Several players around MLB struggled at various points throughout the 2016 season. Here’s a look at which players will rebound and return to form in 2017.
Major League Baseball players typically go through several ups and downs in their careers, and it’s largely hard to determine how well a player will perform in any given season. Whether an injury continues to linger, or a player’s mentality changed, MLB’s star players tend to struggle.
This past season saw nearly everything go right for the Chicago Cubs, but other teams weren’t as fortunate. The Houston Astros looked poised to ride a breakthrough 2015 season to the division title in 2016, but reigning AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel struggled to lead a young pitching staff.
Similarly, the Kansas City Royals couldn’t find consistency on any part of the field, and Edinson Volquez couldn’t sustain a high level on the mound to give the team a chance of winning every five days.
Last offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Corey Dickerson from the Colorado Rockies in hopes of securing their outfield with a potent bat to set in the middle of the order. Instead, Dickerson failed to do anything noteworthy at the plate for much of the first half of the season.
But baseball is about adaptation, and the game’s best players always find ways to adjust to new environments and conditions. Changing teams often provides a newfound sense of hope, but some players take a season or two to get acclimated to their new home. For Keuchel, Volquez and Dickerson, finding consistency next season will be key to rebounding from rough 2016 seasons. Like most solid players in the league, they have the tools to come back strong in 2017.