On Opening Day in Major League Baseball, everything is brand new. All teams start the season with a 0-0 record, and players look to put their training from the winter and spring into good use.
Despite that, sometimes a player’s season does not go as they or the fans hoped it would. Such enormous expectations can be challenging, especially when playing with a large contract.
Here are five international MLB players who underperformed during the 2024 regular season.
2024 Statistics: (154 G, .224/.284/.400, .684 OPS, 25 HR)
Following a 127 OPS+ 2023 season in which García won ALCS MVP honors with the Rangers, the slugger still managed to crush 25 home runs but dropped his OPS+ to 94.
García struck out in nearly 28 percent of his at-bats in 2024, well above the MLB average of 22.7 percent. The 31-year-old still hits the ball hard but did not make consistent contact in 2024. His 34.3 percent chase rate ranked in the 5th percentile in MLB, a number he will need to improve upon to help the Rangers return to the postseason in 2025.
Consistency at the plate will be essential for the slugger from Cuba next season.
2024 Statistics: (98 G, .232/.270/.316, .586 OPS, 6 HR)
Jiménez seemed to be a budding star the Chicago White Sox could build upon after he hit 31 home runs in 2019, but injuries have derailed his career.
2024 was the same story for Jiménez, who was dealt to the Orioles from the White Sox at the end of July. The righty landed on the injured list twice this year and played in 98 games, 22 less than in 2023.
Jiménez is practically unplayable in the outfield due to his poor range and sprint speed when on the field. He figures to be a designated hitter for the rest of his career and was not on the Orioles’ roster for their Wild Card Series with the Kansas City Royals.
2024 Stats: (20 G, 4-8, 4.95 ERA, 4.68 FIP)
After news broke that Sandy Alcantara would need Tommy John Surgery and miss the 2024 season, many expected Cabrera to step up and be the No. 1 option in the rotation for the Marlins.
Instead, Cabrera posted the second-worst ERA of his career and walked 4.7 batters per nine innings, ranking 43rd worst amongst qualified pitchers in MLB this season with 50 total walks. Cabrera averages 97 mph on his fastball, but he must pinpoint how to gain more command.
Cabrera’s 4-8 record in 2024 was not entirely his fault, as the Marlins finished 27th in MLB with 637 runs scored, but the righty reached the sixth inning or later in only seven of his 20 starts this season.
2024 Statistics: (154 G, .219/.332/.388, .720 OPS, 20 HR)
Arozarena turned his season around after the Tampa Bay Rays traded him to the Mariners near the end of July, but his hitting numbers were still down compared to his career statistics.
Arozarena’s .219 batting average was the worst of his career while lowering his hard-hit percentage from 48.4 in 2023 to 43.6 in 2024. The Mariners planned to use his speed and power in the postseason, but they did not qualify.
The 29-year-old from Cuba seemed to be the game’s next superstar after his incredible performance in the 2020 postseason. Still, his declining bat speed and increasing strikeout percentage are worrisome as he heads into his early thirties.
2024 Statistics: (154 G, .257/.330/.378, .709 OPS, 15 HR)
Torres, an impending free agent, had his worst offensive season since 2021, when he posted an OPS+ below 100 for the first time in his career.
Now almost 28 years old, Torres’ defense should be his primary improvement to his game. He finished sixth in MLB with 20 errors, nine behind Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds. Many in the media question Torres’ hustle, or lack thereof, and his baseball IQ. Torres made questionable baserunning mistakes several times in 2024, another aspect of his game he will need to improve.
Torres turned a corner after manager Aaron Boone switched him to leadoff in the batting order in August, so perhaps he’s raised his free-agent stock ever so slightly.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees in action against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
