Like you and me, professional baseball players are human beings and their job performance varies from year to year.
So it’s normal that some athletes who were the envy of all general managers not too long ago, lose their luster in a short time as is the case for Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor and Trevor Story . These three players, well ranked last year, now find themselves outside the top-10 of the best players on the circuit according to MLB Network.
The point here is not to say that these players are on the downward slope and years of misery are to be expected, but only to see that the glory is fleeting and must be tasted fully, when the time is right.
Guest on the radio waves of MLB Network, analyst and former Major League Baseball executive Jim Bowden explained that it’s common to see players slipping when it comes to building a ranking of the best in their profession at a specific time.
Last year, we ranked Mookie Betts the number #2 player in all of baseball. Francisco Lindor was #7. Trevor Story was #9 — Now in 2022, they’re all out of the top ten.
So how does this happen? @JimBowdenGM on the dynamic nature of player evaluation: pic.twitter.com/KcxqsSbwXw
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 14, 2022
According to him, in a short time, hand-eye coordination can be affected, which makes all the difference and explains why players are less efficient and productive and slip under the radar and, as a result, are less visible.
This explains it and the new ranking of the best players according to MLB Network confirms the rise of young guns such as Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ronald Acuna Jr.
With his prolonged absence, it is Mike Trout who pays the price and finds himself in fourth place in this ranking.
When a general manager prepares a big deal involving one or more big names or when he prepares to offer a multi-year contract to a star player, he must foresee a possible drop in the regime on their part and calculate the risk accordingly. .
Few have maintained a superhero cadence and stats throughout their careers and when they do, the Hall of Fame doors open quickly for them.
My point is not to diminish the contribution of the Betts, Lindor and Story to their respective teams, but rather to highlight the healthy and necessary game of musical chairs that is played at the top of the pyramid of gifted players in Major League Baseball.
