Now that the World Baseball Classic is all wrapped up, it’s finally time to shift our focus to Major League Baseball. The 2023 MLB season will have some very entertaining storylines. From Aaron Judge to Shohei Ohtani, there is certainly no shortage of talent to be displayed. However, there are some players facing swing seasons, which could foreshadow the rest of their careers.
Here are the top 5 MLB players facing make or break seasons.
5. Nick Castellanos
Castellanos had, quite frankly, an awful season in 2022. The Philadelphia Phillies right fielder barely broke double digits in home runs, while posting a cool sub .700 OPS. The Phillies rewarded Castellanos with a lucrative contract a year ago in free agency, however the right fielder has yet to live up to expectations. This season will have a lot of people closely watching his performance.
4. José Berríos
Berríos arguably could be higher on this list but, for now, he’s number four. The Toronto Blue Jays starter was dealt over north of the border a couple years back from the Minnesota Twins. In his first season, he posted an ERA just over 3. In 2022, his ERA jumped to 5.23. If the Blue Jays want to fulfill their hefty expectations of taking down the Yankees and winning the American League East, Berríos will have to have a much better showing than he did a year ago.
3. Kris Bryant
The Colorado Rockies shocked the baseball world when they signed Kris Bryant in free agency. The Rockies were thought to be in a rebuild, and this move certainly came by a surprise. Ever since being in Colorado, Bryant has been plagued by injuries, impacting his performance. Last season’s 160 at-bats isn’t going to cut it for Bryant in 2023.
2. Ronald Acuña Jr.
Yes, I know, this may be surprising for some folks reading this. However, Ronald Acuña Jr. had a very subpar season in 2022 for his standards. Of course, injuries played a big part in that. If the Braves superstar wants to help his team go back to the Fall Classic, then he will need to post better numbers than a .764 OPS with 15 home runs.
1. Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger inked a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs during the offseason. This contract fits the title of this article, a “prove it” type deal. Bellinger is only a few years removed from his 2019 MVP campaign. The new Chicago outfielder posted a .210 batting average with .265 OBP in 2022. If Bellinger wants to earn that big pay day, then those numbers will need to significantly improve in 2023.
From players on big contracts to a former MVP, these five players face a huge swing season that could make or break their MLB careers.