If there’s a best hitter, there’s a worst hitter.
The Disappointment Slugger awards, which recognize the worst hitter at each position in Major League Baseball, are back for another year.
In the hopes that this award will one day join the Silver Slugger as the league’s two most prestigious individual batting awards, here are this year’s winners.
Players with 300 or more plate appearances are eligible for the award. OPS is based on slugging percentage and on-base percentage combined. If a player played more than one position, the award is based on his primary position.굿모닝토토
Unlike the Silver Slugger, which added a utility category, the Disappointment Slugger will remain a position-specific award. That way, we wouldn’t kill a player twice.
But don’t feel too bad about it, because 300+ at-bats in the major leagues is a pretty good indication of a proven hitter. I don’t have a fancy trophy, but if you come to see me, I won’t leave you empty-handed.
That was a long introduction. Let’s get to the winners.
Catcher: Nick Fortes (Miami), Christian Vazquez (Minnesota)
Miami catcher Nick Fortes got the most opportunities since his rookie year, playing in 108 games in 2023. At the plate, he didn’t have a great showing. He only managed a .562 OPS. You don’t expect much from a catcher’s bat, but his hitting was a bit disappointing.
Vazquez played for the Minnesota Twins this season, posting a .598 OPS. He’s not a bad catcher, with a career OPS of 0.684, but he’s been disappointing at the plate this season. This is especially true considering his performance last year (0.714).
First baseman: Yuli Gurriel (Miami) Nick Prato (Kansas City)
Gurriel was given ample opportunity in Miami, with 329 at-bats in 108 games, but his .663 OPS didn’t live up to expectations. After posting an OPS of 0.846 in 2021, he was stuck in the low sixes for the second straight year.
Prato, a former first-round pick in the 2017 draft, played in 95 games this season and posted a 0.660 OPS. He was a highly touted prospect who was selected to play in the 2021 Futures Game, but has yet to blossom. He won the first base award because he played the most positions at first base.
Second baseman: Bryce Toure (Milwaukee), Tony Kemp (Oakland)
Toure, a former first-round pick in the 2018 draft, finally made his big league debut after a long wait. While his defense was solid, his bat left something to be desired. In 137 games, he only managed a .585 OPS. The only saving grace was his 26 stolen bases.
Veteran left fielder and second baseman Tony Kemp is no stranger to hitting, with a career OPS of 0.677, but this season has been unusually bad. In 124 games, he has a .607 OPS, his lowest since 2017.
Shortstop: Joey Wendle (Miami), Nick Allen (Oakland)
Veteran infielder Wendle has had some good years, even making an All-Star team once, but he struggled at the plate this season. In 112 games, he only managed a .554 OPS. His adjusted OPS (OPS+) was just 50.
Allen played shortstop for Oakland in 2023, a season that will be remembered as one of the worst in major league history. In 106 games, he posted an OPS of just .550, making him a part of the worst team in history.
Third baseman: Gene Segura (Miami), Jace Peterson (Oakland/Arizona).
After moving to Miami, Segura had his worst offensive season in 2023, posting a .556 OPS in 85 games. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and released shortly thereafter. Becoming a salary dump trade target.
Peterson was traded to Arizona, where he helped the team reach the World Series, but the journey was a bleak one. He finished the season with a dismal 0.611 OPS. Because he spent more time with Oakland, an American League team, he is categorized as an American League honoree.
Outfielders: Brenton Doyle (Colorado) Bae Ji-Hwan (Pittsburgh) Alex Cole (Washington) Oswaldo Cabrera (Yankees) Miles Straw (Cleveland) Gavin Scherzer (White Sox)
Doyle was recognized for his defense this season, winning the National League Gold Glove for center field, but he struggled at the plate, posting just a .593 OPS. Bae Ji-Hwan was one of the most explosive players in the game, but his .608 OPS was a disappointment among outfielders (nothing personal, trust me). Cole got his chance as Washington’s starting center fielder, but his OPS of .614 at the plate was disappointing.
Cabrera, a “super utility” in his second year in the big leagues, experienced the “sophomore jinx” in full force, posting a .574 OPS. Straw, a former Gold Glove outfielder, was unable to break into the top five this year after posting a 0.597 OPS last year. Schutz, a third-year outfielder, posted a .599 OPS, his worst since his rookie year.
Designated hitter: Kris Bryant (Colorado) Miguel Cabrera (Detroit).
Bryant, in the second year of a seven-year, $182 million contract with Colorado, had just 335 at-bats in 80 games. That’s still more than last season (160 at-bats in 42 games). The results were disappointing. He posted an OPS of just .680. Even though he spent more time in the outfield than as a designated hitter, there’s no worthy candidate for the National League’s designated hitter award, so we’re going to give him the honor.
Cabrera said goodbye to the field after this season. His 0.675 OPS was better than last season’s (.622), but still not good enough for an American League designated hitter. I hope he gets a retirement present.
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