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If your batting average declines each year for 6 years straight, can you stay in the big leagues?
Although there are many new and more advanced statistics, batting average is still a useful measure of a player's ability.
Is 6 consecutive years of declining batting average irreversible?
Red Sox Dave Stapleton, an infielder who played from 1980-1986, is the only MLB player who played at least seven years whose batting average declined each year throughout his career. [1]
From a high of .321 in his rookie debut in 1980, Dave's batting average declined every year to a nadir of .128 in 1986.
Dave Stapleton, Boston Red Sox (1980-1986) Batting
  Age Team Lg WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ 1980 26 BOS AL 3 106 449 61 144 33 5 7 45 3 2 13 32 .321 .338 .463 .802 113 .357 108 1981 27 BOS AL 1.3 93 355 45 101 17 1 10 42 0 4 21 22 .285 .325 .423 .747 109 .346 111 1982 28 BOS AL 0.6 150 538 66 142 28 1 14 65 2 4 31 40 .264 .305 .398 .703 87 .315 81 1983 29 BOS AL -1.6 151 542 54 134 31 1 10 66 1 1 40 44 .247 .297 .363 .661 76 .299 67 1984 30 BOS AL -0.2 13 39 4 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 3 .231 .286 .282 .568 55 .253 33 1985 31 BOS AL -0.3 30 66 4 15 6 0 0 2 0 0 4 11 .227 .271 .318 .590 59 .279 56 1986 32 BOS AL -0.9 39 39 4 5 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 10 .128 .171 .154 .325 -10 .154 -32 7 Yrs 2.0 582 2028 238 550 118 8 41 224 6 11 114 162 .271 .310 .398 .707 90 .320 84 162 Game Avg 0.6 162 564 66 153 33 2 11 62 2 3 32 45 .271 .310 .398 .707 90 .320 84 Dave Stapleton, Boston Red Sox (1986 and Career Totals) 1B Fielding Stats 
        Pos G CG Inn Ch PO A E DP Fld% lgFld% Rtot Rtot/yr RF/9 lgRF9 RF/G lgRFG 1986   BOS AL 1B 29 5 85 86 79 7 0 10 1.000 .991 -1 -13 9.11 9.42 2.97 9.33 1B (7 Yrs) 1B 318 270 2547 2815 2593 201 21 266 .993 .992 11 5 9.87 9.87 8.79 9.78
 
Dave Stapleton is most well-known for what he didn't do than for what he may have done.
In Game 6 of the 1986 World Series with the Red Sox leading by 2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, he was not inserted as a defensive substitution at 1st base, something that had been done throughout the regular season and the playoffs, coming in 25 times during the regular season and in all 7 winning playoff games (4 in the ALCS and 3 in the World Series) in 1986.
The losing play of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series [2] was on an error by the Red Sox 1st Baseman, which allowed the New York Mets to score the winning run and consequently forced a World Series Game 7, which the Red Sox also lost.
Had Dave Stapleton been playing in the field in that 10th inning, would that same result have occurred, and would the Red Sox have won the 1986 World Series subsequently?
Would a 1986 World Series win by the Red Sox helped him to continue his career? It's interesting to speculate on how one bouncing ball could have changed the course of history for a team and its players.
As it was, 1986 was Dave Stapleton's final season at the age of 32.
For him, 6 years of decline was not recoverable.
 
In his 6th down year
In 2025, another player has seen his batting average decline year after year for 6 years.
Tim Anderson, a former AL batting champion, silver slugger, and 2-time All-star has seen his batting average drop 6 straight years since winning the 2019 AL batting crown. It was not an errant ball, but perhaps an errant brawl that has symbolized Tim Anderson's decline. when he exchanged punches with Jose Ramirez after a dispute on the basepaths on August 5, 2023.
In his age 32 season, Tim Anderson was just released by the Los Angeles Angels on May 31, 2025.
Is this the end of the line for Tim Anderson?
Tim Anderson Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels (2016-2025) Batting
  Age Team Lg WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ 2016 23 CHW AL 2.3 99 410 57 116 22 6 9 30 10 2 13 117 .283 .306 .432 .738 100 .326 101 2017 24 CHW AL -0.3 146 587 72 151 26 4 17 56 15 1 13 162 .257 .276 .402 .679 81 .305 82 2018 25 CHW AL 3.9 153 567 77 136 28 3 20 64 26 8 30 149 .240 .281 .406 .687 87 .308 88 2019 26 CHW AL 4.2 123 498 81 167 32 0 18 56 17 5 15 109 .335 .357 .508 .865 128 .369 128 2020 27 CHW AL 2.5 49 208 45 67 11 1 10 21 5 2 10 50 .322 .357 .529 .886 140 .382 140 2021 28 CHW AL 4.5 123 527 94 163 29 2 17 61 18 7 22 119 .309 .338 .469 .806 118 .357 123 2022 29 CHW AL 1.3 79 332 50 100 13 0 6 25 13 0 14 55 .301 .339 .395 .734 109 .332 105 2023 30 CHW AL -1.8 123 493 52 121 18 2 1 25 13 2 26 122 .245 .286 .296 .582 62 .263 56 2024 31 MIA NL -1.5 65 234 16 50 3 0 0 9 4 4 7 68 .214 .237 .226 .463 29 .204 15 2025 32 LAA AL 0 31 83 8 17 3 0 0 3 1 1 3 29 .205 .258 .241 .499 40 .224 31 10 Yrs 15 991 3939 552 1088 185 18 98 350 122 32 153 980 .276 .307 .407 .714 94 .316 93 162 Game Avg 2.5 162 644 90 178 30 3 16 57 20 5 25 160 .276 .307 .407 .714 94 .316 93 Tim Anderson Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels (2024-2025 and Career Totals) Fielding
Season Age Team Lg Pos G CG Inn Ch PO A E DP Fld% lgFld% Rtot Rtot/yr Rdrs Rdrs/yr RF/9 lgRF9 RF/G lgRFG 2024 31 MIA NL SS 63 59 537 245 66 170 9 34 .963 .972 -1 -2 0 0 3.95 3.82 3.75 3.77 2025 32 LAA AL 2B 16 12 125 65 23 40 2 14 .969 .982 -1 -10 1 10 4.54 4.03 3.94 3.97 2025 32 LAA AL SS 15 8 101 50 20 28 2 9 .960 .976 1 9 1 12 4.28 3.73 3.2 3.67 10 Yrs   981 913 8443 3822 1294 2384 144 517 .962 .973 -51 -7 -25 -4 3.92 3.9 3.75 3.84 SS (10 Yrs) SS 963 899 8300 3751 1268 2342 141 503 .962 .973 -50 -7 -26 -4 3.91 3.89 3.75 3.84 2B (2 Yrs) 2B 18 14 143 71 26 42 3 14 .958 .982 -1 -11 1 8 4.28 4.03 3.78 3.97 With above league average range factor per 9 innings (RF/9) and averaging 0.4 dWAR over the past two years.  Tim Anderson can still be a defensive asset for a team.
As an example, struggling Tigers' shortstop Javier Báez in the midst of 4 declining seasons of batting average, among other performance drops, had the opportunity to get a new lease on his career by moving to centerfield to start the season. While also playing 2nd base, shortstop, and 3rd base, Javier upped his batting performance and was selected to the AL all-star team as a starter as an outfielder.
Tim Anderson also had some reps in the outfield during Spring training but never started there in the regular season. With his previously shown talent, will Tim Anderson get a chance to reverse this six-year decline?


Sources:
[1] "Dave Stapleton". Sons of Sam Horn. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2007.
[2] 1986 World Series - Wikipedia