Jeff Samardzija might have a losing record of 80-106, but he was one of the best athletes in Notre Dame history, having starred in both Baseball and Football, and he could have easily had a career in the NFL as a Wide Receiver.  Instead, he opted for a career in Baseball, which began in Chicago with the Cubs.

Samardzija was in the bullpen for the first four years in Wrigley, became a starter in 2011, and would have one of the more unique seasons of any starter in recent memory.  While posting a lower ERA of 2.83 in 17 Games for the Cubs, he had a meager record of 2-7.  Samardzija was chosen for the National League All-Star Game but was traded to Oakland before the contest and was ineligible to play as he was now an American League player.

He never had an All-Star caliber year again but was still a decent starter, who would later play for Chicago (AL) and San Francisco.

Jason Kipnis played ten seasons in the Majors, nine with Cleveland, where he was twice an All-Star.  The Second Baseman never broached elite status, but the Indians had a solid starter who had 1,146 Hits and 126 Home Runs over his career.

Hunter Pence broke in with the Houston Astros in 2007, finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting displaying a nice balance of power and average that would be his calling card.

Settling in at Rightfield, Pence was an All-Star in 2009 and 2011, hitting 20 Home Runs six years in a row beginning in 2008 while batting over .300 twice.  Traded to the Phillies during the 2011 Season and subsequently to San Francisco the following year.  It was as a Giant that Pence achieved his greatest fame.

This happened not necessarily because Pence was a better player but rather that he joined a loaded Giants team that won the 2012 World Series and again in 2014.  Pence was still a solid contributor, even having his best season in '14, where he was an All-Star for the third time and was eleventh in MVP voting, his highest finish.  He slowed down after, though he added an All-Star as Texas' Designated Hitter in 2019, Pence's only year there.  He returned to the Bay Area for one final year but was released midseason.

Pence might not have been a superstar, but he had a career that is the envy of many.

Howie Kendrick played 15 years in the Majors, the first nine of which with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, where the Second Baseman was an All-Star in 2011.  Kendrick had several good offensive years for the Halos, batting 2.92 overall for Los Angeles, with 1,204 of his 1,747 Hits collected there.

While he declined in 2015, he still was productive, playing for the Dodgers and Phillies, and lastly, the Washington Nationals, where he helped them win the 2019 World Series, winning his last major award, the NLCS MVP.