MOST FRUSTRATING PLAYERS OF THE 2018 MLB SEASON

The 2018 MLB season included numerous players who frustrated fans and analysts for a variety of reason. Here are the 25 most frustrating players of 2018.

1. CHRIS ARCHER, SP, RAYS/PIRATES

Archer made his second career All-Star appearance in 2017 but finished the season with an ERA above 4.00. He had high hopes for this season but posted a 4.31 ERA in 17 starts for Tampa Bay while also missing time to injury. After getting traded to the Pirates at the July 31 deadline, Archer's performance has gotten even worse. He has a 4.86 ERA in nine starts with Pittsburgh, struggling to keep the ball in the park.

2. KRIS BRYANT, 3B, CUBS

Bryant was on quite a streak to start his career, winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2015, NL MVP in 2016 and finishing seventh in MVP voting last year. Unfortunately, that streak of great seasons comes to an end this year, as Bryant missed more than a month with a shoulder injury. While on the field, his performance hasn't been up to par, with only 12 home runs in 95 games.

3. BYRON BUXTON, CF, TWINS

Buxton wasn't the most durable player in the minors, and the durability issues have followed him up to the majors. After winning a Gold Glove last season and posting an .893 OPS during the second half, he managed to play only 28 games for the Twins this year due to injuries.

4. LUIS CASTILLO, SP, REDS

The hard-throwing Castillo was a revelation for the Reds after being called up at midseason in 2017, posting a 3.12 ERA and 9.9 K/9 in 89.1 innings. He was expected to be the team's ace this year but got off to a poor start. Castillo has found himself after the break with a 2.44 ERA in 11 starts, but his ERA will still finish more than a run higher than last season's.

5. TYLER CHATWOOD, P, CUBS

The Cubs took a three-year, $38 million flier on Chatwood during the offseason, given his history of success outside of Coors Field and his extreme ground-ball rate. The returns have been disastrous in the first year of the deal, as Chatwood has posted an ERA above 5.00 with an embarrassing 8.2 BB/9 in 103.2 innings.

6. CARLOS CORREA, SS, ASTROS

Correa is starting to develop a reputation as an injury-prone player, playing only 109 games last season and on pace for about the same this year. While he had MVP production when he did play in 2017, that hasn't been the case this year. He is hitting just .238-14-62 with a .723 OPS in 390 plate appearances.

7. YU DARVISH, SP, CUBS

Rather than bring back Jake Arrieta, the Cubs thought they could improve by bringing in Darvish on a six-year, $126 million contract. However, Darvish managed to make only eight starts this season, missing significant time due to arm problems, and his ERA was 4.95 when he was on the mound.

8. JOSH DONALDSON, 3B, BLUE JAYS/INDIANS

Despite a calf injury, Donaldson launched 33 home runs in 113 games last season. The former AL MVP had high hopes for his walk year, but he played only 36 games for Toronto before getting shipped to Cleveland at the waiver trade deadline in late August. He will likely finish the year failing to reach double-digit home runs for the first time since 2012 and will be an interesting free agent this winter going on age 33.

9. DANNY DUFFY, SP, ROYALS

For the Royals to have any chance at being competitive this year, they needed a big season from Duffy. Instead, he had arguably his worst year as a major leaguer, posting a 4.88 ERA in 28 starts while struggling to throw strikes and then seeing his season end due to a shoulder issue.

10. MICHAEL FULMER, SP, TIGERS

After Fulmer won AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 and made an All-Star appearance last year, the rebuilding Tigers had a chance to sell high on him this offseason. Instead, they retained the 25-year-old starter and saw his worst season. He finished the season with a 4.69 ERA in 24 starts and was recently shut down for the year due to a knee injury.

11. LUCAS GIOLITO, SP, WHITE SOX

Giolito was named a top 10 prospect in MLB twice by Baseball America, but he was arguably the worst starting pitcher in baseball this season. After posting a 2.38 ERA in seven starts late last season, Giolito has a 5.77 ERA in 30 starts, leading the AL in both earned runs and walks allowed. He has plenty of time to turn around his career at age 23, but this season was a big hiccup.

12. DEE GORDON, CF/2B, MARINERS

The Marlins started their fire sale last offseason by trading Gordon to Seattle, where he was expected to start in center field. He made a successful adjustment but really struggled at the plate this season. Through 137 games, he's hit just .269/.289/.338 with a pitiful 8/79 BB/K and 30 steals, compared to 60 last year. The only positive for the Ms has been Gordon's defensive versatility, playing second base when Robinson Cano was suspended and some shortstop more recently.

13. SONNY GRAY, P, YANKEES

The Yankees traded three good prospects to Oakland for Gray last year, and it looked like he was on his way to a nice year after posting a 3.72 ERA in 11 starts with the team late last season. Gray saw serious regression this season, particularly with his control, and he was eventually removed from the starting rotation. He's been fighting to keep his ERA below 5.00 late in the year.

14. BILLY HAMILTON, CF, REDS

Hamilton has game-changing speed and excellent center field defense, but his bat has long been an issue. That was even more the case this year, as he is hitting just .234 with a .619 OPS in 537 plate appearances for the Reds. He's also hit at the bottom of the order for most of the year, resulting in just 32 steals. It remains to be seen if Hamilton will be a regular after this season.

15. ERIC HOSMER, 1B, PADRES

Hosmer signed an eight-year, $144 million contract with the Padres this offseason that was considered a massive overpay by most analysts. That certainly is the case after the first year, as Hosmer has hit only .250-17-65 with a .712 OPS in 149 games. The OPS is the worst of his eight-year career.

16. CARLOS MARTINEZ, P, CARDINALS

The Cardinals were counting on Martinez to be their ace again this season, but he managed to make only 18 starts due to injuries, and he also struggled with his control. With recurring injuries and not enough time to get stretched out again, the Cardinals have used Martinez as their closer late in the year, but he's failed to be an innings eater after averaging 193 innings over the last three seasons.

17. MARCELL OZUNA, LF, CARDINALS

St. Louis acquired Ozuna from the selling Marlins after his breakout 2017 season in which he hit .312-37-124 and won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. He got off to a very slow start this season and also struggled with his throws in the field due to a shoulder injury. Ozuna has come on late in the year, but his .760 OPS in 599 plate appearances is significantly worse than the Cardinals expected.

18. NICK PIVETTA, SP, PHILLIES

Pivetta was one of baseball's worst starting pitchers in 2017 despite a dominant 9.5 K/9, posting a 6.02 ERA in 26 starts. He looked like he turned a corner early this season with a 3.26 ERA through the first two months of the season. Unfortunately, he's reverted back to old form since then, including a 4.90 ERA in 14 starts after the break. This year's elite 10.4 K/9 and 3.71 FIP show enticing upside, but he will finish with an ERA much worse than the league average.

19. JEFF SAMARDZIJA, SP, GIANTS

Samardzija has sometimes been inconsistent with his career performance, but he's at least been durable. That wasn't the case this year, as Samardzija lost velocity in spring training and missed most of the year with pectoral and shoulder issues. He finished the season throwing only 44.2 innings after reaching 200 innings in five straight seasons. With two years and $39.6 million remaining on his contract, the Giants are hopeful this isn't a sign of the end.

20. GARY SANCHEZ, C, YANKEES

There hasn't been a more frustrating player than Sanchez in 2018. The Yankees star catcher was a career .283-53-132 hitter in 756 plate appearances coming into this season, but he's hit just .184-16-47 in 345 plate appearances while also missing significant time to injury. His sub-.700 OPS and mediocre defense have hurt the Yankees.

21. MIGUEL SANO, 3B, TWINS

Another year of disappointment has come and gone for Sano. He was demoted to the minors after a slow first two months, and his offensive performance really didn't pick up after returning in late July. Late in the year he's missed time with a leg injury and will conclude his 2018 campaign hitting below the Mendoza Line, with only 13 home runs in 299 plate appearances.

22. DOMINGO SANTANA, OF, BREWERS

Santana looked like the possible odd man out after the Brewers acquired Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain during the offseason, but they still expected him to be a potent option off the bench. Instead, Santana struggled in part-time duty and was eventually optioned to the minors. After hitting 30 home runs last season, he has only five long balls in 229 plate appearances.

23. JONATHAN SCHOOP, 2B, ORIOLES/BREWERS

Schoop had a complete breakout for the Orioles in 2017, hitting .293-32-105 and making his first All-Star appearance. Like most of his teammates, he struggled out of the gate this year and also missed nearly a month due to injury. He still posted a .720 OPS before getting traded to Milwaukee, where he's face-planted in two months with a .580 OPS in 42 games.

24. MARCUS STROMAN, SP, BLUE JAYS

Stroman's year started off on a bad note with shoulder soreness in spring training, and he's never been able to get back on track. After throwing more than 200 innings over the last two years, Stroman will finish the year making only 19 starts with a 5.54 ERA while suffering through shoulder and blister issues.

25. LUKE WEAVER, P, CARDINALS

Weaver looked like a potential ace in the making after his performance late last season, posting a 3.88 ERA and 10.7 K/9 in 60.1 innings for the Cardinals. He's struggled to throw strikes and keep the ball in the park this season, showing major inconsistency with a 4.95 ERA, minor league demotion and a late-season demotion to the bullpen. The performance has been a far cry from the 2.03 ERA he had during his minor league career.