Baseball is a cruel, unforgiving game. One year, you’re mashing homers, racking up Cy Young votes, and making fans believe you’re the second coming of Babe Ruth or Sandy Koufax. The next? You’re out of the league, struggling to get a minor-league deal, or just inexplicably bad.
For every Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw, there’s a guy who burned bright, made us all believe, and then… poof. Gone. Here are 10 MLB players who had one magical season and then vanished into baseball oblivion.
1. Chris Coghlan (2009) – ROY to “Wait, Who?”
Coghlan’s 2009 rookie season for the Marlins was absurd. He hit .321 with a .850 OPS and took home NL Rookie of the Year honors over future superstars like Andrew McCutchen. The Marlins thought they had a cornerstone piece. They did not. Injuries and general mediocrity turned him into a journeyman. His best post-2009 highlight? Flipping over Yadier Molina at home plate in 2015.
2. Brady Anderson (1996) – The Most Suspicious 50-Homer Season Ever
Before 1996, Anderson was a solid, respectable outfielder. Then, out of absolutely nowhere, he mashed 50 homers (his previous career-high was 21), made the All-Star team, and became a legend. After that? Never hit more than 24 bombs again and went back to being a normal dude. Seriously, if Statcast existed in 1996, we’d all have some questions.
3. Rick Porcello (2016) – The Accidental Cy Young Winner
Porcello was a fine pitcher, but when he somehow won the 2016 AL Cy Young over Justin Verlander (Kate Upton is still mad about it), it felt like a glitch in the matrix. He went 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA for the Red Sox, then immediately turned back into a league-average arm. By 2020, he was out of baseball entirely. The baseball gods work in mysterious ways.
4. Joe Charboneau (1980) – The Human Party Trick
Joe Charboneau’s 1980 season was straight out of a movie. He hit .289 with 23 homers and won AL Rookie of the Year, all while allegedly opening beer bottles with his eye socket and eating cigarettes for fun. His career after that? Nonexistent. Injuries and a steep decline meant he played just 70 more MLB games. At least he has the best bar stories of anyone on this list.
5. Dallas Braden (2010) – Mr. Perfect for a Day
Dallas Braden will always be remembered for throwing a perfect game on Mother’s Day in 2010. The problem? That was about it. He retired with a career record of 26-36 and a 4.16 ERA, but you better believe he’ll remind you he’s got more perfect games than Nolan Ryan.
6. Chris Hoiles (1993) – The Best Hitter You’ve Never Heard Of
In 1993, Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles casually slashed .310/.416/.585 with 29 homers and a 1.001 OPS. He was legitimately one of the best hitters in baseball. Then? Injuries and bad luck derailed him, and he never even sniffed those numbers again. If you ever want to sound smart at a bar, bring up 1993 Chris Hoiles.
7. Mark Fidrych (1976) – The Bird That Flew Too High
Mark Fidrych was a full-blown sensation in 1976. The Tigers’ rookie pitcher went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA, talked to the baseball on the mound, and won America’s heart. Then injuries struck, and he never had another good season. A true shooting star, but at least he made baseball fun for a while.
8. Bobby Crosby (2004) – The Anti-Derek Jeter
Bobby Crosby won the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year because someone had to. He hit .239 with 22 homers and solid defense for the A’s. Then… yikes. He never hit above .240 again and was out of the league by 2010. In retrospect, we should’ve known something was off when a .239 hitter was winning major awards.
9. Jeremy Hellickson (2011) – The Luckiest Rookie of All Time
Hellickson won AL Rookie of the Year in 2011 with a sparkling 2.95 ERA, but advanced stats said, “Yeah, this won’t last.” And they were right. His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) that year was a mediocre 4.44, and by 2014, he was just another guy. A cautionary tale about why ERA alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
Related: Ranking the 15 Best Rookie Seasons in MLB History
10. Angel Berroa (2003) – The Royals’ False Hope
Berroa won AL Rookie of the Year in 2003, hitting .287 with 17 homers and flashy defense. The Royals thought they found their future shortstop. Instead, they got a guy who led the league in strikeouts the next season, fell apart, and was out of the league before 2010. Hope is a dangerous thing.
