1. Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy looked like an MVP candidate in the early part of the season. A quick glance at his season-long numbers would lead you to believe I must be mistaken by listing him as our number one most disappointing player in the second half. He currently has a .854 OPS with an outstanding .370 OBP.
Murphy's good season numbers are propped up by his incredible first half. Murphy hit .306 with a .999 OPS prior to the All-Star break. Like I said, he was in that MVP conversation. He smashed 17 homers with 55 RBI en route to his first All-Star selection.
Since the break, Murphy has just three homers. His batting average is just .168 and his slugging percentage is a lowly .272. Prior to the break, his sOPS+ was 171. Since then, it's just 63. His ability to draw walks is keeping him from Kevin Pillar territory. Side note, he also gets hit by a ton of pitches. Did you know Murphy has been hit by more pitches (18) than he has grounded into double plays (17)? Well, now you can just say you knew that since you read it.
There's no doubt that Murph has been a very disappointing bat since the All-Star break. Murph's bat is so cold that Snit has recently dropped him all the way to 8th in the lineup. Early in the season, f you would have told me that Sean Murphy would be hitting 8th later on it would have seemed unfathomable.
Both catchers have gone cold in the second half. Hopefully, they can get their swings right in time for the postseason.
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