Greg Holland was one of the best relief pitchers in the 2010s and played a crucial role in the success of the Kansas City Royals during that time.
Holland was drafted by the Royals in 2007 and made his debut for the team in 2010. The following year, he proved himself with an impressive performance, posting a 1.80 ERA and a WHIP of less than one (0.933) over 60 innings. After another strong season in 2012 (2.96 ERA), Holland became the Royals' ninth-inning specialist.
From 2013 to 2014, Holland was one of the top closers in the league, finishing ninth in Cy Young voting both years with ERAs under 1.5 and WHIPs under one. He was named the 2013 American League Pitcher of the Year by the Sporting News, and in 2014, he helped the Royals reach the World Series. During the playoffs, Holland had seven saves and allowed only one run in ten innings.
Though not as dominant in 2015, Holland remained effective until he suffered a torn UCL injury. Despite his absence, the Royals went on to win the World Series that year. Holland missed the entire 2016 season to recover from his injury. When he was ready to return, he became a free agent and signed with the Colorado Rockies, where he won the AL Comeback Player of the Year award and his first Saves Title (41). He was also selected to the All-Star team for the third time.
However, Holland was unable to recapture his earlier success and spent the next five years moving from team to team, playing for St. Louis, Washington, Arizona, a second stint with the Royals, and Texas. In total, he amassed 220 saves.
Dee Strange-Gordon was at one point one of the top speedsters in Major League Baseball at a time when he was at his best as a Marlin.
Gordon was a competent player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was an All-Star in 2014, but his best year was when he was traded to the Marlins, where Gordon won the Silver Slugger, the Gold Glove, and was the 2015 National League leader in Batting Average (.333) and Hits (205). Gordon was also a one-time leader in Triples, three-time leader in Stolen Bases and two-time leader in Singles. The 2015 was incredible for the speedster, but he never equated that and will be lucky to make the Hall of Fame ballot.
David Price was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays as the first overall pick in 2007. He made his debut a year later in September, helping the Rays make it to the World Series. Although the team didn't win, Price had a win and a save in the playoffs, and this marked the beginning of his professional career.
In 2009, Price joined Tampa Bay's starting rotation, and in 2010, he became an All-Star, finishing the season with a 2.72 ERA, 19-6 record, and 188 strikeouts. He was second in Cy Young voting, and the Rays' belief in his potential had been proven right. Price was an All-Star again in 2011 and 2012, with the latter being the best season of his career. He won the American League Cy Young, with a league-leading 20 wins and a 2.56 ERA.
As was typical for the Rays, they traded Price (whose contract was set to expire after the 2015 season) during the 2014 campaign to Detroit. Despite the trade, Price had another excellent year, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting (15-12) and topping the league in strikeouts (275). The Tigers had a tough year in 2015, but Price performed well, beginning the year with a 9-4 record and a 2.53 ERA. He was even better in the second half with the Blue Jays, helping them reach the playoffs. In that year, he won his second ERA title (2.45) and was the runner-up to Dallas Keuchel for the Cy Young.
Price signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2016, but he was no longer a Cy Young contender. He still ate up a lot of innings, but his ERA started to rise, and he had elbow issues. Nonetheless, he played a significant role in Boston's 2018 World Series Championship. Price was shut down with elbow problems in 2019 and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020, although he sat out the COVID-shortened year. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series that year without him, and he was awarded a ring despite having no on-field accomplishments.
Price spent two more years in the bullpen for the Dodgers and compiled an overall career record of 157-82 with 2,076 strikeouts.
Devin McCourty had a long and illustrious career in the National Football League, primarily with the New England Patriots. While his contribution to the Patriots is highly valued, his career statistics may not be enough to secure a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
McCourty played college football at Rutgers and was selected by the Patriots as the 27th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft. In his rookie year, he played as a cornerback and put up an impressive performance that earned him a Pro Bowl selection, seven interceptions, and the runner-up for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award behind Von Miller.
A versatile player, McCourty was moved to the position of free safety in 2013. He excelled in this position and played a significant role in the Patriots' three Super Bowl victories (XLIX, LI, and LIII). He was also named to his second Pro Bowl in 2016.
McCourty retired from the NFL in 2022 after playing his entire career with the Patriots. He was named to the Patriots All-Dynasty Team, which is a testament to his contribution to the team's success over the years. In total, McCourty recorded 35 interceptions and 971 combined tackles throughout his career.