3. Jeffrey Hammonds
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Top prospect Jeffrey Hammonds was supposed to take the league by storm. However, 13 years and a lot of injuries later, Hammonds retired with only three full seasons as a starter in the league.
While he would see his career summed up to a “what could have been,” his time with the Reds and Rockies was a snapshot of his realized potential.
His full season in Cincinnati was the second-best of his career, especially when compared to his other seasons with 100+ games.
His best season, by far, was in 2000 with the Colorado Rockies. Hammonds was so good that he earned his one and only appearance in the All-Star Game. He would finish the year with the fourth-highest batting average in the National League at .335.
Hammonds was almost the early 2000s version of Troy Tulowitzki, a player with so much potential that is stunted by injuries. His years in Cincinnati and Colorado were snapshots of a career that could have been. I hope an appearance on this list is in somewhat a small solace in service of a career that could have been.