A new season provides the opportunity for players coming off poor 2017 seasons to turn the page. 2018 will give them the chance to either prove last year was an anomaly or that perhaps injuries and/or age have caught up to them.
Here are 25 MLB players hoping for better fortunes in 2018 to show they still have it.
1 of 25
Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers
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The former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP had one of his worst seasons in 2017, playing only 104 games and hitting .268-17-52 with 12 steals. The Brewers added Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich in the offseason, so Braun's playing time could be cut even further if he doesn't produce early.
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Fighting through back issues, Cabrera hit just .249-16-60 — all career lows — in a terrible year for him and the Tigers. The former AL Triple Crown winner is just one year removed from hitting .316-38-108, so it's probably too soon to give up hope just yet.
3 of 25
Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Mets
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Like seemingly the rest of the Mets' roster, Cespedes missed significant time due to injury in 2017. The Cuban hit .292-17-42 in 81 games and hopes for better health this year.
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Cueto was terrific in his first year of a six-year deal with the Giants in 2016, but his performance wasn't nearly as good last season. He finished with a 4.52 ERA in 25 starts while struggling with his control, due in part to a finger issue.
5 of 25
Chris Davis, 1B, Orioles
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Age often impacts all-or-nothing hitters early, but Orioles fans hope last season was just an outlier. After hitting 38 home runs in 2016, Davis had only 26 homers with a .732 OPS in 2017.
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Not everything went perfectly for the Astros in their World Series-winning season. Gattis split time between catcher and DH but hit just .263-12-55 in 84 games after hitting 32 home runs in 2016.
7 of 25
Alex Gordon, OF, Royals
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It's not a stretch to call Gordon's four-year deal signed in 2016 a disaster through two seasons. He was especially bad for the Royals last year, hitting just .208-9-45 in 541 plate appearances. Now in rebuilding mode, the Royals will likely give a younger player at-bats if Gordon continues to struggle.
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Hamels has lost velocity recently, and it showed in the lefty's results last season. He made only 24 starts due to injury and finished with a 4.20 ERA, his worst since 2009.
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King Felix isn't the pitcher he once was, but he hopes to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2017 season. Hernandez made only 16 starts, posting a 4.36 ERA for the Mariners — his worst ERA since his first full season in the bigs.
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While he's starting spring training on the Dodgers' roster, it remains to be seen if Kemp will enter the season on it. He was a salary dump by Atlanta after hitting just .276-19-64 in 115 games last season. Kemp hit .268-35-108 in 2016.
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Kipnis was a key cog in Cleveland's 2016 AL pennant, but the same can't be said for last season. He played only 90 games due to injury and hit .232-12-35. Kipnis was also mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason.
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Lester still managed to make 32 starts, but his ERA increased by nearly two runs compared to 2016. The lefty had a 4.33 ERA, his worst since 2012, as he struggled to keep the ball in the park. After signing Yu Darvish and acquiring Jose Quintana last season, there isn't quite as much pressure on Lester to perform this year.
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Lucroy has seen a cold free agent market due in large part to his struggles last season. He hit just .265-6-40 in 481 plate appearances between Texas and Colorado after hitting a career-high 24 home runs in 2016.
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Marte missed nearly half of last season due to a PEDs suspension. While he was on the field, Marte hit just .275, his lowest batting average since his 47-game debut in 2012. With Andrew McCutchen traded to San Francisco, the Pirates will rely on Marte to produce.
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The first season of Melancon's four-year, $62 million contract with the Giants was a disaster. The closer made only 32 appearances due to injuries and had a 4.50 ERA.
16 of 25
Brad Miller, 2B, Rays
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Miller had a breakout season in 2016 with 30 home runs but regressed last year. He played only 110 games due to injury and hit just .201-9-40. After trading Evan Longoria and Corey Dickerson, the Rays will need Miller's bat to rebound.
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After 25-plus home runs in consecutive seasons, Pederson hit just .212-11-35 in 102 games for the Dodgers last season. He was a victim of L.A.'s tremendous outfield depth and will likely have to play himself into regular at-bats this season.
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Piscotty had a breakout 2016 season in St. Louis, hitting .273-22-85, but last year was a nightmare. He hit just .235-9-39 while dealing with difficult family news. The Cardinals traded Piscotty closer to his home in the Bay Area so he could be closer to his ailing mother, who was diagnosed with ALS.
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After posting a 4.92 ERA in his first season with Boston, Porcello won the AL Cy Young in 2016. He reverted back to the bad version last year with a 4.65 ERA, allowing a league-worst 38 home runs. Porcello hopes for another rebound this year.
20 of 25
David Price, SP, Red Sox
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Price was effective when he was on the mound last season but made only 16 appearances due to elbow problems that plagued him throughout the year. Entering spring training healthy, Price hopes to get back to his old self.
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If Pujols didn't have the worst season of any regular last season, it wasn't far off. Playing all but six of his games at DH, Pujols hit just .241 with a .672 OPS. At age 38, he also still has four years remaining on his contract.
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Playing primarily at DH, Ramirez hit just .242-23-62 replacing the retired David Ortiz. He will play more first base this year after the Red Sox signed J.D. Martinez, but the margin for error will be smaller with Mitch Moreland able to replace him.
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Samardzija's second year in San Francisco wasn't great, posting 15 losses and a 4.42 ERA in 32 starts. On the bright side, he did lead the NL with 207.2 innings and a 1.4 BB/9. His 3.61 FIP shows that Samardzija has a very good shot at rebounding.
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Sanchez went 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 2016, but he made only eight starts last season while struggling with a finger issue. He returned healthy this spring, hoping to navigate an even more difficult AL East.
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A lat injury limited Syndergaard to only seven starts last season after posting a 2.60 ERA over 183.2 innings in 2016. He did finish the season healthy and hopes to stay intact this year with an adjusted offseason workout regimen.