Awesome MLB players from the 00s you probably forgot about

Shortly after the arrival of Albert Pujols to the majors in 2001, the top-hitting prospect in baseball was Blalock. A extremely disciplined hitter within the Rangers farm system, Blalock by no means matched the hype, however he nonetheless made a splash with All-Star appearances in his first two MLB seasons. He performed 9 seasons in MLB, hitting 25-plus homers 4 instances.

Cameron could be extra appreciated in in the present day’s sport. Throughout his 17-year profession, Cameron was an elite defensive heart fielder with a excessive stroll charge, energy, and pace. His downfall was a excessive strikeout charge, together with a league-high 176 strikeouts in 2002 with Seattle, however he was a 20/20 man 5 instances and gained three Gold Gloves. Cameron’s son, Daz Cameron, has appeared in three seasons with the Tigers.

Ensberg might merely hit, although it took some time crushing minor league pitching within the Astros farm system earlier than he obtained his shot. The previous ninth-round choose smashed the ball in his first full season at age 27 in 2003, hitting .291/.377/.530 with 25 house runs in 127 video games. Nonetheless, his finest season got here two years later, making an All-Star look and ending fourth within the AL MVP voting after hitting .283-36-101 with a .945 OPS. Ensberg’s profession went downhill from there, however he hit 110 house runs over eight seasons.

Figgins broke in with the 2002 Angels World Collection group as a utilityman however turned out to be far more. Displaying off batting common, elite pace, and glorious protection at a number of positions, Figgins had an incredible eight-year run with the Angels hitting .291/.363/.388 with 280 stolen bases. After making his lone All-Star look in 2009, Figgins cashed in signing with the Mariners. That contract 4 contract price $36 was notoriously unhealthy, sadly, as Figgins did not final your entire lifetime of the deal after hitting .227/.302/.283 over three seasons in Seattle.

There won’t be a extra dominant three-year stretch for a more in-depth in MLB historical past than Gagne’s run from 2002-2004 with the Dodgers. The Canadian-born flamethrower amassed 152 saves with a 1.79 ERA and 365 strikeouts over 247 innings. He additionally gained the NL Cy Younger Award in 2003. Accidents plagued Gagne for the rest of his MLB profession, which concluded in 2008, and his title was dirty after he was talked about within the Mitchell Report for allegedly receiving PEDs.

Giles is a legend in Pittsburgh from his five-year run from 1999-2003. The outfielder was an MVP candidate for 4 consecutive seasons, hitting .308/.426/.591 throughout his Pirates tenure. In fact, his title can also be notorious in Cleveland, because the Indians traded Giles to Pittsburgh in 1998 for lefty specialist Ricardo Rincon. Giles’ decline began after getting traded to San Diego in 2003, however he performed seven seasons with the Padres. He completed his 15-year profession with an impressive .902 OPS and 287 house runs, although he had solely two All-Star appearances to indicate for it.

Glaus was the third total choose within the 1997 MLB draft out of UCLA, and confirmed elite energy throughout his seven seasons in Anaheim. He led the AL with 47 house runs in 2000, and adopted up that season with 41 house runs in 2001. Glaus by no means reached that 40-home run milestone once more over 13 MLB seasons, however he did hit 320 profession house runs and quite a few tape-measure photographs en path to 4 All-Star appearances.

“On a regular basis Eddie” performed the majority of his 17-year profession in Minnesota and did not come into his personal till his early 30s. The lefty with a rubber arm emerged because the group’s nearer out of necessity in 2002, and led the AL with 45 saves. He adopted up that efficiency with 41 saves in 2003, incomes him a profitable contract in Seattle in 2004. Arm points finally led to Guardado’s decline, however he completed with 187 saves and a 4.31 ERA over 908 appearances.

Hafner was the quintessential 2000s DH. A bit-known Thirty first-round choose by Texas in 1996 out of Cowley Group Faculty, Hafner did nothing however hit as a professional. He was infamously traded to Cleveland for the 2002 season, and the remainder is historical past. “Pronk” turned a fan favourite in 10 seasons with Cleveland, producing not less than 100 RBI in 4 consecutive seasons and main the AL with a 1.097 OPS in 2006. Hafner’s decline began in his early 30s, however he completed his profession doing greater than anybody thought attainable with an .874 OPS and 213 house runs over 12 seasons.

Harang was a giant man, listed at 6-foot-7, 260 kilos, however was regarded as little greater than a backend beginning pitcher prospect when Oakland traded him to Cincinnati on the commerce deadline in 2003. He turned Cincinnati’s finest starter for a big interval of the 2000s, throwing over 200 innings in three consecutive years from 2005-2007 with 16 wins in back-to-back years. Harang wrapped up his profession after 14 seasons with 128 wins and a 4.26 ERA.

Harden seemed to be a steal as a Seventeenth-round choose by Oakland in 2000, rising nearly instantly as a prime prospect. The suitable-hander had electrical stuff and appeared unstoppable at age 23 in 2005 with a 2.53 ERA in 128 innings earlier than accidents took their toll. Harden strung collectively extra success briefly spurts, together with a 2.07 ERA in 25 begins with the A’s and Cubs in 2008, however his profession was sidetracked in 2011 at age 29.

Few careers have been as distinctive and befuddling as that of Kim. Rising as an nearly unhittable reliever at age 20 with Arizona in 1999, Kim went on to develop into an All-Star and World Collection nearer for the Diamondbacks within the early 2000s along with his distinctive submarine throwing model. Nonetheless, he moved to the beginning rotation in 2003 and was by no means the identical, biking by a number of MLB groups and ending his professional profession in Japan, Korea, and Australia.

A hyped first-round choose by the Cardinals within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, Morris seemed the half in 50 dominant begins because the group’s ace over his first two seasons earlier than present process Tommy John surgical procedure in 1999. The suitable-hander emerged from the damage simply as nicely, making two All-Star appearances with the Playing cards and ending third within the NL Cy Younger voting in 2001 with 22 wins and a 3.16 ERA over 34 begins. His decline finally began along with his velocity deteriorating, although Morris discovered a profitable contract with the Giants in 2006.

Pena was the clearest instance of the 5 O’clock hitter cliche, as a hitter with unimaginable pure energy who by no means put all of it collectively in MLB. He hit 26 house runs in 110 video games for the Reds in 2004, however was by no means in a position to match that energy within the majors once more. Pena did discover some fanfare late in his profession taking part in in Japan, together with a 32-home run season for Orix in 2014.

Pierre was the leadoff hitting prototype over his 14-year profession that included stints with six completely different groups. Pierre had nearly no energy and a weak outfield arm, however hit contact-hitting strategy and pace made up for his shortcomings. He completed his profession as a .295 profession hitter with 614 stolen bases, main his league in steals 3 times.

It was unclear early in his profession if Polanco could be greater than a utility infielder when he arrived with the Cardinals in 1998. He finally turned far more after getting traded to Philadelphia within the Scott Rolen deal in 2002. Polanco could not fill Rolen’s footwear as an influence hitter, however he held his personal as an everyday by hitting .289 over seven seasons and infrequently hanging out. His profession lasted 17 seasons for 4 completely different golf equipment, with an impressive .297 batting common and three Gold Gloves.

Schmidt was considered one of many prime pitching prospects the Braves produced within the Nineteen Nineties, although he was used as commerce capital earlier than he might set up himself in Atlanta. The hard-throwing right-hander spent his formative MLB seasons in Pittsburgh, the place he struggled to satisfy his potential, however he finally discovered his kind after getting traded to San Francisco in 2001. Schmidt completed second within the NL Cy Younger vote in 2003 and fourth the next 12 months, additionally profitable the NL ERA Title in 2003. He made three All-Star appearances over six seasons for the Giants earlier than accidents ended his profession prematurely.

Brewers followers nonetheless ask what might have been with Sheets, who emerged from first-round choose to ace by 2004. He completed eighth within the NL Cy Younger vote in that illustrious season, going 12-14 with a 2.70 ERA in 237 innings. It is attainable that prime innings depend took a toll on Sheets’ arm, as he began to undergo shoulder points and by no means fairly obtained again to that degree. He did make 4 All-Star appearances in eight seasons with the Brew Crew, ending off his profession later with the A’s and Braves.

For those who performed rotisserie baseball within the mid-2000s, you have been probably keen on Sizemore. The toolsy leadoff man piled up stats for Cleveland from 2005-2008. Throughout that interval, he was an All-Star 3 times and gained two Gold Gloves, additionally changing into a 30/30 man in 2008. Following that marketing campaign, Sizemore might by no means keep on the sector, and had a microfracture knee surgical procedure in 2010 that stored him out of the majors for 3 full seasons.

His sport wasn’t all the time fairly, however Uggla was an ideal illustration of baseball within the 2000s. His strikeout numbers have been often excessive, although the second baseman made up for it with large energy and walks. He emerged from Rule 5 choose to hit 30-plus house runs in 5 consecutive seasons for the Marlins and Braves, making three All-Star appearances. He retired after 10 seasons, hitting 235 house runs.

Yankees trustworthy aren’t the most important followers of Vazquez, however he gained notoriety with stints in Montreal, the White Sox, and Atlanta. The suitable-hander was a real workhorse, throwing over 200 innings 9 instances, and he tallied over 200 strikeouts 5 instances. For all his accomplishments over 14 seasons, Vazquez solely made one All-Star group, although he did end fourth within the 2009 NL Cy Younger race with Atlanta, going 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA in 32 begins.

Vidro’s contribution for the early 2000’s Expos was overshadowed by famous person Vladimir Guerrero, however the second baseman was a star in his personal proper. His prime was 1999-2004, when Vidro made three All-Star appearances and averaged hitting .313-16-73 with an .862 OPS. The second baseman began to say no when the Expos moved to Washington in 2005, and his profession ended following two years in Seattle.

Few beginning pitchers have had a extra spectacular, and sadly, shorter prime than Webb. The groundballer was a real ace for Arizona over six seasons, and was arguably the most effective pitcher in baseball from 2006-2008. Throughout these three seasons, he went 56-25 with a 3.13 ERA in 101 begins regardless of a hitter-friendly house ballpark, profitable the Cy Younger in 2006 and ending second in every of the next two seasons. Webb’s run led to 2009 with a shoulder damage, drawing a near what seemed to be a Corridor of Fame trajectory.

The 2000s Cubs pitching staffs are finest remembered for Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, although Zambrano was practically as dominant in his heyday. The huge right-hander made three All-Star appearances as a high-velocity sinkerballer and completed fifth within the NL Cy Younger voting 3 times. He was additionally gifted on the plate, profitable three Silver Sluggers with a decent profession .636 OPS and 24 house runs. Zambrano’s erratic management was additionally a degree of frustration for followers at Wrigley Area, as he walked greater than 100 batters in 2006 and 2007. The ultimate resume is powerful over 12 seasons, with 132 wins and a 3.66 ERA over practically 2,000 innings.

Younger baseball followers in all probability do not bear in mind how uncommon it was for a pitcher to achieve triple digits on the radar gun. Zumaya managed to mild up the radar gun a time or two, and broke onto the scene throughout Detroit’s magical 2006 season with a 1.94 ERA in 62 appearances. The Tigers sputtered within the World Collection that season, partly due to Zumaya’s wrist damage that he suffered taking part in Guitar Hero. That damage foreshadowed extra well being points for the rest of Zumaya’s profession, as he by no means made greater than 31 appearances in a season after 2006.