Marlon Byrd (2003, center field, ROY voting: 4th)
Byrd made his Major League debut on September 8, 2002 and hit .229 with a home run in ten games. During his rookie season of 2003, Byrd played in 155 games. Thrown into the starting lineup with little experience, Byrd hit .311 with 28 doubles, seven home runs, 45 RBI and 11 stolen bases. His play was good enough for fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting.
Byrd’s performance dropped considerably the following season and was traded to the Nationals for Endy Chavez. After two mediocre seasons in a reserve role, Byrd was designated for assignment. He signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent at the end of 2006.
His playing time and production increased with the Rangers. Byrd’s best season in Texas was 2009 when he hit .283 with 43 doubles, 20 home runs and 89 RBI. After become a free agent following the season, Byrd signed with the Cubs. He made his first an only All-Star appearance in 2010, but once again his production dwindled and was traded to the Red Sox in April 2012.
Byrd bounced around the league late in his career, playing for the Red Sox, Mets, Pirates, Phillies, Reds, Giants and Indians over his final five seasons. He was quite productive in his second stint with the Phillies, hitting 25 home runs with 85 RBI in 2014.
Byrd retired with 1534 hits, 159 home runs and a .285 batting average.