Widely considered one of the greatest defensive third basemen ever, Nolan Arenado was labeled lazy with terrible footwork in the minor leagues. After a harsh reality check from manager Jerry Weinstein, the Newport Beach native rebuilt his mechanics from the ground up, showing up early for grounders and training explosive lower-body strength to re-engineer his own habits.

The transformation was so complete that he won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2013, the first NL rookie third baseman to do so since 1957. He paired elite defense with fearsome power, maintaining his edge through obsessive winter practice and an oversized glove chosen for margin of error.

• Won a Gold Glove in each of his first 10 seasons, tying Ichiro Suzuki
• Drove in 130 or more runs in three consecutive seasons and hit for the cycle twice
• Signed an eight-year, $260 million extension before a 2021 trade to St. Louis
• Hit his 350th career home run in 2025, joining a six-player club with 350 homers and 10 Gold Gloves
• Crossed 2,000 career hits after a 2026 trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks