I know Ruben Sierra as a Texas Ranger since he spent the majority of his 20-year career with the Texas organization–though it was divided between three stints (1986-1992, 2000-2001, 2003). Though…and I will admit I totally forgot this…he was with the Cleveland Indians very briefly in 2000. He never made it to the 25-man roster and was released in Spring Training.
Sierra was a sneaky good player who was easily overlooked due to the era that he played. In his prime (which I will call from 1986-2001) he hit .270/.317/.455 and averaged 18 HR a season. Good for an OPS+ of 108. He only hit 30 HR once but cracked 20 seven times.
He did earn some hardware during his career:
- Selected to four All-Star teams.
- Won the Silver Slugger in 1989.
Sierra retired in 2007 with an OPS+ of 105. While he will never get into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame, the Rangers selected him for theirs in 2009.