Welcome back to Week 5 of our Patience or Panic series, where we take a look at three struggling players and provide recommendations on how you should react to their slow starts and subpar performance. It is still early, of course, but numbers are beginning to become more meaningful. Let’s see if we can discern what might be an unlucky start and what is more worrisome.
Mike Yastrzemski, OF, Atlanta Braves
Mike Yastrzemski debuted in MLB in 2019 at 28 years old. From 2019-2025, he had 3,139 PA, a .238/.324/.447 slash, 24.4% K%, 10.5% BB%, and 111 wRC+. He also had 123 HR and a solid .210 ISO.
Prior to his age-35 season, he signed a 2-year contract with Atlanta. In 94 PA it has not gone well.
He has a .188/.266/.247 slash, 26.6% K%, 8.5% BB%, and wRC+. Is this still just early-season noise, or is age catching up to Yastrzemski?
He has a .267 BABIP, which is a bit lower than his career, but within expected parameters. His Bat Speed is down 0.6 mph from last year, but that can be expected to increase a bit as it continues to warm up.
His Barrel% and ISO are just 3.3% and .059, respectively. He has displayed very little power and has yet to hit a HR.
Verdict: Patience. Yastrzemski’s Hard Hit% is actually slightly above his career and is above average in MLB. His Avg Exit Velo is also strong. His O-Swing% is up, but the rest of his Plate Discipline metrics are more or less in line with the rest of his career. For most guys, power comes from pulled fly balls. Yastrzemski is pulling the ball, but his FB% is nearly 12 points lower than his career average. I suspect he’ll get that figured out. I wouldn’t expect his average to get much higher than the lower 200s, but the power should return.
Lawrence Butler, OF, Athletics
In 2024, Butler established himself with a 22 HR, 18 SB, 130 wRC+ season. That year, he got his K% down to 23.9%. In 2025, his K% rose to 28.4%, and his wRC+ dropped to 96.
In 95 PA this year, he has a .186/.263/.279 slash, 26.3% K%, 9.5% BB%, and 47 wRC+. Was 2024 the outlier?
As you’d expect from a 25-year-old, his Bat Speed remains a plus.
Source: FanGraphs
His Plate Discipline numbers have more in common with his strong 2024 season than his OK 2025. In fact, the 11.9% SwStr% would suggest his K% may come down a few points.
Source: FanGraphs
Verdict: Patience, mostly. I generally don’t put much stock in directional Batted Ball Breakdowns this early, but Butler’s decreased FB% and Pull AIR% is a somewhat disturbing trend. However, I think if he can get those numbers up, a season somewhere between 2024 and 2025 is probable.
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Kansas City Royals
In 1,794 PA coming into this year, Pasquantino had a .266/.333/.456 slash, 13.5% K%, 8.3% BB%, and 115 wRC+. Only Mookie Betts and José Ramírez had a higher SLG and lower K% than Pasquantino among hitters with at least 1,500 PA over that span.
2026 has not been so good. His K% is up to 20.0% and his SLG is way down to .310. His .160 AVG and .267 OBP have contributed to a 58 wRC+. What’s going on?
His Fast-Swing Rate is all the way down to 4.0%, too. His was 26.4% last year, and the MLB average is 23.7%.
Source: Pitcher List
Verdict: Panic. There’s a lot to be concerned about here. I almost suspect he may have an injury he is dealing with. I don’t have much insight to provide, but he is a slugger who needs to hit the ball harder. If he doesn’t, 2026 will be the worst year of his career thus far. He has played a third of his game in cold-weather environments, so maybe he’ll loosen up.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X)
