Padres News: Xander Bogaerts' Recent Slump Reaching Historic Lows

It hasn't been easy for the X-man

The San Diego Padres have certainly been facing some challenges in the early part of this season. Despite their tough start, their top offseason signing, star shortstop Xander Bogaerts was killing it for the Friars. 

When the season kicked off, Bogaerts' performance was nothing short of exceptional. He was doing it all for San Diego, on defense and offense, and the Padres couldn't have asked for more from their newly signed superstar.

Fans were ecstatic, and the massive contract he received in the offseason appeared to be a worthwhile investment. Bogaerts seemed destined to be the driving force behind the team's resurgence. However, as the season progressed, Bogaerts has found himself caught in a prolonged slump. His numbers started to decline across the board, and it's been ugly.

The 30-year-old struggled mightily in his Wednesday outing against the Nationals and told Padres insider Kevin Acee he's at a low point in the season right now.

“I’m not helping the cause get better right now,” Bogaerts said. “It’s very frustrating. It’s very annoying. I’m extremely frustrated.”

“To be honest, the days I’ve got some good results, I probably still haven’t felt great,” he said last night. “But I mean, I study, I hit after the game, before the game, you name it. I just have to continue to grind, continue to search, just keep digging.”

The slump affected Bogaerts' batting average, on-base percentage, and overall offensive production. His once potent bat seemed to have lost its magic touch, leaving fans and analysts scratching their heads.

Baseball is unpredictable, and players go through ups and downs throughout their careers. The game could do you dirty, and it seems to be going that way for Xander. In his last 30 games, he's slashing .189/.302/.306 with only 21 hits in 111 ABs, three home runs, eight RBIs, and 30 strikeouts, with four of them in Wednesday's loss. 

It may seem bleak right now, but we're confident the righty slugger will find his groove again and look like the 280-million-dollar man we all witnessed at the start of the season.