Interesting article on ESPN:
How bad can an MLB player hit in 2026 and stay in the lineup?
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48881417/mlb-2026-bad-hitters-stay-lineup-study-bailey-clarke-ortiz-scott-semien
Highlights:
With the MLB batting average sitting at .239, the lowest since 1968, and home runs falling to their lowest per-game rate since 2015, managers across baseball are facing this question: How bad can an excellent defensive player hit and remain in the lineup?
Bailey, C, Guardians (.140/.207/.206, 20 OPS+): With Naylor hitting just .143 with a .200 OBP at the time of the trade, after hitting just .195 as the regular Cleveland catcher in 2025, the Guardians figured if they weren't going to get much offense from their catcher, they might as well go all-in with Bailey's pitch-framing skills.
Marcus Semien, 2B, New York Mets (.216/.264/.312, 65 OPS+): Semien has finished third in MVP voting three times and won his second Gold Glove at second base last season while with the Texas Rangers, but at age 35, his offensive production continues to slide.
Fascinating:
Since the expansion era began in 1962, the honor for the worst-hitting player who forged a career of at least 3,000 plate appearances belongs to catcher Jeff Mathis, who played 17 seasons in the big leagues, posting a .194/.252/.299 batting line for a lifetime OPS+ of 48.