Colorado Rockies: Players who may see their first-half fortunes change

Daniel Murphy

I confess that when I started researching this article I hoped – even expected – to see Daniel Murphy listed as a player who could expect some improvement in his numbers. After all, his .273/.317/.449 line is well below his established norms, especially since he became a poster boy for the launch angle revolution.

Unfortunately, as disappointing as these numbers are they could easily be even lower. His expected batting average is a brutal .229, expected slugging an anemic .336, and he ranks in the bottom 6% of the league in hard-hit balls rate.

To make matters worse, his exit velocity and barrel rate are at their lowest points since Statcast started measuring those numbers.

There are, however, some extenuating circumstances that have led to Murphy’s struggles. His BABIP is a somewhat low .298 (his career mark is .320), plus he dealt with an injured left index finger at the start of the season.

Murphy was cleared to play before the finger was 100% healed and pain-free, so it’s possible that this may have been sapping his power somewhat. He is hitting .333/.338/.513 in June, so here’s to hoping that was the cause of his decline, and maybe Murphy ends up improving on these numbers after all.