Sometimes a player endures an MLB season that makes fans of the team believe he can be a vital part of the team for the unforeseeable future. It doesn’t occur though, as the player never comes close to reaching those heights again.
After looking at a 25-man roster of best players to never make an All-Star Game, let’s take a stab at a 25-man roster of one-year wonders. For this exercise, only players who debuted in 1990 or later were looked at.
While players such as Brady Anderson and Bernard Gilkey had clear-cut best seasons, they also brought value to the table in other years, so we’re not considering them (and other similar players) one-year wonders.
All stats were taken from Baseball-Reference.
Starting lineup
- 1. Peter Bourjos - Angels, CF (2011)
Bourjos’ 2011 season saw him tie for the AL lead with 11 triples, and he also stole 22 bases while scoring 72 times.
- 2. Fernando Tatis - Cardinals, 3B (1999)
In 1999, Tatis finished 10th in the NL in on-base percentage (.406), also batting .298 with 34 homers and 107 RBIs.
- 3. Domonic Brown - Phillies, LF (2013)
In Brown’s All-Star season of 2013, he batted .272 with 27 home runs and an .818 OPS. FanSided recently looked at what he’s up to now.
- 4. Bob Hamelin - Royals, DH (1994)
The 1994 AL Rookie of the Year, Hamelin slugged out 24 homers in 312 at bats and had a .987 OPS.
- 5. Mike Morse - Nationals, 1B (2011)
Morse finished 19th in NL MVP voting in 2011 in a year where he hit .303 with 31 home runs and a .910 OPS.
- 6. Jason Lane - Astros, RF (2005)
In his breakout 2005 campaign, Lane clubbed 26 home runs and 34 doubles.
- 7. Rick Wilkins - Cubs, C (1993)
It was a fabulous 1993 for Wilkins who connected on 30 home runs while hitting .303 with a .937 OPS.
- 8. Jason Bartlett - Rays, SS (2009)
In 2009, Barrett was seventh in the AL with a .320 batting average and tied for eighth with 30 steals while also hitting 14 home runs and scoring 90 runs.
- 9. Junior Spivey - Diamondbacks, 2B (2002)
Spivey had a 14th-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2002 with a .301 batting average, 16 homers, 34 doubles, and 103 runs.
Bench
- Andres Torres - Giants, CF (2010)
The starting center fielder on the World Series champion 2010 Giants team, Torres hit 43 doubles and 16 home runs while stealing 26 bases.
- Angel Berroa - Royals, SS (2003)
Named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2003, Berroa’s productive year consisted of a .287 batting average, 17 home runs, 92 runs, and 21 stolen bases.
- Kevin Maas - Yankees, 1B (1990)
The runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year in 1999, Maas hit 21 homers in just 254 at bats while owning a .902 OPS.
- Devin Mesoraco - Reds, C (2014)
Mesoraco placed 21st in NL MVP voting in 2014 as he hit .273 with 25 homers and a .893 OPS.
Starting rotation
- Justin Thompson, Tigers (1997)
An All-Star in 1997, Thompson finished the year fourth in the AL with a 1.14 WHIP and fifth with a 3.02 ERA.
- Dave Fleming, Mariners (1992)
Coming in third place in the 1992 AL Rookie of the Year voting, Fleming went 17-10 with a 3.39 ERA.
- Daisuke Matsuzaka, Red Sox (2008)
A fourth-place finisher in 2008 AL Cy Young voting, Matsuzaka had an impressive 18-3 record to go along with a 2.90 ERA and a .211 batting average against.
- Jeff D’Amico, Brewers (2000)
Making 23 starts in 2000, D’Amico was third in the NL in ERA (2.66) and fourth in WHIP (1.16).
- Ricky Romero, Blue Jays (2011)
Romero was 10th in 2011 AL Cy Young voting in a season where he had a 2.92 ERA and 1.14 WHIP
Bullpen
- Derrick Turnbow, Brewers (2005)
One of the most dominant closers in 2005, Turnbow turned in 39 saves, a 1.74 ERA, and 1.08 WHIP for the season.
- Jorge Julio, Orioles (2002)
Julio was a third-place finisher in 2002 AL Rookie of the Year voting as he possessed a 1.99 ERA and 25 saves.
- Jorge Sosa, Braves (2005)
Making 20 starts and 24 relief appearances in 2005, Sosa excelled in both roles ending with a 13-3 record and a 2.55 ERA.
- Evan Meek, Pirates (2010)
Likely one of the most unrecognizable All-Star players in 2010, Meek had a 2.14 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 80 innings.
- Carter Capps, Marlins (2015)
What an amazing 31 innings Capps threw in 2015 ending with a 1.16 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts.
- Jim Henderson, Brewers (2013)
Henderson was worthy of the ninth-inning role in 2013 as he saved 28 games, had a 2.70 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and struck out 11.3 hitters per nine innings.
- Joel Zumaya, Tigers (2006)
Possessing a triple-digit fastball, Zumaya ended the 2006 season with a 1.94 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 83.1 innings.