Mark Melancon played for nine different teams in the majors, which may make him seem like a journeyman. However, he was an exceptional relief pitcher and one of the best in baseball at times.
Melancon started his career with New York (AL), Houston, and Boston before having an outstanding season with a 1.39 ERA in Pittsburgh, where he became the Pirates closer. He won the Sporting News National League Pitcher of the Year in 2015, the Hoffman Award, and led the league in saves (51). Additionally, he placed eighth in Cy Young voting that year. Melancon added another All-Star appearance in 2016 when he was traded to Washington during the season.
In 2017, Melancon signed with San Francisco and was later traded to Atlanta in 2019. Although his time in Atlanta was decent, it did not reflect his performance in Pittsburgh. However, he had another fantastic year in 2021 with the San Diego Padres, where he earned his fourth and final All-Star Game appearance and led the NL in saves (39). Melancon played one last year with Arizona and finished his career with 262 total saves.