See here for a headnote and explanation.
#27: Mike Trout
Another player whose stature would have earned him a “zero” on his card in another generation.
There’s a fascinating site by SportTrac that keeps tabs on, among other things, time spent on the Injury List (you may have heard by now that Shohei Ohtani (#17) has a torn UCL and will not pitch for the rest of the season). Just out of curiosity, I looked up Trout, a ROY, 2-time MVP, and 11-time All-Star. Here is a list of his injuries since 2017; prior to that he had good luck, health-wise.
- 2017, Thumb, missed 47 days
- 2018, Wrist, missed 15 days
- 2021, Calf, missed 139 days
- 2022, Ribs, missed 33 days
- 2023, writes, missed 50 days
All that adds up to more than $50 million he got paid while not playing. That’s some sick day policy.
Hall of Famer, even if his career ended tomorrow?
#28: Corey Knebel
The highlight of his career, statistically speaking: led the NL in appearances with 76 for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017, when he enjoyed his career high in saves with 39.
#29: Trevor Rogers
Finished second in ROY voting in 2021 when he also earned an All-Star berth.
#30: Kenley Jansen
It’s a mixed blessing when you have a lengthy career: the longer you play, the smaller the print on the back of your card. Jansen spent all but the last two seasons with the Dodgers and has 420 saves over 14 big league campaigns with 1,107 strikeouts in just 769 innings (prior to this year). He signed as a free agent with the Red Sox prior to 2023. Another HoF candidate or is a high number of saves not a good indicator any more?
#31: Riley Greene
With just one previous season in the Majors, Greene makes me wonder about those “requirements” for getting a card. A close look at his face makes me think he struck out on this swing.
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