MLB teams
Dan Szymborski, Special to ESPN.com 13y

White Sox need a Dunn-Rios miracle

MLB, Chicago White Sox

Hundreds of articles have been written this season about the struggles of Adam Dunn and Alex Rios, so nobody should be shocked by the suggestion that a lot of the blame for the Chicago White Sox's current third-place standing in the AL Central rests on their shoulders. Every team has disappointing players, but Dunn and Rios have had disappointing years of historical significance, and both players were expected to play large roles in the offense.

Back in June, we looked at the biggest drop-off seasons in MLB history, as measured by OPS drop-off from the player's previous three-year average. At the time, Dunn's .658 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) would have been the sixth-largest drop-off in history. Since then, Dunn has played even worse, with his seasonal OPS down to .590, which is the OPS for a really good hitting pitcher rather than a major league designated hitter. That .590 moves Dunn to second all time in biggest drop-off, just behind Rogers Hornsby in 1926, who was at least still a competent player in his down season. Rios wasn't expected to hit as well as Dunn has, but he has managed to be even more feeble offensively, with a .563 OPS.

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