10 MLB Players Who Were Briefly the Face of a Franchise

Every MLB team dreams of finding that one player they can build around—the face of the franchise, the jersey-seller, the future Hall of Famer. And sometimes, it looks like they’ve found him… for about a season.

These are the guys who had that one magical moment where everything clicked and the team (and fans) went all-in. But whether it was hype, injuries, or just plain bad luck, their time as the guy was shorter than a minor league call-up.

10. Scott Kingery – Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies handed him a six-year deal before he ever stepped on a big-league field. For a second, he looked like a Swiss Army knife with pop—then the bat vanished.

9. Chris Shelton – Detroit Tigers

Shelton hit nine homers in the first 13 games of 2006 and looked like the next big power bat. By midseason, he was back in the minors, and Detroit had moved on.

8. John Axford – Milwaukee Brewers

Axford was the mohawked closer who helped lead the Brewers to the postseason in 2011. He was lights-out for about a year, then lost his command and his grip on the role.

7. Travis Hafner – Cleveland Indians

For a stretch in the mid-2000s, Hafner mashed like prime Ortiz. But injuries caught up fast, and his reign as the face of the Tribe ended almost as quickly as it began.

6. Yasiel Puig – Los Angeles Dodgers

Puig took L.A. by storm with his electric rookie season, cannon arm, and swagger. But he never quite put it all together consistently, and the Dodgers eventually moved on.

5. Bryan LaHair – Chicago Cubs

LaHair was an All-Star in 2012 and looked like a late-blooming slugger the Cubs could build around. Then Anthony Rizzo arrived, and LaHair was out of the picture just as fast as he entered it.

4. Dontrelle Willis – Florida Marlins

The D-Train was an instant fan favorite with his funky delivery and electric rookie season. He helped the Marlins win a World Series, but his command issues caught up to him soon after.

3. Jeremy Hermida – Florida Marlins

He hit a grand slam in his first MLB at-bat, and the hype machine went wild. But he never developed into the star many thought he’d be, despite all the early promise.

2. Mark Prior – Chicago Cubs

Prior was the golden arm, the future of the franchise, and a Cy Young candidate by year two. Then the injuries came, and the Cubs were left wondering what could have been.

1. Kevin Maas – New York Yankees

Maas hit 21 home runs in just 79 games as a rookie and was hailed as the next Yankees superstar. By year three, he was out of the league—and just a trivia answer for die-hard fans.