Let us now be disappointed in total strangers.
By that, we mean let us now, as the Major League Baseball calendar approaches September and we prepare to put full focus on the various and sundry playoff races, take time to talk about the most disappointing players of the 2026 season to date. These are, as you would expect, the notable players who have fallen short of reasonable expectations by the widest margins. Sure, an otherworldly final five weeks or so of regular season could lift them into adequacy, but thus far these seven players to come have been surprising flops this year. We come not to condemn but rather merely to observe. Now prepare to be disappointed.
In no particular order, just like the alphabet …
Cal Raleigh, Mariners
The Seattle catcher last season walloped 60 home runs and finished second in the American League MVP vote. Only Peak Aaron Judge could keep Raleigh away from the hardware. That wasn't out of nowhere, either, as Raleigh logged 30-homer seasons in both 2025 and 2024. That's elite production, especially from a strong defensive catcher. The 2026 season, though, hasn't gone Raleigh's way. At all. In 98 games this year, he's slashing .167/.282/.336 with 17 home runs, three of which came on Monday night. Compounding matters is that, according to Statcast measurement, Raleigh in 2026 has also taken a major step back defensively.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
It seems like a long time ago that Vlad Jr. hit 48 home runs as a 22-year-old. Coming off a productive 2025 season and 2025 playoffs that saw him power up, Guerrero has shed home run power like never before. At present, he's slugging just .356 -- an appalling figure for a first baseman (signed to a $500 million contract -- with just seven home runs in 117 games. It's been more than a calendar year since Guerrero has hit a regular-season home run at home. There are many reasons the Blue Jays have backslid so much since the end of the World Series, but Vlad's power outage may be the biggest reason of all.
Kyle Tucker, Dodgers
Yes, the Dodgers may well wind up hoisting the World Series trophy for a third straight year, but thus far Tucker has had little to do with their success in 2026. The marquee free agent of last offseason, Tucker inked a shorter contract than expected, but it's one that, in terms of average annual value, makes him the highest-salaried position player in MLB. He's not come close to living up to it as a Dodger. He's lost more than 150 points of OPS versus last season (and more than 300 points versus 2024), and his range in the outfield has completely collapsed.
Paul Skenes, Pirates
Skenes, still just 24, hasn't been bad this season, but he also hasn't been Paul Skenes. Through the first two seasons and 55 starts of his big-league career, he boasted a 1.96 ERA and a 2.40 FIP. In 2026, those respective figures are 3.95 and 3.01. Again, he hasn't been bad, especially from the underlying FIP standpoint, but the bar for the reigning NL Cy Young winner is higher than this. Also troubling is his recent loss of velocity. The Pirates have faded from contention, and not having Skenes at his best has made contention more difficult.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees
Chisholm last season was a deserving All-Star and Silver Slugger as the Yankees' second baseman. In 130 games, he racked up 31 homers and exactly as many stolen bases and boasted an OPS+ of 122. This season, however, he's declined significantly on all fronts. His 2025 slash line of .242/.332/.481 has dropped to a line of .220/.297/.397 thus far in 2026. On a rate basis, Chisholm is in line for the worst offensive season of his career. That's ill-timed for a Yankees offense trying to survive the prolonged absence of Aaron Judge, and it's also ill-timed for Chisholm himself, who's a pending free agent.
Freddy Peralta, Rays
The veteran right-hander and pending free agent coming into 2026 had reeled off three straight seasons of at least 30 starts and at least 200 strikeouts. In 2025, Peralta earned his second All-Star selection and finished fifth in the NL Cy Young vote. This season? He's been far shy of his usual self. With the Mets, he pitched to a 4.99 ERA and an 82 ERA+ in 22 starts with a career-worst FIP of 4.44. Since being acquired by the Rays leading up to the deadline, Peralta's been even worse, with a 7.17 ERA and 5.75 FIP after four starts on Tampa Bay's watch.
Edwin Díaz, Dodgers
No doubt, health issues have played a leading role in Díaz's struggles this season. He missed significant time because of loose bodies in his elbow, and now he's back on the injured list with neck discomfort. When on the field, though, his numbers have been a wreck. He's permitted 18 runs in 13 ⅔ innings, and opposing batters this season have a slash line of .385/.481/.631 against Díaz. It's hard to earn a WAR of -1.4 in so few innings, but he's pulled it off. The 32-year-old closer is in the first year of a three-year contract with L.A.
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