R.A. Dickey

R.A. Dickey was originally drafted in the 10th round of the 1993 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers out of Montgomery Bell Academy, but chose not to sign. Instead, he decided to pursue a college career at the University of Tennessee. While playing for the Volunteers he earned Academic All-American honors as a pitcher and was a standout performer, improving on his draft stock and being selected in the first round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. Prior to signing with the Rangers it was discovered that he was missing the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. This led to a dramatic reduction in his signing bonus, but did not prevent him from beginning his professional career. In 2001 he made his MLB debut with the Rangers and pitched in Texas until 2006. After the 2006 season he sought out to perfect his knuckleball and returned to the big leagues in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners. He went on to pitch for the Minnesota Twins in 2009 before landing with the New York Mets in 2010. In 2012 he reached the pinnacle of his career, earning his first All-Star selection and leading the NL in shutouts and strikeouts in route to earning the NL Cy Young Award. He’s since joined the Toronto Blue Jays, and is widely considered to be the top knuckleball pitcher in the game.