39. Will Venable

Will Venable didn't just seamlessly enter the major leagues. Drafted in the seventh round of 2005, this graceful, left-handed outfielder spent nearly four years developing in the minors before securing a regular spot on the main roster in August 2008. During his respected seven-and-a-half seasons with the team in Southern California, he acted as a key backup—an elite athlete offering essential depth, occasional powerful hits, and efficient base running to a team in transition.

Although he exhibited top-tier athleticism at the forefront of his position, his early development was limited by elevated strikeout rates and deficiencies in structural contact, which initially confined his playing time to platoon roles or late-innings defensive positions. It demanded considerable patience; however, he remarkably exceeded the three-digit hit mark for the first time during the 2012 season, recording 101 hits, 26 doubles, and a career-high of eight triples, thereby cementing his role defensively.

In 2013, Venable experienced a significant career milestone. Due to multiple everyday starters being sidelined by injuries, he assumed a prominent role and systematically weakened National League defenses, utilizing a rapid pull-side swing to achieve personal bests across various statistical categories: 129 hits, 22 doubles, and a commendable .268 batting average. Notably, his power-hitting ability combined with high-velocity base-stealing contributed to a historic season; he hit a remarkable 22 home runs and stole 22 bases, becoming only the eighth player in San Diego Padres history to record a 20-20 season, an achievement that earned him the team's local Most Valuable Player award.

As good as he could be, Venable was an aggressive swinger whose advanced efficiency filters were routinely hindered by a sub-.300 career on-base percentage (.249 batting average / .315 OBP as a Padre), meaning he spent large portions of his career functioning as a high-quality fourth outfielder who insulated the primary starters.

While he still had value, the Padres traded Venable to the Texas Rangers in exchange for a prospect package. He had 694 hits, 119 doubles, 33 triples, 81 home runs, and 130 stolen bases in a Padres uniform.