Here is a look at some of the fantasy disappointments in the AL this year, and what to expect looing forward:
Greg Holland, RP, KC
After back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 1.50 and a WHIP below 1.00, Holland has crashed back to earth in 2015 with a 3.56 ERA, and a very mediocre 1.40 WHIP. His velocity has decreased about 2 MPH from last year, and this has resulted in his K% disturbingly dropping over 10% from each of the previous two seasons. Just as disturbing is that his BB/9 has climbed over 5.00 after being under 3.00 in both 2013-14. As long as he remains a full-time closer he'll have mixed-league value, but don't expect a return to the upper echelon with the likes of Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman.
Victor Martinez, 1B, DET
There haven't been many bigger disappointments than Martinez this year, as he has followed up his monstrous .335, 32 HR, 103 RBI campaign in 2014 with a .239 average and a measly 9 dingers halfway through September this season. While his K% in 2015 has risen from the past few seasons, it is still elite at 10.9% which is right in line with his career average. The real issue has been his BABIP, which has fallen to .249 after 9 consecutive years of being over .300. At 36 years old, one would expect some decline, but this is pretty extreme. Next year Martinez will be 37, and with his poor 2015 performance I wouldn't be surprised if he goes undrafted in many leagues. If that is indeed the case, he may have some sleeper value, as with his great contact skills a return to hitting close to .300 is always a possibility.
Jeff Samardzija, SP, CWS
Samardzija has been awful of late as he has allowed at least 4 ER's in 9 of his last 10 starts and has compiled an 8.48 ERA over that span. On the season, his ERA sits at an ugly 5.27; a huge disappointment for a pitcher who had a 2.99 ERA just a season ago. After four straight years with a K/9 over 8.00, the Shark has seen that number dip to 7.00, and the problems don't end there. His GB% is at its lowest in five years and has seen a drop of over 10% since 2014. This has led to a career-high 27 HR's allowed, good enough for 8th most in baseball. We've seen Samardzija pitch like an ace before, but I'm not counting on it happening again next year.
Chris Carter, DH, HOU
Fresh off a 37 HR, 88 RBI campaign in 2014, fantasy owners were expecting Carter to be an elite source of power once again this year, even if it was at the expense of BA. He has still provided good power on a per-AB basis, the problem is that his .182 average has led the Astros to leave him on the bench more regularly than his owners would like. So while his 18 HR's are nice, it's not nearly enough to compensate for the paltry BA. With only 77 PA's logged since the all-star break, it's fair to wonder how much Carter will be used next season. Until he starts going on a hot streak like he did late last season, he is probably best left on the wire.
Anibal Sanchez, SP, DET
Sanchez will indeed be shut down for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury and he will finish 10-10 with a 4.99 ERA. This ends a streak of six seasons for Sanchez in which his ERA was under 4.00 and the biggest culprit was the homerun ball as he allowed 29 in 25 starts. While his 16.0 HR/FB% is likely due for some regression, his performance and health issues leave plenty of concern heading into 2016.
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