Jack: They simply played poorly, stopped hitting, and often pitched poorly, all at the same time. Individual players that are roughly average, or even good, but not great, tend to have stretches where they look and perform like great players. But if they are not truly great, it’s difficult to maintain or sustain. They will be streaky. Sometimes we can be tricked into thinking a good player is a great player, because the results will out strip the underlying peripherals.
But sometimes it’s just a matter of consistency. The ability to maintain mechanics, (either hitting or pitching) maintain mental focus, AND maintain good health and strength throughout the season.