Biggest one year wonder of the 21st century?

[Illustrious Potentate]

You know, a player that had one great season, but could never come close to matching it again

I’ve got Esteban Loaiza for the 2003 White Sox.

21-9, 2.90 ERA, 207 k’s, 1.113 WHIP

Next best ERA of his career was 3.77
Only struck out more than 150 batters one other time in his career, with 173 in 2005
Never had another season with a WHIP under 1.300

And now he’s in prison for drug smuggling

What y’all got?

 

[DragonFromTo]

Darin Erstad in 2000 for sure

Bill Mueller in 2003 isn't a terrible choice

 

[DragonFromTo]

You should have said "no relievers, please"

 

[Illustrious Potentate]

Darin Erstad in 2000 for sure

Bill Mueller in 2003 isn't a terrible choice

2000 was the last year of the 20th century.

Mueller isn't a bad choice.

 

[Nosferatu]

Domonic Brown

 

[DragonFromTo]

Danny Santana got MVP votes for me in my sim league for his rookie year in 2014. A 3.8 WAR season from a guy who compiled -1.7 WAR over the rest of his 8 season career. But I don't know that big rookie seasons really fit what you are looking for here.

 

[Illustrious Potentate]

Danny Santana got MVP votes for me in my sim league for his rookie year in 2014. A 3.8 WAR season from a guy who compiled -1.7 WAR over the rest of his 8 season career. But I don't know that big rookie seasons really fit what you are looking for here.

I'll allow it

 

[Kburjr]

Keaton Hiura. Pretty good rookie season. Can't seem to stay with the big club now.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

You know, a player that had one great season, but could never come close to matching it again

I’ve got Esteban Loaiza for the 2003 White Sox.

21-9, 2.90 ERA, 207 k’s, 1.113 WHIP

Next best ERA of his career was 3.77
Only struck out more than 150 batters one other time in his career, with 173 in 2005
Never had another season with a WHIP under 1.300

And now he’s in prison for drug smuggling

What y’all got?

He was awesome that year. I would've chosen him as well but you beat me to it.

 

[Big Al Rogorson]

 

[DragonFromTo]

The one problem with this one as it relates to this exercise is that his "big" season wasn't really that huge in the big picture because he had fewer than 300 ABs (owing of course to the fact that he was in the minors until July). He's not a bad choice but If he'd had a full season's worth of ABs at that level he'd be a better choice.

 

[DragonFromTo]

The one problem with this one as it relates to this exercise is that his "big" season wasn't really that huge in the big picture because he had fewer than 300 ABs (owing of course to the fact that he was in the minors until July). He's not a bad choice but If he'd had a full season's worth of ABs at that level he'd be a better choice.

Just to follow up on this, if you sort Francoeur's seasons by WAR his rookie season (3.0 in 274 PAs) actually comes in (a very close) 3rd behind 2007 (3.3) and 2011 (3.2), two full seasons.

For comparison the Esteban Loaiza season mentioned by the OP was a 34 start 7+ WAR season and Bill Mueller put up 5.6 WAR in 146 games in 2003. Francoeur's season was possibly more exciting because of the positive things it appeared to portend for Francoeur but it just didn't move the actual needle as much as some of the others.

 

[DragonFromTo]

I think the real difficulty here that I'm finding is that a lot of the guys that had one big season either had another season that was decent enough (who here remembered that Jody Gerut was good twice? ) or just flamed out quickly so there isn't a good stretch of mediocrity to go along with their big season. It's fun thinking about it though, I'll keep on it.

 

[Fish]

Bud Smith. More like a one game wonder than a one year wonder.

 

[navamind]

Jair Jurrjens (solid in 2008 and really good in 2011 (though he only made 23 starts), had a 159 ERA+ in 2009)

Edinson Volquez (electric "rookie" year, had a 137 ERA+ in 2008 and then an 87 ERA+ over the rest of his career)

Mark Bellhorn hit .258/.374/.512 with a 133 OPS+ in 2002 with the Cubs (career 92 OPS+; did hit .264/.373/.444 in 2004 with the Red Sox)

Colby Lewis (6.71 ERA in his first 217.1 IP from 2002-07, played in Japan for a few years and puts up a 121 ERA+ in his first year back in the majors and pitched very well in the playoffs)

 

[navamind]

Roberto "Fausto Carmona" Hernandez: 19-8, 3.06 ERA, 148 ERA+, 1.21 WHIP, 6.2 WAR in 2007

Career stats: 71-99, 4.60 ERA, 89 ERA+, 1.41 WHIP, 5.8 WAR overall

 

[Illustrious Potentate]

Bud Smith. More like a one game wonder than a one year wonder.

If we're going with on game wonders, Phil Humber had a perfect game

 

[Big Al Rogorson]

Bud Smith. More like a one game wonder than a one year wonder.

Sounds more like Francisco Cabrerra to me.

 

[navamind]

Ryan Ludwick, 2008
Mark Loretta, 2004
Andres Torres, 2010
Rick Wilkins, 1993 (career 100 OPS+ catcher that hit .303/.376/.561 in '93)

 

[RP-29]

No mention of Matt Harvey?

2013 all-star, finished 4th in Cy Young voting. Been average-to-mostly-utter-garbage every other year. And he's currently on the hook for drug distribution charges relating to the Tyler Skaggs death.