen unraveled. He had a career-worst 4.83 ERA and saw his win-loss record slide to 13-15 — a sharp decline from the 33-19 mark he compiled over the previous three seasons.

C Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles

Once the No. 2 prospect in baseball and a back-to-back All-Star in 2023 and 2024, Rutschman was expected to be a main anchor for the Orioles. But injuries and inconsistency defined his 2025 season.

Two separate oblique injuries limited him to just 90 games, during which he slashed just .220/.307/.366 with nine home runs and 29 RBI. It was quite a fall for the 2023 Silver Slugger winner.

SS Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees

Volpe’s early slump turned into a season-long spiral. The shortstop posted the lowest batting average in the American League (.212), second lowest in MLB, and his .272 on-base percentage was the third worst in the majors. 

Defensively, Volpe tied for the fifth-most errors with 18, further compounding his struggles.