The Montreal Expos had earned a reputation for scouting and signing Latin American talent, and one of the best examples of that was Venezuelan First Baseman, Andres Galarraga.

Galarraga debuted in Montreal in 1985, and after a rocky start, he batted .305 in 1987 and was an All-Star the season after, when he posted a .302 Batting Average and was the league leader in Hits (184) and Doubles (42).  Like every homegrown star of the Expos of the late 80s and early 90s, Galarraga left when the impending free agent was traded to St. Louis.

The Venezuelan was injured for most of the year and only played in 95 Games for the Cards, but he signed with the expansion Colorado Rockies in 1993, which ushered in the best era of his career.

Coors Field was an excellent fit for Galarraga, who batted .370 in the Rockies' first season, and he gave them their first batting champion.  The First Baseman was an All-Star that year, and he showed off greater power numbers, hitting 31 Home Runs in both 1994 and 1995, the first time he ever eclipsed 30.  Galarraga blasted 47 in 1996 with 150 RBIs, both of which would lead the National League.  He was sixth in MVP voting that year and was seventh the year after with a 41 HR/140 RBI year, which, like the season before, also saw Galarraga bat over .300.

Galarraga joined the Atlanta Braves in 1998 and was an All-Star again, showcasing excellent power metrics (44 HR, 121 RBI).  Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma kept him out of the entire 1999 season.  He came back in 2000, providing Atlanta with 28 Home Runs and an even 100 in RBIs, and Galarraga was chosen for his fifth and final All-Star Game.  That was his last good year in baseball, and he finished off his career with stints in Texas, San Francisco, Montreal (again), San Francisco (again), and Anaheim. 

A valid criticism of Galarraga was his propensity to strike out.  He was the leader in whiffs in four different seasons, and he would have 2,003 Strikeouts in his career.  Galarraga would accumulate 2,333 Hits, 399 Home Runs, and 1,425 Runs Batted In over his 19-year career. 

When you look at the past MVPs in baseball history, Bobby Shantz is one of the more curious players to win it.

Charlie Root played 27 Games for the St. Louis Brown in 1923, but it was not impressive, as he had a record of 0-4 with a 5.70 ERA.  It was three seasons later before Root made the Majors again, but when he did, he made it count.

Bill Madlock is one of the more unlikely multi-time Batting Champions, as when you look in the annals of baseball history, Madlock is not on the tip of your tongue.  He should be, as this is a four-time National League Batting Champion.

Madlock began his career with the Texas Rangers, but it was brief, as he was traded to the Chicago Cubs after his rookie year.  The infielder would show his batting skill quickly as he led the National League in Batting Average in both 1975 and 1976, and that was in the midst of a five-year run of .300 years spent with the Cubs and San Francisco.  

When that run ended, he began a new three-year run of .300 seasons, with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1981-83), where the first and third year of the streak were All-Star and Batting Title campaigns.  His initial arrival in Pittsburgh was also impressive, as he arrived in a mid-season trade and helped the Pirates win the 1979 World Series.  Madlock finished his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers.  

Madlock would accumulate 2,008 Hits with a .305 Batting Average, 163 Home Runs, and 174 Stolen Bases.