5 key American League hitters mired in brutal early season slumps

Slumps are always highlighted more when they occur in the middle of the MLB season because everyone is watching and their aren't other weeks and months of stats to disguise stretches of below normal production.

It can be frustrating and alarming to see star players with batting averages below the Mendoza Line (.200), and even more so when it stretches deeper into the season than just a few games.

It should be noted that several teams are struggling with batting average. Five teams have an average below .220, including the Twins, who as a team are hitting a paltry .185.

5 star players experiencing early slumps who should bounce back soon

No. 5: Gleyber Torres, Yankees

The two-time All-Star has gotten off to an ice-cold start in 2024, but is showing signs of finally emerging from it. Gleyber Torres has a hit in each of his last three games with the New York Yankees to push is batting average to .203 through Sunday.

His early slash line is an unseemly .203/.297/.234/.531 through 75 plate appearances. He only has two extra base hits, both doubles, but he has walked an encouraging eight times already. Maybe he can use the modest three-game hitting streak to get things turned around.

With an OPS+ mark of 56 (100 denotes the average MLB player) and a negative Wins Above Replacement (-.1), Torres will need some multi-hit games and some round trippers to be completely out of his early funk. His history indicates he will. He's only been rated as below average once, in 2021, and is usually well above average. It's only a matter of time.

No. 4: Byron Buxton, Twins

For once, Byron Buxton seems like he's healthy and he's back to playing centerfield, where he won a Gold Glove in 2017. Unfortunately, his bat hasn't awakened yet in 2024. In fact, he's already registering a negative WAR (.-1).

In 50 plate appearances thus far, his slash line is hard to look at - .196/.240/.261/.501. Not much is going right for him right now as he has only produced three extra-base hits, all doubles. He's coaxed just one walk, but has struck out 18 times, which translates to a sky-high 36 percent. The Twins need him to turn things around and bring some power to a line-up that has 25 percent of its 40-man roster on the IL.

The Minnesota Twins need him to turn things around and bring some power to a line-up that has 25% of it's 40-man roster on the IL. It is anyone's guess as to which will come first for Buxton - a hot streak at the plate or a trip to the Injured List. He's only played for than 92 games once in his nine-year career, but usually, when healthy, he's considered well above average. His start in 2024, however, is eerily similar to his start in 2018. He never did heat up and got hurt at the end of May and was done for the season. Hopefully, that won't be the case here.

No. 3: Randy Arozarena, Rays

When A-Roz has gotten hits or gotten on base, he's been effective this year. Unfortunately, those have been rare occasions so far this season. His WAR is also showing up negative (-.2) so far, so the Tampa Bay Rays are anxious for him to get hot sooner than later.

Through 61 plate appearances, his slash is .196/.262/..321/.584. He does have two home runs, three stolen bases, and five walks. He has just two games out of 15 where he has recorded more than one hit. He's just hasn't had a great stretch yet. Look for him to turn things around very soon.

Arozarena has never recorded an OPS+ lower than 120, so his brutally low mark of 71 so far in 2024 has to be just simply a slow start. The Rays will be patient with him and he'll see regular at-bats. He's seen over 600 plate appearances in all three seasons since he became an everyday player. He's always been as consistent as they come, and hopefully, within a few weeks, this cold streak will be long forgotten.

No. 2: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays

Like Arozarena, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been productive on those rare occasions when he's gotten hits. He has two doubles, three home runs, and nine walks to just 13 strikeouts. If you looked at those numbers without his ratios, you'd think he was doing okay. Like others on this list, his WAR is in the negative (-.1), so he needs to find a way to get it going at the plate.

His slash line over 72 plate appearances isn't as bad as some others on this list, but the lack of total hits has been an issue. His slash is .194/306/.371/.677. Outside of those five extra base hits, he only has seen seven others. He only has two multi-hit games and he just can't string many good games together.

He seems to be on the cusp of breaking out and Toronto Blue Jays are probably anxious for that to happen as soon as possible. His 97 OPS+ is just below that of a league average player, and he's not finished lower than with a 106 OPS+ mark since his 2019 rookie year.

No. 1: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners

The top struggling star has to be Julio Rodriquez, who has just 11 hits in 63 plate appearances. He stands out because he is such an important bat in the Seattle Mariners' lineup. They cannot afford for him to struggle much longer.

His slash line is unsightly at best - .186/.238/.203/.441. He only has one extra base hit - a double, and has struck out 21 times, nearly twice as many Ks as hits. His OPS+ is 32, which is awful when you consider 100 is the baseline for the average player. Everyone knows Rodriguez is a well-above normal talent, but he needs to turn things around in a hurry.

With such a low OPS+ mark, it is unsurprising that Rodriguez is nearly a half a game into the negative already with his WAR (-.4), and will need to warm up in a big way to turn that number around.

If these slumps occurred in June or July, they would hardly be noticed, but at the beginning of the season, these slumps stand out like beacons. The longer they continue, they harder it will be for the players to dig themselves out of that hole. All are too talented, however, for these early season slumps to continue much longer.