Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A week into the MLB season, struggling stars are already taking the blame for their team's slow starts.
- Phillies fans are turning up the heat on Bryce Harper and Bo Bichette hasn't endeared himself to Mets fans either.
- If these big bats can't turn things around soon their teams could end up in deep holes.
With the continued growth of social media and the widespread embracing of legalized sports gambling, it’s arguably never been a worse time to be a professional athlete.
We’re only seven days into the new MLB season, and our X and Instagram timelines are just as harsh as one would expect — and even then, that’s being generous. From New York Mets fans ripping new third baseman Bo Bichette to growing concerns about Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies, there’s certainly no shortage of anger brewing across the baseball world.
Although superstars like Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani are getting a pass for slow starts, others aren’t so lucky. Before we go any further, I want to make it clear that this isn’t a comprehensive list of the worst statistics from baseball’s opening week. Instead, we’re analyzing the MLB figures who social media has taken to task in recent days, and understandably so.
CB Bucknor had an Opening Week to forget (no surprise there)
Watching Bucknor is a perfect example of why Major League Baseball made the correct call in adding the ABS challenge system. The Reds and Red Sox went 6-for-8 in challenges against Bucknor last Saturday in a performance that quickly went viral. Bucknor is already the face of the ABS challenge system, and that’s not a good thing.
Bucknor should be forever grateful that a true Wins Above Replacement stat doesn’t exist for umpires. Otherwise, I’d have to think he’d easily rank among the worst five umps, if not higher — and, no, that’s not some twisted, backhanded compliment.
Things got worse on Wednesday, when Bucknor left the Rays–Brewers game after taking a second-inning foul tip to the face mask. As of Thursday morning, there were no updates on whether Bucknor will return to his crew this weekend or if he’ll need some time off.
Mets fans are livid with Bo Bichette and Richard Lovelady
Wow, New York sports fans having limited patience through their team’s first six games. Shocking.
In fairness to Mets fans, the team went 1-for-29 with runners in scoring position during their three-game set against the Cardinals. Somehow, the Mets finished 0-for-11 in Wednesday’s 2–1, 11-inning loss. That should not be possible, not even during the Dead Ball Era.
Bichette has been dreadful, and his -0.6 bWAR is the worst of any hitter leaguewide. There are slow starts, and then there’s Bichette’s ongoing nightmare. Meanwhile, Lovelady has already become a favorite of embattled manager Carlos Mendoza, and he’s rewarded the Mets by allowing four runs (two earned) and three walks in four innings. Great job all around.
Tony Vitello and the Giants are in big trouble
To their credit, the Giants just took two of three from the Padres. However, Rafael Devers has just a .593 OPS, and Matt Chapman isn’t much better at .598 through six games. In fact, six of the Giants’ nine starting hitters are hitting below .200.
We also can’t forget about Vitello’s disastrous first series, and not solely because the Giants managed just one run in 27 innings against the Yankees. Knowing how baseball works, this is either setting the stage for a 90-loss season or a second-half surge that lands the Giants in the playoffs. A 76–86 finish feels too boring.
Are the good times over for Bryce Harper?
Harper went deep in Wednesday’s walk-off victory over the Nationals, so maybe not! It’s nonetheless concerning, though, that Harper is hitting just .120 with a .425 OPS, and that follows a frustrating showing in the World Baseball Classic.
I’m personally not ready to give up on Harper just yet, even in his age-33 season. But when you’ve started the new year with those kinds of numbers after your team’s lead baseball executive questioned whether you could regain your elite form, can you blame anyone whose cynicism is growing?
Who are these Red Sox, and what did they do with my dark horse pick?
Opponents have already outscored the Red Sox 32–17, and veteran shortstop Trevor Story’s struggles are a massive concern. Story has already struck out 13 times in 29 plate appearances, and he’s mustered only a .414 OPS. However, no one has fared worse than third baseman Caleb Durbin, who is already 0-for-18 as Alex Bregman’s replacement. At least Durbin, unlike Story, has reached base via a walk.
I came into the new season extremely optimistic about the 2026 Red Sox, an admission that sounds especially dirty considering that I grew up a Yankees fan. And, as with Harper, I’m not throwing in the towel … for now. Let’s see where the Sox are at the end of April, and if lead baseball executive Craig Breslow aggressively tries to fix whatever isn’t working.