Pablo Sandoval

For a brief time, the baseball world fell in love with the "Kung Fu Panda" - and we don’t mean the one voiced by Jack Black. Pablo Sandoval, hailing from Venezuela, was a portly player but managed to move his weight around early in his career with the San Francisco Giants. He made his debut in 2008 and took over at Third Base, dazzling fans with his demeanor and unlikely acrobatics for a big man. 2009 was arguably his best season, where he set career marks in hits (189), home runs (25), RBIs (90), and the Slash Line (.330/.387/.556) and finished seventh in MVP voting.

Sandoval remained a good player over the next few years - he even went to the All-Star Game in 2011 and 2012 - but it was when the Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014 that he became nationally known. However, it wasn't all sunshine for him, as his extra weight became a problem and he was benched on occasions. Sandoval did not do much in his first World Series, but he blasted six home runs in the 2012 Fall Classic, including three in Game 1, and was named the World Series MVP, which was the highlight of his career.

The Boston Red Sox signed Sandoval as a Free Agent in 2015, but he wasn't the same player. Still overweight, Sandoval's hitting fell apart, and he was held to just six at-bats in 2016 due to shoulder issues. It was not much better for Sandoval in 2017, as he again struggled and was released. The Giants signed him back, and he was used in a bench role over the next few seasons. Sandoval even led the NL in pinch hits (18) in 2019 but was released again, this time during the 2020 season. The Braves picked him up to use in a reserve capacity, and he lasted until 2021. Though he was not on the playoff roster, he was awarded a World Series Championship Ring by the Atlanta.

As popular as he was at one time, Sandoval's overall numbers (1,279 hits, 153 home runs) are nowhere close to Hall of Fame worthy. However, those memories, oh boy, they sure were fun!

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Neftali Feliz

Neftali Feliz began his baseball career with the Texas Rangers in 2009, playing over 20 games. Impressed by his performance, the Rangers appointed him as their closer early in the 2010 season. Feliz made it to the All-Star Game and won the Rookie of the Year award, recording 40 saves and leading the league with 59 games finished. He continued his success in 2011, recording 34 saves. However, he was moved to the rotation, but the experiment failed due to a sprained UCL that led to Tommy John Surgery. He missed most of 2012 and 2013 but managed 13 saves in 2014. Unfortunately, his performance declined, and he played for four different teams (Detroit, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Kansas City), with the latter releasing him in 2017.

Feliz struggled in the Minors, bouncing between various organizations after being released by the Royals. He made a comeback in 2021, playing five games split between the Dodgers and Phillies. However, it is unlikely that he will be included on the ballot in 2027.

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Mike Daniels

Undersized for a Defensive End, Mike Daniels enjoyed a nice career in the NFL, spent mainly with the team that drafted him in the Fourth Round in the 2012 Draft, and after two years playing in a reserve role, he became Green Bay’s starting Right Defensive End in 2014.  While Daniels could be overpowered, his elusiveness made him a valuable asset for the Packers.  A Pro Bowl Selection in 2017, the former Iowa Hawkeye was released by Green Bay in a cost-cutting move a year later, and he signed with Detroit but was injured nine games in.  Daniels finished his career with two seasons in Cincinnati, but most of that time was spent on Injured Reserve.

Daniels had 30 Sacks over his career.

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Le'Veon Bell

Le’Veon Bell was selected as the second running back in the 2013 draft when the Pittsburgh Steelers chose him with the 48th overall pick. Initially, he showed a lot of promise, with 1,259 yards from scrimmage in his rookie season. The following year, Bell's numbers exploded, as he rushed for 1,361 yards and added 854 receiving yards, accumulating a total of 2,215 yards from scrimmage. These numbers represent personal highs in Bell's time with the Steelers, and he finished as the runner-up in both yards from scrimmage and all-purpose yards. He also earned his first Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors in 2014.

Injuries and a drug suspension held Bell to only six games in 2015. In 2016 and 2017, he finished third and second in yards from scrimmage and all-purpose yards, with APY numbers below 2,000. However, he was still a Pro Bowler in both years, and earned his second First Team All-Pro honors in 2017.

Before the 2018 season, the Steelers placed the franchise tag on Bell, but he refused to sign it. He sat out the entire season and became ineligible to play after the ninth week of the regular season. This was a significant risk, as it cost him millions and a year of his prime. In 2019, Bell signed with the New York Jets as a free agent, but it didn't work out well. He rushed for 789 yards and scored three touchdowns, which was a considerable drop-off from his time with the Steelers.

After five games and an injury in 2020, Bell was released by the Jets after seeking a trade. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was used sparingly, and it was clear he just wasn't the same elusive rusher he used to be. In 2021, he split his final season between stops in Baltimore and Tampa, and his career ended without much fanfare.

Throughout his career, Bell compiled 6,554 rushing yards with 42 touchdowns, which is good, but lower than what was expected based on his Steelers peak.

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Jared Cook

Jared Cook started his professional football career with the Tennessee Titans in 2009, after being selected as the third Tight End in the draft. He had a breakthrough season in his third year, recording 759 receiving yards, but his performance was inconsistent over the next decade.

Cook went on to play for five other teams, including the St. Louis Rams from 2013 to 2015, the Green Bay Packers in 2016, the Oakland Raiders in 2018 and 2019, the New Orleans Saints in 2019 and 2020, and finally, the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021. He was selected for the Pro Bowl two years in a row in 2018 and 2019. Throughout his career, he had six seasons with over 600 receiving yards, and his highest total of 896 yards came in 2018.

In total, Cook amassed 7,237 receiving yards and scored 45 touchdowns during his career.                              

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Kyle Seager

Kyle Seager played for the Seattle Mariners for all eleven seasons of his career. Even though he wasn't considered a superstar, he was a dependable player during a crucial period for Seattle.

Seager debuted in 2011 and won the starting Third Base job the following season. He hit 20 Home Runs, beginning a streak of hitting at least 20 Home Runs in a season, which he still holds at the time of writing. In 2014, he had his best season in baseball, earning him the title of an All-Star and the Gold Glove award, while also leading the American League in Total Zone Runs. Seager is considered one of the best defensive Third Basemen in the league, having led all his peers in the AL three times in Assists and Double Plays.

Seager retired after the 2021 Season, which was his best year for power (35 HR, 101 RBI), although he batted a low .212. He left baseball with 1,395 Hits and 242 Home Runs.

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Jack Doyle

Jack Doyle was not highly recruited when he finished high school. He received an offer from only Western Kentucky. After playing for four years with the Hilltoppers, he went undrafted. However, he was later signed by the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, he was cut during the training camp. The Indianapolis Colts claimed him, and he played for them for nine seasons.

Doyle started at the bottom of the depth chart but slowly worked his way up. He became a starter in 2016. In 2017, he had his best year ever, with 690 yards. He was named to the Pro Bowl that year and again in 2019. In total, he compiled 2,729 yards and 24 touchdowns. Doyle was not only valuable for his catching ability but also for his excellent blocking skills. He was an essential asset in Indianapolis’ running game.                              

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Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is best known for his distinctive name and his time with the Green Bay team, where he was a fan favorite during the 2010s.

Clinton-Dix was a two-time BCS Champion at Alabama and a First Round Pick in 2014. He was an All-Rookie Selection with Green Bay and had two interceptions in their NFC Championship loss against Seattle. Clinton-Dix played as a Free Safety and remained a starter over the next few years, having his best season in 2016 with a Pro Bowl and Second Team All-Pro nod. He was traded to Washington during the 2018 Season and later had a good year in Chicago in 2019, but only played two more Games afterward in 2021 as a Las Vegas Raider.

Clinton-Dix has a total of 16 career interceptions.

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Josh Reddick

Josh Reddick made his Major League debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2009, but it wasn't until he was traded to the Oakland Athletics that he became an everyday starter. His best year was in 2012, where he had career-highs in Home Runs (32) and RBIs (85) while also winning his only Gold Glove. Over the next two seasons, he was plagued by wrist injuries but managed to recover in 2014 and hit 20 Home Runs. In 2016, Oakland traded Reddick to the Dodgers for their playoff run, and he later signed with the Houston Astros. He had his best statistical season with the Astros, hitting 150 times with a Slash Line of .314/.363/.484, and helped the team win the World Series. He remained Houston's starting Rightfielder for the next two years, but his performance declined in 2020, and he was not resigned by the Astros.

Reddick finished his career with stops in Arizona and the New York Mets and continued on with stints in the Mexican and Australian Leagues. In total, Reddick recorded 1,157 Hits with 146 Home Runs.

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Jordan Zimmerman

Jordan Zimmerman first made it to the majors in 2009 as the fifth starter in the bullpen of the Washington Nationals. However, his debut was short-lived as he underwent Tommy John Surgery after 16 starts and was unable to return until late 2010.

In 2011, Zimmerman was healthy and used his three-pitch arsenal to record a 3.18 ERA, but his record was losing (8-11). The following season, he improved his performance (12-8, 2.94 ERA), but it was in the next two seasons that he became one of the best players in the National League.

Zimmerman was an All-Star in both 2013 and 2014, leading the National League in Wins (19) in 2013, and BB/9 in 2014 (1.3). He finished seventh and fifth, respectively, for the Cy Young award.

After a decent 2015, Zimmerman signed with the Detroit Tigers. However, his performance deteriorated, and he had a 5.63 ERA over 99 games in Detroit. He attempted a comeback with Milwaukee in 2021, but he retired after only two games.

Although Zimmerman's career was not long, and he had less than 100 wins, he is currently in the top one hundred all-time in BB/9 (1.9) and SO/BB (3.67). Zimmerman will not make it to the Hall of Fame, but we appreciate pitchers who rarely allow free passes, especially in an era where walks are celebrated.

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