It’s been more than 1 month since the 2023 regular season started. Each team has already played around 30 games. After playing for more than 1 month, I’m wondering whether some batters’ performances fit the teams’ expectations. In particular, those batters who signed a big contract with a new team during the offseason, do they hit well so far?
Firstly, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts each signed an 11-year deal. Trea Turner was selected to the 2022 All-Star game. He played 160 games for the Dodgers last year, hitting .298/.343/.466 with 21 home runs and 100 RBI. Trea Turner finalized an 11-year contract with the Phillies last December and now he slashes .262/.304/.392 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI in 31 games. Moreover, Xander Bogaerts won the World Series title with the Red Sox in 2013 and 2018. In total, he played for the Red Sox from 2013 to 2022, batting .292/.356/.458 with 156 home runs and 683 RBI in 1264 games. He was selected to the 2022 All-Star game as well. Bogaerts slashed .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI in 150 games last year. This season, he hits .304/.392/.500 with 6 HRs and 13 RBI so far. At the same time, Dansby Swanson was another All-Star shortstop, who signed a long-term deal last winter. Swanson played 162 games for the Braves last year and batted .277/.329/.447 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI. He and the Cubs agreed to a 7-year deal last December. By far, he hits .306/.419/.407 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI over 28 games. In addition, Yadier Molina retired after the 2022 season and the Cardinals decided to ink a 5-year deal with Willson Contreras, who spent 7 seasons with the division rival Chicago Cubs. In 2022, Yadier Molina was hitting .214/.233/.302 with 5 home runs and 24 RBI in 80 games. In 2022, Contreras slashed .243/.349/.466 with 22 HRs and 55 RBI in 113 games in the Cubs uniform. By far, Contreras hits .266/.352/.394 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI across 28 games. Finally, the 2020 AL MVP decided to join the Astros after spending 9 seasons with the White Sox. Jose Abreu hit .304/.378/.446 with 15 home runs and 75 RBI in 157 games with the White Sox last year. He and the Astros agreed to a 3-year deal last November. By far this season, Abreu played 30 games, hitting .230/.260/.262 with 13 RBI. Looking at these players who signed a new contract during the offseason, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson each now have an OPS over .800. Willson Contreras’ OPS of .746 isn’t bad. However, he finished the 2022 season with an OPS over .800. But, Yadier Molina had an OPS below .600 in 2022. Hence, adding these players surely helps each team upgrade the lineup. Nonetheless, Trea Turner, who played excellently last season and was one of the hottest hitters in the WBC, now has an OPS below .700. Moreover, speed is his weapon, but he only has 4 stolen bases now. Additionally, Jose Abreu’s OPS is below .600 and he hasn’t crushed any home runs yet. The summer is coming. Let’s see whether these 2 players will heat up soon. Furthermore, how many of these players will finish the 2023 season with an OPS over .800?
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