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Wade Davis

Wade Davis started his Major League career as a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009. He had a good start, winning 12 games and losing 10 in 2010, and a similar season in 2011. However, in 2012 the Rays decided to move him to the bullpen where he found more success, lowering his ERA to 2.43 over 70.1 innings. After the season, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals where he became a well-known player.

In 2013, Davis returned to the rotation but struggled with a high ERA. The Royals moved him back to the bullpen in 2014, where he excelled as a set-up man, not the main closer. That year, he had a great performance with a 1.00 ERA and 0.847 WHIP, earning him eighth place in the Cy Young voting. Davis also helped the Royals reach the World Series by winning two games in the playoffs.

Davis had an even better year in 2015, helping the Royals win the World Series. He finished sixth in the Cy Young voting, going 8-1 with a 0.94 ERA and 0.787 WHIP. In the playoffs, he earned the Babe Ruth Award by recording four saves, 18 strikeouts, and no earned runs over 10.2 innings. Davis was a critical part of the championship-winning team and had an excellent performance throughout the season.

After another good year with the Royals, Davis was traded to the Chicago Cubs, where he became an All-Star in his only season there. He then signed with the Colorado Rockies in 2018, where he had a strange year. Although he led the National League in saves with 43, his ERA was 4.13. Unfortunately, he struggled with arm issues afterward and attempted a comeback with the Royals in 2021, but it was unsuccessful.

Despite the ups and downs of his career, Davis finished his career with 141 saves and a World Series ring that he earned with his excellent performance.

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Tony Watson

Tony Watson, a former baseball player, is unlikely to be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame, although he was one of the best middle relievers in his time. He had his best seasons while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team that drafted him. During his time with them, he appeared in 78 games, leading the National League, and earned a spot in the All-Star Game. Furthermore, he recorded a 10-2 win-loss record with an impressive 1.63 ERA. Subsequently, he played for both Los Angeles teams and San Francisco, appearing in a total of 689 games over his 11-year-long career.

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Todd Frazier

Todd Frazier was a prominent power hitter in the National League for several years, and he is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Reds, the team that drafted him in 2007.

Frazier made his debut in the Reds in 2011, and in the following season, he ranked third in Rookie of the Year voting. He attended back-to-back All-Star Games in 2014 and 2015, during which he hit 64 Home Runs, 169 RBIs, and 33 Stolen Bases. The infielder was traded to the Chicago White Sox after the 2015 Season, where he had his best power season in baseball, with career-highs in Home Runs (40) and RBIs (98). However, it was also his last full year in Chicago, and arguably his last good season overall.

The White Sox traded Frazier to the Yankees during the 2017 Season, but his performance declined, and he later played for the New York Mets, Texas Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates in brief stints. He retired after the 2021 Season with 218 Home Runs and 640 RBIs.

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Starlin Castro

Starlin Castro had an impressive start in his baseball career. He hit a home run in his first Major League At Bat, making history as the first player born in the 1990s to appear in the Show. Over the next few seasons, Castro became the team's spark plug, finishing fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He led the NL in At Bats during the years 2011-13 and in 2011, became the youngest person to lead a league in Hits with 207. Castro was also selected for three All-Star Games in a four-year period (2011, 2012 & 2014), making him a valuable asset to the Chicago Cubs.

Despite his success, the Cubs thought Castro was expendable and traded him to the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees for two seasons, adding a fourth All-Star in 2018 when he batted an even .300. The Yankees later traded him to the Miami Marlins, where he played for two years. In 2019, Castro had over 20 home runs (22) for the first time in his career. However, the Marlins declined his option, and he signed with the Washington Nationals as a Free Agent. Unfortunately, he missed most of 2020 due to a wrist injury and was investigated by MLB for domestic violence in 2021, leading to a 30-day suspension. The Nationals cut him, and Castro was never seen in the Majors again.

Despite his promising start, Castro left the game with 1,722 Hits and 138 Home Runs, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.

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Scott Kazmir

Scott Kazmir was a power pitcher who was initially drafted by the New York Mets. However, he never played for the team as he was traded to Tampa Bay while he was still in the minors. This trade would later receive a lot of criticism from Mets fans, particularly when Kazmir started going to All-Star Games with the Rays.

Kazmir made his debut for Tampa Bay in August of 2004, and while there was much to like about the southpaw, there were also some concerns. He had a good strikeout rate, but he also walked a lot of batters. Nonetheless, Kazmir rose to become Tampa Bay's Opening Day starter in 2006 and earned his first All-Star that year with a record of 10-8, 3.24 ERA, and 163 SO. He had an even better season in 2007, leading the American League in strikeouts with 239. Kazmir was an All-Star again in 2008 (12-8, 3.49 ERA, 116 SO), but he struggled with injuries and his performance declined. He was traded to the Angels during the 2009 season, where he finished strong. However, he had a disappointing 2010 season with an ERA close to six over 150 innings.

In 2011, Kazmir only played one game in the majors and was demoted to the minors, where his career seemed to be over. The Angels released him, and he played in several leagues in 2012 before Cleveland gave him another shot in 2013. Kazmir made the team and was respectable with a 10-9 record and a 4.04 ERA. He then signed with Oakland, where he went to his third All-Star Game, which was a significant achievement considering where he was just a few years before. Kazmir finished with a career-high of 15 wins and had a good start to the 2015 season but was traded to Houston during the season. He then played for the Los Angeles Dodgers for a year, but muscle issues forced him to leave a game in late September, which turned out to be his last game in the majors for the next five years.

Despite his ups and downs, Kazmir had a respectable career with three All-Star selections. He also played in other leagues and won a silver medal for the United States in the 2021 Olympics. Kazmir eventually got another chance in the majors with the San Francisco Giants but retired after that.

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Rob Gronkowski

The Gronk.

Half football player/half fratboy but all phenomenal, Rob Gronkowski was a 2010 Second Round Pick from Arizona and was the perfect fit to help Tom Brady and Bill Belichick add a new chapter to their dynasty.

Gronkowski became an immediate fan favorite in New England, and captured the attention of everyone throughout the NFL.  While other Tight Ends would generate more yardage than Gronkowski, they were not as large as Gronk, who used his size to become the best blocking Tight End of his era.  This additional skill set made gridiron life much easier for the Pats, as Gronk was often more physically intimidating than the defensive studs trying to get to Brady.

Despite his size, Gronkowski had sure hands.  Gronkowski rarely dropped a ball; once he had it, he was a load to take down.  Gronkowski amassed 7,861 Yards for the Pats over nine seasons but had 79 Touchdowns, showing how perfect he was for clutch and short-yardage situations.  The charismatic superstar helped New England win three Super Bowls and was a four-time First Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl individually.  With nothing left to prove, Gronkowski retired in 2018, and two years later, he was named to the 2010s All-Decade and NFL 100th Anniversary Team.

The lure of a new challenge brought Gronkowski out of retirement and joined Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.  It worked, and Gronkowski won another Super Bowl.  He retired for good after 2021 with 9,286 Yards and 92 Touchdowns.

Gronkowski is a lock to enter on his first attempt.

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Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman was known for being brash and outspoken, but also an intellectual leader both on and off the field. He backed up every claim he made, and for a time, he was considered the best cornerback in football.

Sherman began his college career at Stanford as a wide receiver, but after an injury, he was moved to cornerback, where he thrived. He was drafted by Seattle in the fifth round of the 2011 Draft, but Sherman perceived it as a slight and played with a chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career.

Sherman became a starter during his rookie year and finished well enough to win an All-Rookie spot. He dominated the next two seasons, leading the NFL in approximate value both years. In 2012, he earned a First Team All-Pro (despite being snubbed for the Pro Bowl), helped take Seattle to the playoffs, and had eight interceptions over the year. He was regarded as not only a devastating ball-hawk but also a shutdown corner who you did not want to let beat you.

Seattle was building something special, with Sherman as the centerpiece of what was called "The Legion of Boom." In 2013, Sherman was a First Team All-Pro again, finally made the Pro Bowl, and led the league in interceptions with eight. In that year's NFC Championship Game, Sherman caused a pass deflection late in the game off of San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick that led to an interception by his teammate and sealed the game. Sherman's profile (good or bad, depending on your view) rose when he made a choking gesture to Kaepernick. The Seahawks dominated Denver in the Super Bowl, and Sherman was now a champion. It was time for him to get paid.

Seattle made Sherman the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, and he did not slack with the financial respect. He was again a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2014, and helped take them back to the Super Bowl, though this time they lost to New England. Sherman went to the next two Pro Bowls, but his play was hampered by a sprained MCL in the second half of the 2016 season. Achilles issues also gave him trouble in 2017, and he was held to nine games. He was released after the season, but the enigmatic cornerback was far from done.

Sherman signed with the team he had tormented for years, San Francisco, and was still good, adding a sixth Pro Bowl in 2019, with a Second Team All-Pro.

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Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Zimmerman has been a constant player for the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball for the past sixteen years. He has been a valuable asset to the team, providing power and a solid batting average. While he may not be considered an elite player, he has performed better than the average Major League Baseball player. He has earned two Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and made two All-Star Game appearances.

Zimmerman was a member of the Washington Nationals team that won the 2019 World Series Championship. He currently holds the record for the most games played (1,799), runs scored (964), hits (1,846), doubles (417), home runs (284), and RBIs (1,061) in the franchise's history.

Although he may not be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Nationals should honor him in some way for his contributions to the team.

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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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