Alex Avila was famously nicknamed the "Titanium Catcher" by fans for his ability to endure getting hit by foul tips. Unfortunately, his career was cut short due to concussions and injuries.

Avila had his best years with his first team, the Detroit Tigers. He made his debut with the team in 2009 and became their primary catcher in 2011, which turned out to be the best year of his career. That year he was an All-Star and Silver Slugger, and achieved career-highs in every major metric, including 137 hits, 19 home runs, 83 RBIs, and a .508 slugging percentage. He was even 13th in MVP voting. Avila was on track to become a baseball star, but unfortunately, he was plagued by injuries and became a regular on the injured reserve list.

After 2011, Avila struggled to stay healthy. When he was able to play, he was still a good defensive player, but his offense never quite recovered. He never had another season with at least 100 hits. He continued to play for Detroit until 2015 when he signed with the Chicago White Sox. He briefly returned to Detroit before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played for Arizona, Minnesota, and Washington before retiring with 714 hits. Unfortunately, his injury struggles mean that he is unlikely to make the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame.