Every MLB season, there are usually multiple players who have a rough year. Both hitters and pitchers should know what it’s like to be in a slump. These slumps can last for just a few games, or can even be seen in different parts of a full season or even longer. Other players miss an entire season because of injury.
Here are five MLB players on American League teams that can have a bounce-back season in 2020.
Chris Davis has one of the largest contracts in baseball, and some of the worst stats among first basemen over the past two seasons. In 2019, he finished with a slash line of .168/.243/.296. That is not what the Orioles had in mind when they gave him such a large contract. However, Davis did hit with a line of .286/.370/.634 with 53 homers and 138 RBIs back in 2013. He may not get back to that caliber this season, but noticeable improvement is not out of the question for him.
Jose Ramirez (Image from Flipboard)
After winning a Silver Slugger and finishing third for AL MVP in 2017 and 2018, things didn’t go the same way for Jose Ramirez in 2019. Last season he slashed .255/.327/.479. He started the season very slowly, as his line before the All-Star break was .218/.308/.344. Ramirez will be just 27-years-old heading into the 2020 season, which will be his eighth in the MLB, so he should have plenty of time to bounce back.
The other Khris Davis (this time with a K) has made this list as well. After hitting over 40 homers each season from 2016-through-2018, he hit just 23 last season. The 73 RBIs he had in 2019 are also his lowest since 2015. He played 123 games as DH last season, so he can likely focus more on hitting in spring training to get him back on track.
For Miguel Andujar, 2020 could be more of a comeback season as opposed to a bounce-back year since he only played 12 games in 2019. His only season with more than 12 games was in 2018 when he played in 149 of them. That year, he hit 27 home runs and 47 doubles and finished as runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year behind Shohei Ohtani. Andujar’s slash line that season was .297/.328/.527.
Salvador Perez (Image from ESPN)
Similar to Andujar, Salvador Perez is also coming back from an injury. He missed all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery. Prior to that, he made six consecutive All-Star games and won five Gold Glove awards along with two Silver Slugger awards. In his first eight big league seasons, Perez has 141 homers and 503 RBIs. He can certainly continue to provide the Royals with both offense and defense in 2020.
Feature Image Courtesy of PressBox.
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