Being a professional athlete is so much more than simply performing well and winning. The most successful superstars build personas that exist off the court or field, allowing them to connect with people who don’t necessarily identify with their sport.
Fans often forget that athletes have real lives when they’re not in uniform. Players have families, social lives, businesses and hobbies, too. Playing a sport is just a job, albeit a great one, that also requires athletes to have a public persona in street clothes.
To that end, lets take a look at 15 of the coolest players (and one manager) in Major League Baseball with some of the largest individual followings and oddest off-field interests. They are listed in no particular order, as coolness lacks a singular definition by which to rank.
MLB employs hundreds of players, so we probably missed a few good ones. If your “coolest” player didn’t make it on this list, be sure to let us know about him in the comments.