San Diego Padres: Don’t give up on Wil Myers just yet

San Diego Padres’ Wil Myers is facing a prolonged batting slump. The Friars hope he can return to his former self and help their push for a playoff run.

Wil Myers was the San Diego Padres‘ most beloved player in 2017.

On April 10, 2017, he became only the second player in Padres history to hit a cycle, doing so against the Colorado Rockies (see video below). A commemorative Wil Myers bobble head was distributed at Petco Park celebrating his accomplishment. At 26 years old, he was touted as the next Padres superstar.

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Nearly three years later, Myers has found himself warming the Padres’ bench. There are constant talks and rumors surrounding the Padres moving on from Wil. He has himself only to blame, though.

Myers is in the midst of a brutal slump. In 2019,  as per baseball savant, he only has 54 hits in 280 plate appearances with a career-high strikeout percentage of 35.5%.

His slash line of .220/.315/.412 isn’t good enough to warrant a starting position with the current squad, especially with Travis Jankowski beginning his rehab assignment in El Paso.

Myers is well aware of his issues thus far and has accepted Andy Green’s decision to play others ahead of him:

“I haven’t been doing a whole lot at the plate. We have a great group here where we can take a step back and reevaluate some things, work on some things while these guys get some playing time, because they’re playing really well right now.”

Despite the above shortcomings, the Padres must persist with Wil Myers. His heavily backloaded contract means that, starting in 2020, Myers will be owed $22.5 million per year for the next three years with a $1 million buyout in 2023.

It’s quite unlikely that another team would risk picking up such a large contract, especially considering his current performance. Trading Wil Myers not only makes no financial sense whatsoever, but it’s also highly improbable.

A better approach would be to believe in the law of averages. Wil is only 28 and will eventually start producing again – if he can return to his old form, the Friars could have another impact player in the middle of the lineup, perhaps having him bat sixth or seventh.

In order to achieve this, however, Myers will need to have better at-bats, and for this to happen he’ll need more plate appearances. He’s been working in the batting cages to reevaluate his mechanics, but that’s not enough.

Instead of having Myers warm the benches, the Padres should consider sending him down to the hitter-friendly Triple-A El Paso team, allowing him to regain some of his lost timing.

Having Wil on the Padres is a benefit to the team for several reasons. He’s an exceptional teammate and can play at multiple positions – despite some defensive vulnerabilities, Myers has experience at almost every fielding position.

He has the ability to excel in each outfield position, and, if need be, he can fill in for Eric Hosmer or Manny Machado, having played at first and third base in the past.

Dispensing Wil Myers sounds like an easier option compared to extracting his full potential, which is the tougher ask. Only time will tell if he can transform himself and start contributing once again as the Friars make a playoff push.

For complete coverage of the San Diego Padres’ 2019 season, continue following Friars on Base all season long.