Josh Donaldson

What made him special wasn't just the pop — though 279 career homers from the hot corner speaks for itself. Donaldson combined elite plate discipline with Gold Glove-caliber defense, posting a career 110 OPS+ across 14 seasons despite playing one of baseball's most demanding positions.

The Auburn product's career trajectory tells the modern game's story in miniature: a grinder who peaked late, dominated for a brief window, then hung around longer than his body wanted. His MVP campaign remains one of the decade's great individual seasons, a reminder that third base success requires equal parts power and precision.