Kelechi Osemele made an impressive start to his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012, winning the starting position at Right Tackle as a rookie and going on to win the Super Bowl in his debut season. In his sophomore year, Osemele moved to Left Guard, where he played the majority of his snaps for the rest of his four-year stint with the Ravens.
After leaving the Ravens, Osemele joined the Oakland team, where he continued to perform at a high level, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2016 and 2017 and a First Team All-Pro selection in his first season with the team. He also played for the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, starting all of his 101 games played in the National Football League.
Kawann Short was drafted in the 2nd round from Purdue in 2013 and played eight seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He became one of Carolina's top pass rushers, and in 2015, the starting right defensive tackle was selected for his first Pro Bowl. During that season, he reached the quarterback and took him down 11 times. Short was also chosen for a Second Team All-Pro and went to his second Pro Bowl in 2018. However, he was released in 2021 after two injury-plagued seasons. In his time with the Panthers, he had 32.5 sacks.
Buster Posey was a San Francisco Giant for all of his 12 seasons in the Majors, and is widely considered as the best Catcher of the 2010s.
Posey was an outstanding player at the University of Florida, where he won the 2008 Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award. In the 2008 Amateur Draft, the Giants chose him as the fifth overall pick. After a brief seven-game stint with San Francisco, he became their everyday catcher and won the National League Rookie of the Year award. He led the Giants to a World Series Championship that year, which was his first of three.
Posey was selected as an All-Star for the first of seven times, and helped the Giants win another World Series, with his contribution being significant. Although he suffered a fractured fibula in 2011, he made a strong comeback the following year, and became the Comeback Player of the Year while posting career-high numbers in batting average (.336), home runs (24), and RBIs (104). He was named the MVP that year, and even better, would anchor San Francisco to another World Series Championship.
Posey remained one of the best catchers in the National League, and helped the Giants win yet another World Series in 2014 (his third). He continued to hit over .300, excel in defense, and handle his pitchers well. In total, he won two Wilson Defensive Awards, one Gold Glove, and five Silver Sluggers.
Posey opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, but made a successful comeback in the following year, and won his second Comeback Player of the Year award. With the introduction of All-MLB awards, he earned All-MLB 2 honors. He then surprised many by announcing his retirement after the 2021 season, which he ended with an even 1,500 hits, a batting average of .302, and 158 home runs.
Posey's Hall of Fame case lies in his positional dominance, as the overall statistics might fall short. Anyone who was the position in a league for an extended period of time has a strong Hall of Fame case in our eyes
Brett Gardner spent his entire 14-year career in the Majors playing with the New York Yankees. He displayed impressive advanced metrics, exceptional plate discipline, and deceptive speed on the field. Gardner's role as a "glue" guy on the team made him an unsung hero to knowledgeable fans. He earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including an All-Star appearance in 2015, a Gold Glove in 2016, and a Wilson Defensive Player Award. However, his most prized achievement is his 2009 World Series Ring.
Fans of the Yankees were well aware of Gardner's talents and he amassed 1,470 Hits, 139 Home Runs, and 274 Stolen Bases with a bWAR over 40. It comes as no surprise that the Bronx team held onto him for the entirety of his career.