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…

Andrew Miller had a long career.  He was initially used as a low-rotation starter, and he threw for Florida and Detroit, but he was not terribly effective.  His third team, Boston, moved him to the bullpen, and eventually, the lanky 6’ 7” southpaw found his groove.  The Red Sox traded the soon-to-be Free Agent to Baltimore, and in 2015, he signed with the New York…

Brett Gardner spent his entire 14-year career in the Majors playing with the New York Yankees. He displayed impressive advanced metrics, exceptional plate discipline, and deceptive speed on the field. Gardner's role as a "glue" guy on the team made him an unsung hero to knowledgeable fans. He earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including an All-Star appearance in 2015, a Gold Glove in 2016,…

Buster Posey was a San Francisco Giant for all of his 12 seasons in the Majors, and is widely considered as the best Catcher of the 2010s. Posey was an outstanding player at the University of Florida, where he won the 2008 Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award. In the 2008 Amateur Draft, the Giants chose him as the fifth overall pick. After…

It is intriguing to note that we cannot recall a player with four All-Star Games to his name who might not make the ballot. However, this is the case with Relief Pitcher Dellin Betances.Betances hails from New York City and was drafted by the New York Yankees, his favorite team, in 2006. He made his first appearance in the Bronx in 2011 (2 Games) and…

A month before making his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies, Dexter Fowler was a United States Olympic Team member who won Bronze at the 2008 Olympics. Called up that September, Fowler was eighth in National League Rookie of the Year voting the following season and was the NL leader in Triples in 2010. Playing with the Rockies until 2013, Fowler was not a star…

Ervin Santana had a long career as a Starting Pitcher in the Major Leagues. Although he surpassed 150 career Wins, he did so in bunches.The Dominican hurler made his debut for the Angels in 2005 and had 30 Wins against 16 Losses in his first two years, but his ERA was well over four. Santana had a bad 2007 season (7-14, 5.76 ERA), but he…

J.A. Happ had a career that could be described as that of a journeyman, as he played for eight different teams, including one twice. But despite this, he had some accomplishments that other pitchers would have been proud of. Happ was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004 and first appeared for them in 2007. However, he was still considered a rookie in 2009, when…

Jay Bruce is a former baseball player who is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Reds. He was a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger. Bruce was a premier power hitter for the Reds for many years. In 2008, Bruce finished fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. That season, he had 21 home runs and 52 RBIs, which…

Joakim Soria began his career in the Mexican League before being selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Kansas City Royals from the San Diego Padres organization. This turned out to be a wise investment for KC as Soria finished seventh in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2007, with 17 Saves. Over the next three seasons, Soria established himself as…

John Axford, a Canadian baseball player, started his career in the Majors by replacing Hall of Fame reliever Trevor Hoffman in Milwaukee. Although he was a starting pitcher in the Minors, Axford performed well as a relief pitcher, saving 24 games in 2010 and leading the National League with 46 saves the following season (2011). His impressive performance earned him the NL Rolaids Relief Award…

In the year 2000, the two most cursed franchises in baseball were the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. Given their history of bad luck, many believed that it would be another hundred years before either of these big market teams would win a championship. While Jon Lester did not break these curses (he wasn't in the Majors when Boston broke it in 2004), he…

Jonathan Lucroy had a successful career that lasted for 12 seasons. However, his best season was in 2014, when he played for the Milwaukee Brewers, the team that drafted him. Lucroy made his debut for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010 and mostly played as a catcher. He won the starting job in 2011, but it was in 2014 when he had his best year. In…

Jordan Zimmerman first made it to the majors in 2009 as the fifth starter in the bullpen of the Washington Nationals. However, his debut was short-lived as he underwent Tommy John Surgery after 16 starts and was unable to return until late 2010. In 2011, Zimmerman was healthy and used his three-pitch arsenal to record a 3.18 ERA, but his record was losing (8-11). The…