MLB’s One-Season Wonders: Steven Souza Jr. and 2017
It’s really sad to say, but Steven Souza Jr. could’ve been great. He had a cannon of an arm in right and big-time power. Unfortunate circumstances derailed his career, but he did have one season to really show for it: 2017.
Before 2017
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, young Souza wowed scouts. Freshly out of high school, he was offered the option to attend college, or partake in the 2007 MLB draft. Souza took the latter, with the Nationals drafting him in the third round. They also gave him a $346,000 signing bonus.
He stuck it out in the minors, not showing a ton of promise. Souza’s route was slow and underwhelming yet found himself on the Nationals’ 40-man roster in 2014. It was this year the team promoted Souza to the Majors.
Souza didn’t make an impact at first in the show. Washington gave up on him, trading Souza to the Rays in a big multi-player deal. As before, his first two seasons were subpar. He slashed .234/.308/.404 with an OPS+ of 96.
2017
2017, however, was a different story for Souza. He got off to the hottest start in his professional career going as far as winning an MLB Player of the Week award. By season’s end, Souza batted .239/.351/.459 with 30 home runs and an OPS+ of 119.
Souza also had a WAR of 3.9. As a result, the Rays voted him as the team MVP of 2017. He ranked fifth in the American League in walks with 84; something that Tampa Bay thrives upon. The Rays traded Souza to the Diamondbacks, evidently.
After 2017
With Arizona, Souza sadly was never able to return to his 30-homer form. Injuries haunted him, including a strained right pectoral muscle which followed him throughout the rest of his career.
All hell broke loose in 2019, when he tore four muscles, ending Souza’s season in Spring Training. After very disappointingly short stints with the Cubs, Dodgers and Mariners, Souza hung up the cleats officially in 2022. From 2017-22 he slashed .203/.288/.350 in 106 games.
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