Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Several MLB teams are off to rocky starts despite having high-profile stars expected to lead the way this season
- Multiple All-Star caliber players are slashing well below their career averages and contributing minimal runs or RBIs
- The struggles of these offensive pillars have put additional pressure on teammates and coaching staffs to carry the load early in the year
Aaron Judge has nine home runs in just 82 at-bats. Tarik Skubal's ERA is just a shade above 2.00. Mason Miller is off to as good a start as any reliever in MLB history. It's not a surprise to see superstars all over the top of statistical leaderboards even this early in the 2026 season.
But while many superstars are performing as well, or even better, than expected, others have looked like anything but stars. These big names stars, in particular, have gotten off to starts to forget.
Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
A big reason that the New York Mets are struggling is that their stars have simply not performed. Francisco Lindor is a prime example of that. This isn't exactly surprising, as Lindor has been a slow starter throughout his Mets career, but he has appeared in every game the team has played so far and has a total of just one RBI.
That RBI came in the Mets' 18th game of the year, on a home run he hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers. How, exactly, are the Mets supposed to score runs if their star shortstop — who has driven in 86 or more runs in each of the last four years — has one RBI in more than 20 games? It's not even as if he's hitting and not getting enough help, as he's slashed .214/.305/.321 on the year.
A player of Juan Soto's caliber being injured would hurt any team, but the Mets would've been in much better shape had their star shortstop played like a star. Hopefully, as the weather warms up, his bat follows suit.
Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants
Rafael Devers didn't look like the superstar that San Francisco Giants fans expected after the team unexpectedly acquired him in a deal with the Boston Red Sox, but there was reason to believe that with more time, he'd get going after making a full adjustment to his new organization.
That has not happened, at least not yet. Devers is slashing .212/.256/.306 in 21 games with just two home runs and eight RBI. Perhaps most alarmingly, Devers has struck out 27 times in 90 plate appearances (30 percent strikeout rate), and he's drawn a total of five walks (2.2 percent walk rate). His bat speed continues to decline, and so do his in-zone contact rates.
At least a player like Lindor has Gold Glove-caliber defense to lean on. Devers, however, splits his time between first base and DH, and he hasn't been all that great defensively when he's been in the field. Giants fans are running out of patience, and understandably so.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees
Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a bold proclamation entering the year that he was shooting for 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. While that seemed crazy, he did have a 30-30 season in 2025 and has the talent to be even better. He began the year as arguably the best all-around second baseman in the game.
Unfortunately, while he has stolen eight bases, Chisholm has yet to go deep, and has looked completely lost at the plate. The 28-year-old is slashing .164/.265/.233, and he has just three RBI in 21 games. Chisholm has even gone just 1-for-5 in ABS challenges, and has made his share of mental errors. It's been all bad thus far.
It's worth noting that Chisholm is another hitter who usually starts slowly, and it's entirely possible that he's feeling the pressure of his upcoming free agency. But either way, the New York Yankees need a whole lot more from him. The cold weather can't be an excuse for much longer.
Bo Bichette, New York Mets
When Bo Bichette signed his massive three-year deal with the Mets over the offseason, the assumption was that his defense would be an adventure at third base, but his bat would make up for any shortcomings in the field. Well, it's been the inverse of that so far.
Bichette's throwing was erratic to begin the year, but he's looked good for the most part at the hot corner. Offensively, though, it's been an adventure. He's swung it a bit better of late, but is still slashing .227/.266/.395 on the year with just one home run and nine RBI. Alarmingly, his strikeout rate (23.4 percent) is way higher than it was in 2025 (14.5 percent) and is a lot higher than his career mark as well (19.5 percent).
It looks like Bichette is trying to do too much at times, and things just aren't working right now. There's reason to believe he'll eventually settle in, but it's getting late very early for his team.
Josh Naylor, Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have really struggled offensively, and their stars, like Josh Naylor, have been a big reason why. Re-signed on a five-year, $92.5 million deal this offseason, Naylor has looked like a shell of the X-factor he was for Seattle last season.
He's slashing .146/.231/.220 in 21 games this season with just two home runs and seven RBI. Those home runs came in one game recently, giving Mariners fans reason to believe he was going to break out, but he's gone just 4-for-19 since with nothing but singles. His 35 wRC+ on the season is tied for 175th out of 182 qualified position players.
Naylor is going to hit eventually — he's too talented a hitter not to — but nothing under the hood right now looks particularly great. Mariners fans can only hope that Naylor figures it out sooner rather than later.
Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros
The Houston Astros were facing an uphill battle from the jump with Josh Hader beginning the year on the Injured List, but knowing that they had Bryan Abreu, one of the premier set-up men in the sport, waiting in the wings, gave fans a reason to believe things would be fine. That, unfortunately, has not proven to be the case.
Abreu has allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in 7.1 innings of work across nine appearances. He has issued an absurd 13 walks and allowed four home runs over that span. He isn't throwing enough strikes, and when his pitches are in the zone, they've left the park far too often.
Abreu predictably lost his hold on the closer role, and it's hard to envision him earning it back anytime soon. Hopefully, with less pressure, the righty can revert to the dominant arm he has been for years.
Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
As bad as Naylor has been, Cal Raleigh has been even more disappointing. Now, I don't think even the biggest Mariners fan expected Raleigh to repeat his historically dominant 2025 campaign, but he's gone from AL MVP runner-up to a liability offensively.
In addition to striking out over 31 percent of the time, Raleigh is slashing .155/.250/.262 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 22 games. His 55 wRC+ is good for a tie for 160th out of 182 qualified hitters. That is a problem.
Raleigh is still an impactful defensive catcher, but for the Mariners to reach their ceiling, they're going to need him to produce offensively. Even if he doesn't have another 60-homer year in him, this isn't going to cut it.
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