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Troy Tulowitzki might have been one of many biggest shortstops to ever play the sport. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures)
In baseball, as in some other sport, nothing can halt a profession in its tracks fairly like accidents. Main League Baseball’s historical past is riddled with illustrative examples, as much as and together with simply inside the final decade.
Ought to 2013 be the cutoff for the start of the “final decade” slightly than 2012? That will certainly make extra mathematical sense. However because the shortened 2020 season gave us mainly one much less season to work with, we thought it honest to offer ourselves an additional 12 months.
We solely thought-about gamers whose damage bother started within the thick of what ought to have been their prime. With respect to damage hardships that David Wright, Dustin Pedroia, Giancarlo Stanton, Chris Sale, Johan Santana and lots of others went via of their late 20s and early 30s, we set the cutoff right here at gamers’ age-27 seasons.
There additionally needed to be clear demarcation traces for when the accidents started and when the participant’s efficiency started to endure. It’s a bummer that Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw have missed a lot time with accidents of late, however they’ve continued to be productive once they have been wholesome.
In any other case, we’ll proceed in ascending order of what number of wins above substitute these gamers produced earlier than the damage bug got here alongside.
Listed here are our picks for the ten greatest MLB careers derailed by accidents since 2012.
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Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2012-15): 5.4 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2016-20): 0.4 rWAR
Trevor Rosenthal spent a lot of his first two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals establishing for older, extra established closers—first, for Jason Motte in 2012 after which Edward Mujica in 2013.
It wasn’t till Mujica began struggling towards the top of 2013 that the Redbirds discovered that, hey, possibly the man with the 100 mph fastball must be the one to get the final three outs.
Rosenthal promptly took off, going 4-for-5 in save alternatives in the course of the postseason after which ripping off 93 extra throughout 2014 and 2015. For a pitcher in his age-24 and -25 seasons, the latter efficiency put Rosenthal in an all-time stratosphere unto himself.
Nonetheless, the laborious instances got here at Rosenthal even sooner than one among his trademark heaters. He missed time with shoulder irritation in 2016 and went underneath the knife for Tommy John surgical procedure in 2017.
Rosenthal put a profitable season collectively in 2020 after a catastrophic return in 2019, however extra damage bother has discovered him since then. The 32-year-old missed all of 2021 after having thoracic outlet surgical procedure, and a teres main damage has stalled his newest comeback try.
When, or even when, he’ll be capable of return to a serious league mound is unclear.
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Abelimages/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2009-11): 5.7 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2012-21): 1.6 rWAR
Take away the names, and what the Texas Rangers finally received from trading Mark Teixeira to Atlanta in 2007 was a beginning pitcher, the shortstop and the nearer of future title-contending groups.
The nearer was Neftalí Feliz, who burst onto the scene with a 1.74 ERA over 20 appearances as a 21-year-old rookie in 2009. He went on to win the AL Rookie of the 12 months in 2010, saving 40 video games that 12 months and 32 the subsequent.
Suffice it to say that opposing hitters have been by no means completely happy to see Feliz’s fastball. It repeatedly touched 100 mph, reaching as excessive as 104.1 mph in 2010.
Some will inevitably level to the fastball that Feliz couldn’t get by David Freese in Sport 6 of the 2011 World Collection because the second when issues began going improper for the flamethrower. However the actual flip was when the Rangers determined to transform him into a starter in 2012, which predictably ended with him blowing out his arm and needing Tommy John surgical procedure.
That was mainly that. Feliz’s fastball was near three mph beneath its peak common when he returned as a reliever in 2013, and no matter success between then and 2017 was all the time fleeting. After briefly reappearing within the majors in 2021 after three years away, he was final seen pitching in Mexico for the impartial Sultanes de Monterrey.
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Kirk Irwin/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2015-16): 7.4 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2017-22): 7.7 rWAR
Noah Syndergaard was one thing of a sensation even earlier than he debuted for the New York Mets in 2015, because it’s simply not day by day that 6’6″, 242-pound Thor lookalikes with triple-digit fastballs are rising via the minors.
As soon as Syndergaard lastly arrived within the majors, it was as if he had all the time been there. He pitched to a 2.89 ERA throughout 2015 and 2016, punching out 10.4 batters per 9 innings with the assistance of a 97.5 mph fastball that was past what some other starter was able to.
It was in 2017 that issues first began to unravel for Syndergaard, as he missed all however seven begins that 12 months with a core injury. He missed extra time with a finger injury and hand, foot and mouth disease in 2018.
As he slipped to a 4.28 ERA whilst he made 32 begins in 2019, the shine had begun to put on off Syndergaard even earlier than he blew out his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2020. Now it is all the way in which off in 2022.
The proper-hander as soon as once more has an ERA within the 4.00s at 4.09, and a fastball that routinely used to hit triple digits has but to hit even 97 mph this season. As he simply turned 30 years outdated on Aug. 29, this will merely be who Syndergaard is now.
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Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2016-17): 9.4 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2018-22): 3.2 rWAR
Michael Fulmer wasn’t the headliner in a July 2015 commerce between the Detroit Tigers and Mets that despatched Yoenis Céspedes to the latter, however he was on the map in his personal proper in a matter of months.
After making his debut in April 2016, Fulmer went on to win the AL Rookie of the 12 months and adopted with an All-Star marketing campaign in 2017. He posted a 3.45 ERA throughout the 2 seasons, and his 9.4 rWAR put him within the same territory the place Félix Hernández, Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale had additionally just lately tread of their age-23-24 seasons.
But it was earlier than 2017 even ended that Fulmer’s physique started to interrupt down. Elbow surgery put a cease to his marketing campaign in August, and he instantly regressed to a 4.69 ERA in 2018 earlier than as soon as once more having to name it quits in August, this time due to a knee injury.
The worst was nonetheless but to come back. After he had spent the 2018-19 offseason rehabbing his knee, Fulmer’s elbow stop on him earlier than he had an opportunity to redeem himself. He had Tommy John surgery in March.
Fulmer was capable of return as a starter in 2020, however disastrously in order he pitched to an 8.78 ERA in 10 outings. The 29-year-old has since discovered some stability in a reduction position, but with a fastball that, at 94.3 mph, is slower than the one he had in his heyday as a starter.
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Paul Bereswill/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2015-18): 10.8 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2019-22): 2.0 rWAR
Wherever Luis Severino went early in his profession, the identify “Pedro Martínez” tended to observe. First, as a comp for Severino’s extraordinary upside. And later, as a mentor as Severino was realizing his stardom with the New York Yankees in 2017 and 2018.
He was an All-Star and a vote-getter for the American League Cy Younger Award each years, finally posting a 3.18 ERA and 10.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. With a median fastball of 97.6 mph, he turned the rate companion that Syndergaard hadn’t had in 2015 and 2016.
Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja
Luis Severino, 2018 Highlights. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qE5sbvbZq1
Severino was nonetheless solely 25 when the damage bug began taking bites out of him. First, within the type of a lat pressure in 2019 that the Yankees later admitted to having mishandled. After which in 2020, with Tommy John surgery.
It appeared as if Severino was lastly wholesome on the outset of 2022, however he lasted simply 16 begins earlier than injuring his shoulder once more. He is been out since July 13.
As he is nonetheless solely 28 years outdated, the right-hander maybe has an opportunity of salvaging his profession. However a complete of 23 appearances over 4 years and a fastball that now sits at 96.1 mph do not bode properly, a minimum of for the notion that success continues to be on the market for Severino as a starter.
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AP Picture/Julie Jacobson
Pre-Damage (2012-15): 11.8 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2016-21): Minus-1.7 rWAR
Matt Harvey was within the large leagues barely two years after the Mets drafted him in 2010, and seemingly no time in any respect elapsed between his arrival and his ascent as a celebrity.
He pitched to a 2.39 ERA over 36 begins between 2012 and 2013, and he even took the ball for the Nationwide League All-Star squad at Citi Discipline within the latter. He placed on a formidable show along with his upper-90s fastball any time he pitched, and he actually did not draw back from the spotlight off the sphere.
As for what occurred subsequent, there’s room to quibble about which 12 months marks the top of Harvey’s “pre-injury” period. We selected 2015 as a result of despite the fact that he had Tommy John surgery in 2013, his return in 2015 was a rousing success to the tune of a 2.71 ERA over 189.1 innings, plus 26.2 extra within the playoffs.
However was that an excessive amount of, too quickly? It appeared that manner when Harvey instantly struggled in 2016 and ultimately had one other surgical procedure, this time for thoracic outlet syndrome.
Harvey, now 33, recovered from that solely to pitch to a 6.15 ERA between 2017 and 2021. Extra just lately, he was suspended for 60 video games this Might after admitting to having distributed medication of abuse as a part of the investigation into the dying of former Los Angeles Angels teammate Tyler Skaggs.
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Kent C. Horner/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2006-11): 17.1 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2012-20): 4.4 rWAR
Matt Kemp wasn’t all the time constant early in his profession with the Los Angeles Dodgers, however he a minimum of tended to maintain his energy and pace in good working order. Between 2008 and 2010, particularly, he clubbed 72 residence runs and stole 88 bases.
Kemp was nonetheless solely 26 years outdated when all of it got here collectively for him in 2011. He missed out on a 40-40 season by only one residence run whereas additionally driving in 126 runs and enjoying Gold Glove protection. The Dodgers’ response was to right away signal him to a $160 million contract.
Alas, the primary two seasons that Kemp performed after signing his large deal proved to be disastrous.
A hamstring injury price him a lot of the 2012 season, after which he underwent shoulder surgery to restore injury he had suffered in a crash into an outfield wall in August. That subsequently hampered his energy manufacturing in 2013, throughout which he additionally suffered a nasty ankle injury that saved him out of the Dodgers’ first postseason in 4 years.
Kemp’s energy made a comeback between 2014 and 2016, however his athleticism by no means did as he morphed right into a station-to-station baserunner who might now not hack it in heart subject. He was mainly a replacement-level player for the final eight years of his profession.
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AP Picture/David Zalubowski
Pre-Damage WAR (2015-17): 18.3 rWAR
Submit-Damage WAR (2018-22): 10.9 rWAR
It took simply three years for Kris Bryant to go from being the Chicago Cubs’ No. 2 decide in 2013 to the NL Rookie of the 12 months in 2015 to the NL MVP and a World Collection champion in 2016.
Although he missed out on a 3rd straight All-Star choice in 2017, Bryant was additionally ok that 12 months to earn extra MVP votes. Altogether, he joined Corridor of Famer Eddie Mathews because the only third basemen to ever put up a 140 OPS+ and over 90 residence runs of their first three seasons.
Then in his age-26 season in 2018, Bryant developed shoulder discomfort that restricted him to 102 video games and mainly killed his energy. He hit solely 13 residence runs all season.
He hasn’t been the identical participant since then, notably on the ability entrance. His precise slugging share is down from .527 between 2015 and 2017 to .479 since then, with a good steeper drop in his anticipated slugging from .508 to .441.
The seven-year, $182 million gamble that the Colorado Rockies took on Bryant thus appeared like a nasty concept even on the time. Much more so now that back and foot accidents have sidelined him for all however 42 video games and despatched his athleticism the way in which of his energy. The place it was as soon as within the 88th percentile in 2016, his sprint speed has been within the fiftieth percentile this season.
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Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2006-11): 26.6 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2012-19): 17.9 rWAR
To make certain, Troy Tulowitzki wasn’t all the time wholesome on the outset of his profession with the Rockies. However he did keep on the sphere sufficient to common 132 video games between 2007 and 2011, throughout which era he put himself on a path to all-time greatness.
These 5 seasons noticed Tulowitzki hit .295 and membership 121 residence runs with a median of 5.4 rWAR per 12 months. By the top of the ’11 season, he ranked 13th all time in rWAR amongst shortstops via their age-26 seasons.
It was in 2012 that the wheels began to come back off for Tulowitzki. A groin injury price him all however 47 video games that 12 months and finally set the tone for a sequence of lower-half injuries that plagued him via his age-32 season in 2017.
It was a testomony to Tulowitzki’s means and willpower that he was capable of have super spurts of productiveness even after the accidents began to pile up. He was an All-Star yearly between 2013 and 2015, even hitting .340 with 21 homers over a 91-game pattern in 2014.
All the identical, he performed in simply 594 extra video games after 2011, with simply 5 of these occurring after he tried to come back again from an ankle damage that sidelined him for the entire 2018 marketing campaign. He was solely 34 when he performed his final sport in 2019.
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Mark Brown/Getty Pictures
Pre-Damage (2013-19): 31.8 rWAR
Submit-Damage (2020-22): 4.2 rWAR
Christian Yelich was a superb but usually unspectacular participant when the Milwaukee Brewers acquired him from the Miami Marlins in January 2018. He might hit, run and subject, however his energy had a frustratingly low ceiling.
That pattern initially persevered in Milwaukee, however not for lengthy. After breaking for the All-Star Sport in 2018, he went on a 195-game run by which he blasted 69 residence runs to go together with 40 stolen bases and a .342/.436/.705 slash line.
Yelich gained the Nationwide League MVP for ’18 and may properly have made it two in a row in ’19 if he’d been capable of see his race with Cody Bellinger—who, it have to be famous, started falling out of stardom even earlier than his fateful shoulder injury in 2020—via to the end. Alas, his season ended by the use of a foul ball that broke his kneecap on Sept. 10.
The Brewers remained assured sufficient in Yelich to signal him to a $215 million extension the next March. But whether or not it is due to the knee, his recurring back issues or some mixture of the 2, he simply hasn’t been the identical participant within the final three years.
Yelich, now 30, nonetheless places a charge into the ball each once in a while, however on the entire he is hit simply 33 residence runs over his final 305 video games. With his speed likewise not what it as soon as was, ready for him to reclaim his superstardom will not be really helpful.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
