The biggest disappointments through the first quarter of the 2022 MLB season

Baddoo had an excellent rookie campaign in 2021, particularly in the second half. Despite that momentum, he hit only .140 in 55 plate appearances for the Tigers before getting demoted to Triple-A.

Baez surprised when he signed a $140 million contract with the Tigers in the offseason, and the early returns aren’t great. He’s slashed just .205/.244/.308 to open the season and has also missed time to injury.

Barnes has been ineffective since he signed a contract extension with the Red Sox last season. That’s particularly been the case this season, as he carries a 7.11 ERA in 15 appearances while mostly pitching in middle relief.

There were high hopes for Berrios as Toronto’s ace, but he’s broken out of the gate slowly. He has a 4.83 ERA through eight starts, struggling to miss bats with only 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

A strong middle-of-the-rotation starter before this season, Civale has basically served up batting practice in the first quarter of the season. He has a 7.84 ERA through seven starts.

Crawford earned a contract extension after remaking his swing last year. The results haven’t carried over to 2022, as he’s hitting only .223-3-16 in 36 games.

We’ve been waiting for the time when Cruz would finally slow, and at age 41, it might have finally arrived. He’s hitting below .200 through 154 plate appearances, struggling in the middle of the Nats lineup.

The all-or-nothing Gallo has seen more of the latter this season. While he does have five home runs, Gallo also has 45 strikeouts in 119 plate appearances, resulting in a .176 batting average.

Gray signed a long-term contract with the Rangers in free agency, but his early Texas career has been a disappointment between poor pitching and two IL stints. The former Rockies starter has a 5.73 ERA thus far.

Hernandez was terrific in his first season with Boston, but he hasn’t been able to match his high standard. He’s hit only .188-1-16 through 36 games played.

The reigning NL Rookie of the Year has barely played in his sophomore season due to leg injuries. He’s appeared in only 11 games and is set to miss a significant part of the season for the struggling Reds.

Kelenic hit only .181 in the majors last season, but a strong September led to optimism he turned a corner. That turned out not to be the case, as Kelenic hit only .140-3-10 in 30 games before getting demoted to Triple-A.

An elite contact hitter, Madrigal has struck out more than usual and hit only .203 before going on the IL with a back injury. His playing time could be in flux when he does return with Andrelton Simmons and Jonathan Villar likely to pickup playing time.

Mahle was expected to be Cincinnati’s ace after posting a 3.75 ERA in 33 starts last season. Unfortunately, his control has left him this year, resulting in a 5.23 ERA over his first nine starts.

Merrifield has been a constant for the Royals lineup since his promotion in 2016, but the bat has yet to deliver this year. He’s hitting only .206-2-17 through 38 games played.

The bad luck for Mondesi continues, after suffering a torn ACL that will keep him out for the remainder of the 2022 season. He’s shown star potential when on the field with elite speed and defense but hasn’t been able to stay on the field.

Morton’s 2021 season concluded with a fractured leg suffered in the playoffs, and that might explain what he’s started slowly. He’s struggled to harness his elite curveball, posting a 4.95 ERA in eight starts.

Returning from a torn elbow ligament, Muncy’s bat has been quiet early in the season. He’s hitting only .167-3-13 in 36 games, though Muncy’s high walk rate has boosted his on-base percentage to .340.

O’Neill was seeing great results last season in spite of a high strikeout rate, but that hasn’t continued into 2022. He hit only .195-2-20 in 133 plate appearances before going on the injured list with a shoulder injury.

Perez led the AL with 48 home runs and 121 RBI, but it’s been a struggle this year. He hit .206-6-16 before going on the IL with a sprained thumb.

Reynolds was an All-Star last year, though his production has been quiet this year. He’s hitting only .223-4-7 in 35 games.

The early returns haven’t been great after Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with Texas in the offseason. After winning a Silver Slugger last year, Semien is hitting .178-0-9 in 37 games.

Trivino spent much of 2021 as the A’s closer but has struggled in a lower leverage role for much of this year. He has a 7.27 ERA in 12 appearances, also missing time to illness.

Votto’s struggles are one of the clearest signs of Cincinnati’s downfall in 2022.  The superstar began the season hitting .128-0-3 in 23 games before going on the IL due to COVID-19.

An ace for much of his career in Milwaukee, Woodruff is starting the year slowly. He has a 5.35 ERA in seven starts, though his 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings indicate Woodruff should bounce back soon.