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, and a Wilson Defensive Player Award. However, his most prized achievement is his 2009 World Series Ring.

Fans of the Yankees were well aware of Gardner's talents and he amassed 1,470 Hits, 139 Home Runs, and 274 Stolen Bases with a bWAR over 40. It comes as no surprise that the Bronx team held onto him for the entirety of his career.

Asdrubal Cabrera signed with the Cleveland Indians as an Amateur Free Agent from Venezuela, and it was with the Tribe that he had his best years. He made the team in 2007, and two years later, he became a full-time starter in the infield. Cabrera's breakout year was in 2011, when he went to his first All-Star Game and had career-highs in Home Runs (25) and RBIs (92), while also winning his first and only Silver Slugger award.

Although Cabrera was an All-Star again in 2012, he entered a journeyman status, but he was still a high-quality acquisition due to his versatile defense and occasional power. He played for Washington, Tampa, New York (NL), Philadelphia, and Washington again, where he played a small role in their first World Series Championship. After brief stays in Arizona and Cincinnati, Cabrera retired with 1,763 hits and 195 home runs.

Geno Atkins, who had a dominant run at the University of Georgia, was considered small for a Defensive Tackle and fell to the fourth round in the 2010 Draft. However, this turned out to be a steal for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Atkins began his career as a bench player, but he started at Right Defensive Tackle in his second year and held that position until 2019. His quick jump off the snap was unmatched, and he established himself as an excellent edge creator. His speed was impressive, as he was often seen chasing down runners. Atkins was named to eight Pro Bowls with Cincinnati and was a First Team All-Pro in 2012 and 2015. It is worth noting that Atkins achieved all this without much support in the Jungle.

After the 2019 Season, Atkins was named to the All-Decade Team, but he underwent major shoulder surgery and was only able to play eight games in 2020, recording only one tackle. Unfortunately, this ended his career in the NFL, which had been a very successful one, with 75.5 sacks, 100 tackles for loss, and 384 combined tackles.

Sometimes, you were born to do something, even if you grew up having never seen it.

Born and raised in Ghana, Ezekiel Ansah was an excellent student and natural athlete.  He received an academic scholarship from BYU, and tried out for the basketball team (which he did not make), but did earn a spot in track.  With his size, Ansah was persuaded to try out for football, and despite not even knowing how to put on shoulder pads, he made the team.  Three years later, he had impressed scouts so much that he was the Fifth Overall Pick in the 2013 Draft.

Taken by the Detroit Lions, Ansah became a starter as a rookie, and proved quickly he was a very good pass rusher.  Ansah made the Pro Bowl in 2015 off of a 14.5 Sack year, and he had another double-digit Sack year (12) in 2017.  He recorded 50.5 Sacks over his eight NFL seasons; six with Detroit, and one each in Seattle and San Francisco.  What a career for someone who never picked up a football until college!