Orlando Hudson came a long way from the 1997 43^rd Round Pick to make the Jays roster in 2002, and the defensive-minded Second Baseman used his glove to show his worth on the Majors. 

Hudson went into 2003 as Toronto’s starter at Second, finishing the season with a 1.5 Defensive bWAR and batted .268.  He then had his best year as a Jay, leading the American League in Defensive bWAR (2.7) with 12 Home Runs and a .270 Batting Average.  Hudson then won the Gold Glove in 2005 (he should have won it in 2004) with similar metrics.

Toronto sent Hudson to Arizona in 2006, leaving the Infielder with 437 Hits and a Defensive bWAR of 7.5.

Before the 2006 Season, Orlando Hudson was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the D-Backs were not disappointed with the defensive presence he would bring to their infield.

Already a Gold Glove winner in Toronto, Hudson would win two more Gold Gloves (2006 & 2007) with Arizona.  Hudson would also hit 150 Hits in back-to-back years, both of which saw him bat over .280, and he was a nice spark to their 2007 NL West Title.   The O-Dog would also go to the All-Star Game in 2007 and had 442 Hits for Arizona.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strategic voting. What you have to do when you have too many choices and not enough time or opportunities to realize all those choices.

Sounds like voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame for the last few years, doesn't it?

The good news is that since the Shutout of 2013, when the eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) could not muster the 75 percent of the vote necessary to elect any one ballot candidate to the Hall of Fame despite a wealth of candidates from whom to choose (I counted 14), the BBWAA has sent a dozen players to Cooperstown. Based on that trend, and barring any unusual or unforeseen wrinkle, the writers are certain to elect at least one player for 2018.

Orlando Hudson was a two time All Star with 1,319 career Hits, but it was his glove that he was most known for, as the Second Baseman won four Gold Gloves in his career and led the league in Assists for a Second Baseman three times and in Range Factor/Nine Innings for his position five times. Hudson would retire with an overall bWAR of 30.9.



The Bullet Points:
Country of Origin:
U.S.A. (Darlington, SC)

Eligible In:
The 2018 Vote

Position:
Second Base

Played For:
Toronto Blue Jays
Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers
Minnesota Twins
San Diego Padres
Chicago White Sox

Major Accolades and Awards:
2 Time All Star (2007 & 2009)
Gold Gloves (4) (AL) (2005) (NL) (2006, 2007 & 2009)
World Series Rings (None)

Other Points of Note:
4 Top Ten Finishes (Triples)

Notable All Time Rankings:
None