9. Avisail Garcia
2016: 79 PA, .214/.291/.400, 92 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR
You’d think that a 24-year old couldn’t possibly have done enough in the Major Leagues to warrant a spot on this list, but all Avisail Garcia has done since his debut in 2012 is put up negative value. His nickname of ‘Mini-Miggy’ hasn’t proved prophetic, and it’s amazing that he is still getting regular at-bats in the bigs.
Garcia now has 1177 plate appearances in an MLB line up, and has been worth -1.8 WAR over that time. His defense has been amazingly bad in the outfield, and he’s now been moved to the designated hitter position almost full-time. The problem is, DHs are usually strong hitters, while Garcia is not. He has hit exactly league average once, and has overall been a 90 wRC+ hitter for his career, while DHs have averaged 111 wRC+ over the same timeframe.
When Adam LaRoche surprisingly retired to start the year, the White Sox installed Garcia into the vacated position. He still hasn’t responded, striking out more than a quarter of his at bats this season. His power has improved, and his youth and potential keeps him from ranking higher on this list. But right now Garcia is a terrible major league player, and there are a ton of players who could out perform him at the DH position either in the minors or on the bench on other teams.
Next: Number 8