gold star for USAHOF

Pittsburgh Pirate in the middle of his career, Brian Giles was at his best when he played in the black and yellow.

Giles was traded from Cleveland after four years to the Padres and was the bright spot on some awful Pittsburgh teams.  In the four full seasons he was with Pittsburgh, he never had a year where he did smack at least 35 Home Runs, received an MVP vote, and batted over .300 in three of them.  Giles was a National League All-Star in 2000 and 2001, but the slumping Pirates traded him to San Diego during the 2003 campaign.

With Pittsburgh, Giles had 782 Hits, 165 Home Runs, and batted .308.

19. Brian Giles

Brian Giles was an underrated baseball player, amassing 1,897 Hits over his career, 872 as a Padre, the team he played his last six years and change with to close out his career.

Giles was traded in late August 2003 from Pittsburgh, where he was a two-time All-Star.  The Outfielder still had a lot left, and over the next three years, he secured at least 159 Hits, the best season being in 2005, where he led the NL in Walks (119), batted .301, and his .423 OBP was third in the NL.  Notably, he was ninth in MVP voting, his highest finish. Giles still had respectable power, belting 83 Home Runs with San Diego.

Giles' career fell off in 2009, and he signed with the Dodgers as a Free Agent but would not make the team.  He would have a Slash Line of .279/.380/.435 with San Diego.

204. Brian Giles

One of the most underrated players was Brian Giles, who played for three mediocre teams (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and San Diego) and did not see as much love as he should have.

The Outfielder played his first four seasons (1995-98) as an Indian before he moved to the National League with Pittsburgh, and in his four full seasons as a Pirate, he never had less than 35 Home Runs, 95 RBIs, or a .298 Batting Average.  His On Base Percentage was over .400 in all of those seasons and received at least one MVP vote.  

The Pirates traded him to San Diego during the 2003 season, and while his power declined, his plate discipline remained strong, as he led the NL in Walks in 2005.  Giles played until 2009, and he retired with 1,897 Hits, 287 Home Runs, and a career Slash Line of .291/.400/.501.