Anibal Sanchez is one of the best pitchers to come out of Venezuela, but he had an up-and-down career. He was signed by the Boston Red Sox but traded to the Florida Marlins while still in the minors. He had a successful rookie year, winning ten games against three losses, with a 2.93 ERA, and throwing a no-hitter that year. However, control issues and a torn labrum troubled him over the next three seasons, and he only played 32 games during that time. Sanchez was finally healthy in 2010 and, though not a star, became a solid middle-of-the-rotation performer.

The Marlins traded Sanchez to the Detroit Tigers for their playoff run, and in 2013 he had his best season. He led the American League in ERA (2.57), ERA+ (162), FIP (2.39), and HR9 (0.4), and was fourth in Cy Young voting. Sanchez never matched that level of performance again, and by 2017 he lost his job as a starter and was later demoted to AAA. Sanchez looked to be finished, but he found a spot on the Atlanta Braves roster, where he had his best year since 2013 (7-6, 2.83 ERA), resurrecting his career. The Washington Nationals signed him to a contract, and he helped the team win their first World Series Championship in 2019.

Sanchez played until 2022 and retired with a record of 116-119, with 1,774 strikeouts.

From Curaco, Andrelton Simmons was a light-hitting Shortstop who never made an All-Star Game, but we think it would be criminal if he did not receive an opportunity to be on the 2025 ballot.

Simmons did not hit particularly well, as his career OPS of .678 and 1,169 Hits were not head-turning.  What Simmons did exceptionally well was rock-solid defence, and the numbers and accolades show it.  A five-time Gold Glove winner, Simmons won six Wilson Defensive Players, one Wilson Overall Defensive Player, and the 2013 NL Platinum Glove.  Simmons led the league (NL 2013 & 2015 AL 2017) three times in Defensive bWAR, was second three times and retired 11^th overall in that statistic with 28.5.  He was so good with the glove that he received MVP votes three times, peaking with an eighth-place finish in 2017 when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. 

Simmons also played for Atlanta, Minnesota and the Chicago Cubs. 

Starting his Major League career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008, Escobar became a starting infielder in 2010. He had his best years after he was traded to Kansas City in 2011. While Escobar did not have a power game, hitting only 58 home runs in 1,552 games, he was known for his exceptional fielding and base running abilities. He recorded at least 20 stolen bases seven times, with a total of 253 SB. Escobar also had three seasons where he broke 1.5 in Defensive bWAR. His best year was in 2015 when he was an All-Star, won the Gold Glove, and played a pivotal role in the Royal World Series win that year. Escobar won the ALCS MVP, batting .478 with 5 RBIs, and he hit an inside-the-park home run in the World Series.

Over the course of his career, he had 1,486 hits.