Every year there are at least a handful of star players that struggle for one reason or another. Whether it’s injuries, age or just plain bad luck, those players are still extremely talented and capable so if they can overcome whatever held them back from reaching their potential a year ago then they should be in for productive seasons. Here is a look at five potential MLB stars primed to bounce back in 2017.
Jason Heyward, Chicago Cubs
Heyward did an outstanding job in the field a year ago but he was a legitimately bad hitter with a massive hole in his swing that was constantly exposed. Heyward hasn’t been an above league-average hitter in a while but he spent the entire offseason rebuilding his swing and it could pay off in a major way this season. The 27-year-old has some incredible power and if the swing clicks it could be the key to a monster season. Heyward has the potential to be an MLB star and it won’t surprise anybody if he bounces back in a major way in 2017.
Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks
Greinke followed up a 1.66 ERA in 2015 with a 4.37 ERA with the Diamondbacks last season despite a very similar 2.76 FIP. His numbers are due for at least a slight correction based in part on having a year to adjust to his new surroundings in Arizona and in part because his ERA couldn’t get much worse. Greinke needs to adjust to the fact that he plays in a home run-friendly ballpark and stick with his best stuff working around hitters sometimes rather than always trying to attack them. Greinke might not produce a sub-2.00 ERA but he will definitely bounce back with a stronger season.
Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros
Keuchel followed up a Cy Young season with a 4.55 ERA in 2016, so it makes sense that he is due to bounce back this season. His 3.87 FIP and xFIP of 3.53 indicate he wasn’t as terrible as his numbers suggest and a full offseason to regroup and adjust should help him get back on track. Remember that 2015 wasn’t a fluke for him; he had a 2.93 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 2014 as well. Keuchel might not produce the incredible numbers he registered in 2015 but he will be much better than he was a year ago. The Astros as a team should be more balanced and that should take some pressure off of Keuchel.
Derek Norris, Washington Nationals
No player in the majors was as snake bitten as Norris a year ago when he had a 22-percent line-drive rate and he hit the ball hard 34.4-percent of the time but he finished with a brutal .238 BABIP and an unsightly .186 batting average that ranked him among the worst hitters in the majors. The silver lining for Norris is that there is nowhere to go but up from here and that should mean a strong bounce back season with a little more luck in 2017. A new team and a fresh slate should help the 28-year-old catcher and it won’t surprise if he delivered much better numbers this coming season.
Shin-Soo Choo, Texas Rangers
Choo hit just .242 with seven home runs and 17 RBI last season but he was robbed of his health by nagging injuries and his .288 BABIP didn’t make much sense even though he hit in to the shift a ton. Choo will need to stay healthy in order to reach his potential and while it’s unreasonable to expect him to hit .300 with 22 home runs and 90 RBI the way he did in his prime with the Cleveland Indians back in 2010 he should be able to deliver better numbers overall. Even if he doesn’t return to his 2010 form when he was a 5.6 WAR player, getting back to being a 20-home run guy as he’s been in two of the last three years would be a big boost to the Rangers. Texas is loaded with talent throughout its lineup, so if Choo delivers to his capabilities, then he should bounce back with a very productive season in 2017.
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