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.
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