It was easy to overlook Matt Chapman‘s struggles at the beginning of the season. He had undergone hip surgery in 2020, and was working his way back into shape. It was foolhardy to expect that Chapman would immediately be the same player he had been before, when he was arguably the best third baseman in the American League.
Likewise, his hip issues explained his disappointing 2020 campaign. He still had the power he had in previous years, but did not look the same at the plate. His swing and miss and strikeout rates increased dramatically, but given that he had torn his hip labrum, it was easy to overlook those struggles as well.
Matt Chapman becoming a question mark
At this point, it is fair to wonder if Chapman will ever return to the form he had previously displayed. He has produced a disappointing .213/.300/.367 batting line in his 450 plate appearances, hitting 14 homers and 12 doubles. His troubles with the strikeout have continued into this season, as he leads the majors with 146 strikeouts.
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Chapman’s defense has also suffered. Once the Gold (Glove) Standard at the hot corner, he has been average with the glove based on the metrics. He was considered to have cost the A’s a run at third last season, which was understandable given the hip problems. However, this year, he is still considered to have cost Oakland a run, a far cry from the player whose 40 runs saved over his first 2.5 years was the best mark in the majors in that time frame.
That is not to say that Chapman has struggled all season. He has had periods when he appeared to be about to break out of his slump, once again becoming the player he had been. However, he has not been able to sustain those periods, falling back to what has become his baseline for the season.
The torn hip labrum is not, as far as anyone is aware, an issue any longer. Chapman should be fully healthy, and considering that he has appeared in 109 of the A’s 112 games, that is the case. It is time for Chapman to produce again, if he is capable of being the player he once was.
Matt Chapman is in the midst of a second consecutive disappointing season. He has started to become a question mark for the Oakland A’s.