Which MLB athletes could be 2-sport stars?
It's no secret that Major League Baseball boasts some of the most impressive all-around athletes in professional sports.
On Jan. 29, 1995, Deion Sanders stepped onto the field for Super Bowl XXIX at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, making him the first athlete to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. Three years earlier, Sanders suited up in the Fall Classic as a member of the Atlanta Braves against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sanders isn't the only two-sport athlete to have played in the majors, though. Here are a few current big-leaguers that either have experience as multi-sport athletes, or would hypothetically thrive in another sports arena:
Joe Mauer - Football
Before Mauer was the 2009 American League MVP and a three-time batting champion for the Minnesota Twins, he was named USA Today’s High School Player of the Year as a quarterback. San Francisco Giants hurler Jeff Samardzija also enjoyed success on the gridiron as a wide receiver with Notre Dame before selecting baseball as his ultimate career path.
Prince Fielder - Shot put
No player in the majors possesses more brute strength than Fielder, who has made a career out of muscling baseballs into the stands. Weighing in at 275 pounds, the Texas Rangers first baseman has the type of build to compete with the best shot-putters on the planet.
Zack Greinke - Curling
Greinke's ability to outsmart his opponents earned him a cool $206.5 million from the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason. Graced with pinpoint control and unheralded poise on the mound, Greinke's ability to mastermind and execute a game plan would easily translate to the curling sheet.
Justin Morneau - Hockey
Justin Morneau dons No. 33 on the baseball field in honor of his hockey idol, legendary goaltender Patrick Roy. Staying true to his Canadian roots, Morneau also played goal growing up, and even briefly suited up for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League in 1997.
Billy Hamilton - Track
Run Billy run! Billy Hamilton, considered the fastest active player in baseball, has drawn comparisons to the aforementioned Sanders for his blazing speed on the basepaths. Any track team would be blessed to have him run short-distance events.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Bryce Harper - Weightlifting
The reigning National League MVP is a beast on the field, but his accomplishments in the weight room are also impressive. Harper recently posted a video of himself deadlifting 500 pounds with ease.
Chris Young - Basketball
Standing at 6-foot-10, righty Chris Young is the tallest active player in MLB, and was a standout basketball player at Princeton. He was offered a two-year deal to play for the NBA's Sacramento Kings two years after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2000 draft.
Alex Rodriguez - Aquathlon
A-Rod revitalized his career with a resurgent 2015 campaign, and the 40-year-old has no plans of slowing down. Rodriguez has chronicled his diverse workout regimen on his Instagram account this offseason, which includes clips of him running track and swimming, all in preparation for another long big-league season.