Jason Kendall

3.1. Pittsburgh Pirates

Jason Kendall's Major League Baseball (MLB) career began on April 1, 1996, when he made his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates as their starting catcher on Opening Day. At 21 years old, he was the second-youngest player in Pirates history to start an Opening Day game at catcher, trailing only Bill Mazeroski in 1957. On May 8, 1996, Kendall hit his first major league home run during the first game of a doubleheader.

In his rookie season, he maintained a .300 batting average, earned a selection to the National League All-Star Team, becoming the fifth rookie catcher in the National League to do so, following notable players like Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Greg Olson, and Mike Piazza. Although he finished third in the official voting for the MLB Rookie of the Year award, he was named the NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News and was selected to the Topps Rookie All-Star Team.

Kendall continued his success, being named an All-Star again in 1998 and 2000. In 1997, he recorded 31 hit-by-pitches (HBP), which was the second-highest in the league and a new franchise record. He repeated this feat in 1998, leading the majors with 31 HBP, tying his own team record. In 1998, he posted a .327 batting average, ranking fifth in the league and marking the highest average by a Pirate since Dave Parker in 1978. That same year, he also had a .411 on-base percentage, placing seventh in the league. Kendall showcased unusual speed for a catcher, setting a new league record for stolen bases by a catcher with 26, surpassing John Stearns's 1978 mark of 25.

The 1999 season was significantly impacted by an injury. From April 29 to May 11, he recorded a 12-game hitting streak. On May 3, he achieved a rare 5-for-5 performance in a game without recording any runs or RBIs, a feat last accomplished by a Pirate since Matty Alou in August 1970. He then followed this with a 16-game hitting streak from May 20 to June 7. However, on July 4, in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Kendall suffered a severe dislocation and fracture to his right ankle while running to first base after attempting to beat out a bunt. The injury was so severe that the bone was visible through his uniform, ending his season prematurely. Despite the injury, Kendall's contributions were recognized when fans voted him as the only active player on the "Pirates' Best Nine of the Century" team before the 2000 season, a testament to his impact. Concerns were raised about whether such a severe ankle injury would be career-ending for a catcher due to the extensive squatting involved in the position.

Defying expectations, Kendall made a strong comeback in 2000. He recorded 185 hits, 112 runs, 6 triples, and 22 stolen bases, leading all catchers in these categories and becoming the first catcher in MLB history to achieve three consecutive seasons with 20 or more stolen bases. On May 19, 2000, Kendall became the first player in Pirates history to hit for the cycle at Three Rivers Stadium, driving in five of Pittsburgh's thirteen runs against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was the second catcher to hit for the cycle since Rich Gedman in 1985. On July 11, he started in the All-Star game due to Mike Piazza's injury, becoming the first Pirates catcher to start an All-Star game since Smoky Burgess in 1961. Following this impressive season, on November 17, 2000, Kendall signed a six-year contract extension worth 60.00 M USD, which was the most expensive contract in Pirates history at the time and made him the second-highest-paid catcher in the league, behind only Mike Piazza.

In 2001, Kendall recorded a career-high 606 at-bats but his batting average dropped to .267, his first time below .300 in four years. On May 23, he made his first appearance in a non-catcher position, playing left field in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. On August 16, 2002, he achieved his 1,000th career hit off Ben Sheets, a milestone for the Pirates not seen since Johnny Ray in 1987. In 2003, he posted a .325 batting average, ranking sixth in the league, and recorded a career-high 191 hits. From 2002 to 2004, Kendall led all major league catchers in games and innings played behind the plate. He holds the record as the Pirates' all-time leader in games caught and made nine consecutive Opening Day starts as catcher, which is the second-longest streak in team history after George Gibson (1906-1915).

3.2. Oakland Athletics

After the 2004 season, the Pirates traded Kendall and cash to the Oakland Athletics for Mark Redman, Arthur Rhodes, and cash. In his first year with the Athletics in 2005, Kendall started 147 games as catcher in 150 appearances. He struggled offensively, with his .321 slugging percentage being the worst among all qualified major league players and his .271 batting average being the second-lowest of his career. Defensively, he allowed 101 stolen bases, the most by any catcher in MLB, and his 15.1% caught-stealing percentage was the second-worst in major league history. Despite these struggles, he uniquely batted leadoff for Oakland, a rare occurrence for a catcher.

In 2006, Kendall led off the batting order, hitting .301 with a .373 on-base percentage, playing a crucial role for the team. He achieved his first post-season appearance in his 11th major league season as the Athletics clinched the American League West championship. He also made his 140th game appearance for the ninth time, surpassing Gary Carter for the most such seasons by a catcher. On May 30, 2006, he hit a home run off Joel Peralta, ending a 247-game and 961-at-bat home run drought. Although his batting average was low at .264 before the All-Star break, he rebounded in August with a .358 average, finishing the season at .295. He recorded his first playoff hit in the second game of the American League Division Series against Boof Bonser of the Minnesota Twins. During a game against the Angels on May 2, 2006, Kendall was involved in a bench-clearing incident after John Lackey threw a high and inside pitch. Kendall confronted Lackey, who accused him of intentionally leaning into pitches to be hit, leading to a physical altercation between the two.

On July 16, 2007, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for catcher Rob Bowen and minor league pitcher Jerry Blevins. At the time of the trade, Kendall had the lowest on-base percentage (.261) and second-lowest slugging percentage (.281) among major league starters for the 2007 season. He also allowed 111 stolen bases (out of 131 attempts), with only 20 caught, leading all catchers in the majors.

3.3. Chicago Cubs

After being traded to the Chicago Cubs in July 2007, Kendall's performance saw a rebound. In 57 games with the Cubs, he hit .270 with a .362 on-base percentage, an improvement from his earlier season statistics with the Athletics. He finished the 2007 season with a combined .242 batting average, .301 on-base percentage, and .309 slugging percentage. Following the season, he became a free agent.

3.4. Milwaukee Brewers

On November 21, 2007, Jason Kendall agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin highly valued Kendall's skill in handling young pitchers during his time with the Athletics. In 2008, Kendall threw out approximately 40% of base stealers. By making his 110th start of the 2008 season, Kendall fulfilled an option in his contract, securing his place in the Brewers' lineup for the 2009 season.

On May 18, 2009, Kendall recorded his 2,000th career hit, making him the eighth full-time catcher in MLB history to reach that milestone. In 2009, he had the lowest slugging percentage of any starter in the major leagues, at .305. During his two years with the Brewers, his overall batting average was .244, his on-base percentage was .329, and his slugging percentage was .315.

3.5. Kansas City Royals

On December 11, 2009, Kendall signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. His 2010 season was cut short on September 3, when he underwent season-ending surgery on his right shoulder after an MRI exam revealed extensive tearing in his rotator cuff. This injury caused him to miss the entire 2011 season. He became a free agent after the 2011 season.

Kendall signed a minor league contract with Kansas City again on July 19, 2012. He played in only two games for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, a Double-A affiliate, before officially announcing his retirement from professional baseball on July 24, 2012.