45. Matt Holliday

During the zenith of his abilities with the Colorado Rockies, Matt Holliday accomplished a historic 2007 season, securing a batting title and finishing as the close runner-up for the National League Most Valuable Player award. Since this remarkable individual peak occurred in Denver, casual observers often perceive his subsequent transfer to Missouri as a secondary phase. Nonetheless, the reality presents a markedly different narrative. Although he may have concluded his highest single-season MVP performance at Coors Field's altitude, Holliday's career was significantly extended with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he developed a considerably more substantial and statistically dense body of work.

Holliday initially joined the St. Louis team during the 2009 season through a trade with Oakland, and he promptly demonstrated exceptional performance by maintaining a batting average of .353 across his first 63 games in a Redbirds uniform. The management efficiently secured his services by signing him to a substantial seven-year contract during that winter. For the subsequent seven seasons, Holliday functioned as the physical and competitive cornerstone of the St. Louis lineup. He was not characterized by flashiness or high maintenance; instead, he exemplified consistent performance, challenging National League pitchers with a powerful, muscular swing that resulted in six seasons with at least 20 home runs in St. Louis.

While wearing the birds on the bat, Holliday earned four All-Star selections and consistently commanded the respect of the league. He didn't repeat a second-place MVP finish, but he remained a permanent fixture in the conversation, receiving MVP votes in four separate seasons as a Cardinal. His true value lay in his ability to couple that heavy power with elite on-base skills, creating a terrifying middle-of-the-order presence alongside Albert Pujols. Holliday's steady production culminated in a vital contribution to the magical 2011 World Series championship run, cementing his status as a winner on the sport's biggest stage.

By the end of his successful tenure in St. Louis after 2016, Holliday had rewritten his legacy, leaving with 1,048 hits, 156 home runs, and a .293/.380/494 slash line.