Reasons behind Seiya Suzuki's slump could be many

TOKYO — In 1955, a 24-year-old Chicago Cubs rookie outfielder named Bob Speake hit 10 homers in April and talk around MLB was whether or not he would break Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60. Some were calling him the greatest rookie in the history of MLB. To make a long story short, Speake finished with 12 homers and a batting average of .218 and by 1959 he was out of baseball altogether.

In 1994, a  25-year-old Chicago Cubs outfielder named Tuffy Rhodes, a benchwarmer acquired from Houston, became the first National League player to hit three home runs on Opening Day when he connected off of Dwight Gooden at Wrigley Field. Would he be the Cubs next superstar fans and reporters alike wondered? As it turned, Rhodes finished with eight home runs and a batting average of .234. By age 26, he was out of MLB and playing in Japan.