The Major League Baseball season is a grind that is not for the weak. With a 162-game slate squeezed into a six-month window, there are bound to be bumps in the road for MLB's best teams and biggest stars. Enduring a bad week at the plate is one thing, but months of inconsistent play can start to weigh on a baseball player more than they'd like to admit.
An athlete's ability to adapt to adversity is a sign that they're a different breed. No sport brings more consistent failures paired with endless opportunities than baseball. Plenty of athletes hit a rough patch and can’t get out of their own way, never returning to top form again. Others figure out how to climb out of slumps and become the impact players they are known to be.
The MLB playoffs are when stars turn into different beasts and prove why they're getting paid the big bucks. Some players on this list need to improve immediately to help their team reach the postseason. Others simply appear lost but have time to turn around and be major contributors in October.
Discussing some of the 2024 numbers of these All-Star players is shocking given the caliber they've displayed throughout their careers. Former MVP candidates and award winners lead this list of players hoping for a better finish to the season than how it started.
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks OF
Not only was Corbin Carroll among the best rookies in baseball a year ago, he was one of the best players overall. The 2023 NL Rookie of the Year put together a fantastic first year in the big leagues and was expected to build on his MVP-caliber campaign in his sophomore season.
Instead, success has been hard to come by for Carroll in 2024. He was hitting under .200 entering June and was virtually nonexistent on the basepaths where he made such an impact as a rookie. Carroll's strikeout rate skyrocketed too, leading to plenty of frustrating nights for the 23-year-old.
As arguably their best player struggled to find his footing, so did the Diamondbacks in the first half. Arizona has been on a roll since June though and it's no coincidence Carroll's numbers have improved during that span. The D-backs are 38-21 since June 1, while Carroll hit .250 in June and posted an .822 OPS in July, both his highest monthly marks in those respective stats.
The hope is he's left some meat on the bone for the final 50 games of the season and can revert to his 2023 form before the MLB playoffs. That could be the difference between another deep postseason run or an early exit for the Diamondbacks.
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners OF
Julio Rodriguez followed his 2022 Rookie of the Year campaign with a 30-30-30 season in 2023, finishing fourth in AL MVP voting. That led many to believe the Seattle Mariners star would challenge for the league's highest individual honor again in 2024, but J-Rod has been unable to replicate his past form.
When looking at the numbers, the most glaring hole for Rodriguez is his lack of power this season. He clubbed 60 home runs across his first two MLB seasons, posting a .495 slugging percentage. Home runs haven’t been as bountiful this year, with Rodriguez sitting on 11 through 100 games. His slugging percentage hasn’t been above .400 since the third day of the season.
Rodriguez finally appeared to turn a corner in July. He carried a .375/.434/.688 slash line with seven extra-base hits in 15 games before hitting the injured list three games out of the MLB All-Star break. Though not expected to be season-ending, the Mariners don’t have a clear timetable yet for J-Rod's recovery.
While their middling star is on the mend, the Mariners are in another tight race for the AL West title. They enter Friday in a tie for first place with the Houston Astros. Getting Rodriguez back should increase Seattle's playoff odds. The type of player he is upon return will play a factor.
Nick Castellanos, Philadelphia Phillies OF
Although best known for his strong play following a crazy world event or celebrity misfortune, Nick Castellanos is an All-Star player when everything is clicking at the plate. Despite a lack of production this year, his improved defense has made him a valuable player for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Castellanos had much of the Philly faithful questioning his future with the team when he carried a .610 OPS into June. He had seven home runs and five doubles through the first two months of the season, well behind pace of the 29 and 37 he hit last year.
Things have gone much smoother for Castellanos since, especially after the MLB All-Star break. He's hitting over .300 with an .899 OPS and 11 extra-base hits in his last 19 games.
If the Phillies get the Castellanos that showed up for their series against the Dodgers this week, their offense is much scarier. Philly's right fielder recorded three multi-hit games and scored four times as the Phils took two of three on the road.
Castellanos is playing the best right now out of everyone on this list. He was an X-factor for the Phillies last postseason. Sustaining a confident approach into October is paramount to him repeating that.
Carlos Rodon, New York Yankees LHP
Carlos Rodon's tenure with the Yankees hasn’t brought as many headlines as his 2022 Cy Young-contending season. When the two-time All-Star has been in the news over the last two years, it's usually for the wrong reasons.
Rodon spent more time off the field than he did on it in 2023 and his performances did not impress. While he's shown flashes of brilliance on the mound at points this season, his overall makeup still leaves much to be desired. He's 12-7 with a 4.37 ERA and .757 opponents OPS.
What's perhaps most frustrating about Rodon's season is the inconsistency of it. After a string of seven consecutive quality starts, all resulting in wins, the southpaw is 3-5 with a 6.90 ERA in his last nine starts. Only two of those outings were quality starts.
That stretch looks better thanks to his last three starts. Rodon and the Yankees won each of those appearances, while the lefty posted a 2.89 ERA with 25 strikeouts and five walks. New York is 14-9 when Rodon starts.
The Yankees could have a daunting playoff rotation if everyone pitches to their potential. If Rodon can maintain this recent stretch and put the version of him who had a near seven ERA in a 10-start span firmly in the past, his contract can start to be justified.
Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins RHP
Pablo Lopez might be the most important player on this list in terms of the value he brings to his team. The Twins are desperate for their ace to pitch like one amid their race for a playoff berth. Minnesota is 3 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL Central and holds a two-game cushion for a wild card spot before Friday's action.
The Twins are searching for answers from their rotation after suffering a devastating blow on Friday. Minnesota announced that starter Joe Ryan could miss the rest of the season with a strained shoulder following an early exit from his start on Wednesday.
This is when star players show up, but Lopez hasn’t pitched well for much of the season. His 4.74 ERA is the second-highest in a season he's pitched at least 100 innings. Lopez is also on pace for a career-high in losses, although he's also two wins shy of setting a career mark there.
To return to All-Star form, Lopez has to exercise ghosts of September past. The seven-year veteran has a career 4.79 ERA and a .734 OPS against in September and October. Those are respectively the highest and second-highest monthly numbers of his career.
Lopez has great postseason numbers in a small sample size. He has a 1.73 ERA with 17 strikeouts and three walks, winning two of his three MLB playoff starts. If he can regain confidence and pitch like an ace down the stretch, the Twins will feel better about their chances of playing and succeeding in October.
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