Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz was one of the best hitters of his generation. As a child, Cruz idolized Michael Jordan and had a passion for basketball. As a teenager, Cruz played for the Dominican Republic Junior National Basketball Team. The New York Mets initially signed Cruz as a non-drafted free agent, and he played for three years in the Dominican Summer League. The Mets traded Cruz to the Oakland Athletics on August 30, 2000. Cruz spent four years in Oakland’s minor league system before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on December 16, 2004. Cruz spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons with the Double-A Huntsville Stars and Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

Cruz made his Major League debut with the Brewers on September 17, 2005. On July 28, 2006, Cruz was traded to the Texas Rangers where he remained until 2013. He made his first of seven All-Star teams with the Rangers and was MVP of the ALCS in 2011. Cruz ended up playing for five other franchises, but was consistently productive, earning four Silver Slugger Awards. He led baseball in home runs during his one season with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014 and was the American League RBI leader while with the Seattle Mariners in 2017. Cruz's 346 homers during the 2010s were the most by any player in the decade. He retired in 2023 with over 400 home runs and 2000 hits.