MLB: 5 Players Due to Bounce Back in the Second Half

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Several of MLB’s biggest stars have struggled throughout the first half of the 2016 season, but some have shown signs that they’ll break out sooner rather than later. Here’s a look at five players poised to heat up after the All-Star break.

While it’s not uncommon for MLB players to struggle in the first month or two of the season, it becomes a genuine concern for teams when they can’t figure things out heading into May, let alone June. But when cold streaks reach July, it’s usually time to sound the alarm and trade for a veteran capable of platooning.

However, the league’s best players typically find ways to break out of slumps – no matter how long they last. It’s one thing for a developing player like Joc Pederson to struggle, but it’s an entirely different beast when Giancarlo Stanton is only hitting in the .230s in July.

Whether it be due to injury, a slight change in approach or just bad luck – players across the league always endure some type of slump.

While this season has seen a power surge around the league and the ascent of many of the league’s young stars, some veterans have been left in the dust. From David Price‘s inconsistent first half to Stanton’s inability to make consistent contact, there’s been no shortage of storylines to follow.

As always in baseball, players find ways to break out of slumps and turn their seasons around to finish with their usual stat lines, while propelling their teams to playoff runs. Here are five players poised to breakout in the second half of the season.

Next: Mired in Miami

Giancarlo Stanton

What’s most interesting about Stanton’s struggles in the first half of the season is the success of the team around him. Whereas his production was the sole factor leading the Miami Marlins to victories in the past, this season has seen the opposite.

Stanton is hitting a dull .233 with a 33.2 strikeout percentage, but has a solid .814 OPS and 20 home runs. A recent power surge of five homers in his last seven games has suddenly flipped the narrative on his season, but his struggles before then were undeniable.

After a solid start in March and April where he hit .253 with eight homers, Stanton’s production plummeted in May as he hit just .171 with only four homers. Four home runs in a month would be disappointing for a modest power hitter like Brandon Belt, and it’s a shock for someone like Stanton.

June was more of the same in the contact department, and even worse for his power. The 26-year-old only managed three homers in all of June. For comparison, Stanton hit 12 in June last year.

While his power production was a concern, his contact has been his true downfall this season. Stanton has always struck out more than the average hitter, but that’s to be expected with any power hitter. This season, though, he’s striking out more than his rookie season and walking less than season’s past.

In his last 15 games, however, he’s above .280 while making much more consistent contact – which is in turn generating more power. If Stanton can keep up his recent production, he’ll regain his star status rather quickly.

Next: The Price Is Right

David Price

While it’s easy to say David Price is a prime bounce-back candidate after his dominant start against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 10, his play before that is also indicative of a pitcher ready to live up to his contract.

Not many expected Price would have a 4.34 ERA entering the All-Star break, but his other stats represent the potential to dominate down the stretch. Price owns a 3.42 FIP this season – which, while not as good as his previous numbers, suggest that he’ll improve as time goes.

His 10.13 K/9 is also a career-best, and are showing his marked improvement in terms of striking out batters. Where Price has struggled is with allowing home runs. A 15.5 HR/FB rate and 1.24 HR/9 are career-worst numbers, and easily show why he’s been inconsistent this season.

A .325 opponent BABIP also plays into his inflated stats, but isn’t nearly high enough to be a season long issue. Along with his increased strikeouts, Price is also generating more groundballs than the past two seasons.

If that trend continues, Price will have a much easier second half in terms of limiting home runs.

Price’s dip in velocity also could be a factor with his struggles, as his average fastball velocity is down to 92.7 mph from 94.0 last season. But 92.7 is far from a number to be concerned about, and Price will continue to work around his decreased velocity to become a more effective all-around pitcher.

After three starts in June in which he went at least eight innings and another early in July, Price’s workhorse mentality is paying off – and will likely go a long way as he looks to vault the Red Sox back up to the top of the AL East.

Next: Heating Up in Canada

Russell Martin

After a solid – yet unspectacular – first season with the Toronto Blue Jays, Russell Martin was arguably the worst catcher in the game to start the season. The 33-year-old couldn’t make consistent contact and struggled defensively behind the plate.

But Martin turned a corner in June and has found his stroke in July to help reestablish himself as a viable catcher in the American League. Martin is now hitting .228/.314/.341 this season, which looks bad, but is a marked improvement from where he was before June.

In June, Martin hit a modest .262 with 15 RBI, and is on pace to shatter those numbers in July. Through eight games this month, Martin is hitting above .290 with one homer and already seven runs driven in. His improvements are due in large part to his improved plate discipline.

Early in the season, Martin was striking out over 30 percent of the time – but has since lowered that number to 29.6 percent. That number is still rather disappointing considering he only struck out 20.9 percent of the time last season, but is still better than where he was before June.

With just seven homers this season, it’s hard to see Martin topping the 23 he hit last year, but his improvements in the contact department will be enough to salvage his down year.

What’s most concerning about Martin’s season is his struggles while playing with a .308 BABIP. Last season, Martin’s BABIP was just .262, but he still managed to make consistent contact.

Although he’s improved and looks to be ready for a solid run down the stretch, Martin’s early season struggles will be something to keep an eye on as he approaches his 34th birthday.

Next: Slipping Trade Stock

Sonny Gray

Once the hottest name on the trade market early in the season, Sonny Gray‘s fall from grace has been swift and unjust. Playing for a struggling Oakland Athletics team doesn’t help Gray’s stock or performance, but could ultimately land him on a different team down the stretch.

After a lights out 2015 campaign in which he posted a 2.73 ERA with 7.31 K/9 and just 2.55 BB/9, Gray’s numbers have been nearly the complete opposite this season. While he was known for his ability to limit home runs and mix between strikeouts and grounders, Gray is allowing more home runs than ever this season.

His 1.19 HR/9 isn’t bad by standards across the league, but has been the main reason for his issues this season. Gray’s 5.16 ERA and 4.50 FIP don’t suggest better days are in store, but aside from a few recent blips, he’s been solid since June began.

In his last seven starts, Gray has a 4.01 ERA with 31 strikeouts and just 10 walks, while he’s also gone six straight starts with at least six innings pitched. In four of those starts, he gave up two runs or less.

Part of his struggles this season can be attributed to an opponent .311 BABIP, but the home runs are ultimately what have hurt him most.

Gray’s return to dominance may be slow and drawn out, but it’s clear he still has the ability to rebound and help regain some trade value as the A’s continue their rebuild.

Next: Struggles in Detroit

Justin Upton

Justin Upton‘s first season with the Detroit Tigers has been nothing short of painful to watch. His strikeouts are up, walks are down and power is decreased. But there’s still something intriguing about the former number one overall pick that keeps him a name worth watching.

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Upton’s numbers this season are a far cry from what he’s done in the past. He’s slashing .235/.289/.381 with just nine homers and 38 RBI. After signing a six-year, $132 million deal with the Tigers in the offseason to be a force in the middle of the order, it looks as if Detroit will need to have some patience.

After hitting around .220 through May, Upton slightly improved in June – as he hit .245 with five homers and 23 RBI. He also walked 11 times, which was just one less than the previous two months combined.

In July, he’s nearly completely returned to form as he’s hitting near .300 with one homer in nine games. However, he already has 13 strikeouts while only walking twice, proving his issues with plate discipline have yet to go away.

While Upton has been prone to strikeouts in the past, he’s never struck out in more than 30 percent of his at-bats. He’s on pace to do just that while walking less than 8 percent of the time this season.

At 28, it’s unlikely Upton will completely overhaul his swing unless his reaches a complete low. But with plenty of run protection in the Detroit lineup, it’s likely he’ll be able to keep up his production to this point in July if he can just start to limit his strikeouts.

Next: Should the Dodgers Trade Yasiel Puig?

It’ll be a long road back to prominence for Upton, but he’ll have time to turn things around if he takes the game just a bit slower.

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