AL One Hit Wonders

American League One Hit Wonders

Player Name One-hit wonders” happen every year in the music industry, and baseball is no different. So, who are the one-hit wonders of the MLB? By Zach Smith

Just Baseball’s Clay Snowden looked at the players who appeared in only one All-Star game (since 2010). Players who reached the point of “top player at their position” for at least half of a season.

We made two teams, AL and the NL with the following rules: 1. Must have appeared in no more or no less than one all-star game 2. Must have four full seasons of MLB service time Here is the AL squad:

In 2019, McCann joined the White Sox, where he earned an All-Star bid in year one. McCann racked up career-high’s in almost every category. C: James McCann (White Sox, 2019)

Once considered a top prospect, it took seven seasons before Smoak broke out with 38 home runs and an All-Star appearance in 2017. He was out of the league after 2020. 1B: Justin Smoak (Blue Jays, 2017) 1B: Justin Smoak (Blue Jays, 2017)

The Red Sox super-utility man was beloved in Boston, and for good reason. He played everywhere but catcher and pitcher in 2015. 2B: Brock Holt (Red Sox, 2015) 2B: Brock Holt (Red Sox, 2015)

Núñez is a name you probably know, but can’t say much about. During his All-Star season, he had a 101 wRC+ with 40 stolen bases, almost double his previous career-high. 3B: Eduardo Núñez (Twins, 2016) 3B: Eduardo Núñez (Twins, 2016)

This could be the worst offensive season of any All-Star. Escobar was known for his defense, but a 66 wRC+ and .257/.293/.320 slash usually sends players to Triple-A, not the Midsummer Classic. SS: Alcides Escobar (Royals, 2015) SS: Alcides Escobar (Royals, 2015)

JBJ is a great athlete and a top-tier defensive outfielder. In the first half of 2016, he slashed .296/.378/.548 with 14 home runs and the fan favorite was headed to the All-Star game. OF: Jackie Bradley Jr. (Red Sox, 2016) OF: Jackie Bradley Jr. (Red Sox, 2016)

WHO?! A mostly pedestrian career will do that to you. In 2016, Saunders hit 16 first-half home runs and put up a .923 OPS. He was out of the league just one year later. OF: Michael Saunders (Blue Jays, 2016) OF: Michael Saunders (Blue Jays, 2016)

Garcia posted career-highs across the board in 2017, slashing .330/.380/.506 with a 138 wRC+. While he remains a productive player, he has yet to get close to All-Star level. OF: Avisaíl Garcia (White Sox, 2017) OF: Avisaíl Garcia (White Sox, 2017)

In 2011, Romero pitched 225 innings to a tune of a 2.92 ERA and a 146 ERA+. The very next season, he led the league in walks and was out of the league in 2013 at the age of 28. P: Ricky Romero (Blue Jays, 2011) P: Ricky Romero (Blue Jays, 2011)