Alex Gordon was never the same after the 2015 World Series. It was a remarkable cap to a remarkable five-year run where he was one of the 10 best position players in all of baseball. But, even independent of his massive, franchise-record contract, Gordon never produced at the same level. His defense was still excellent, his arm a potent deterrent to would-be aggressive baserunners. But his overall production tanked when his offense did the same.
Why did Gordon fade so quickly? There are many potential reasons. Age is one, an unavoidable factor that affects every player differently; Gordon entered his age-32 season in 2016.