Who is the best MLB player from each state?

Sep 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) smiles to the bench after hitting a triple and driving in a run during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

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Baseball: Former Boston Red Sox player Mo Vaughn during 100th anniversary celebration for Fenway Park before game vs New York Yankees. Boston, MA 4/20/2012 CREDIT: Damian Strohmeyer (Photo by Damian Strohmeyer /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) /

Connecticut: Mo Vaughn

Judging by the three players that Connecticut has sent to the Hall of Fame, the state peaked athletically in the late-1800s. The Hall of Famers from Connecticut — Jim O’Rourke, Roger Connor, Ned Hanlon — all played before 1910. Only two active players from Connecticut have even been to the All-Star Game.

For now, it’s too early to call Connecticut for Matt Harvey, George Springer, or A.J. Pollock. Their careers are too young, and both Harvey and Pollock have dealt with serious injuries. We will have to look for a different answer.

Mo Vaughn is a respectable choice for a small New England state known more for finance and life insurance than sports. The Norwalk native had a very successful eight-year run with the Boston Red Sox from 1991 to 1998, making three All-Star teams. Vaughn hit 230 home runs for the BoSox while slashing .304/.394/.542. He won the 1995 MVP award.

After Vaughn left the Red Sox to sign with the Angels for $80 million, his career came undone. His first two years in California went well enough, but he missed the entire 2001 season due to injuries. The Angels traded him to the New York Mets before the 2002 season. Vaughn was a massive disappointment in New York, and he eventually retired after a knee injury in 2003.

The Mets were still forced to pay him $17 million for the 2004 season, and Vaughn was later linked to PEDs in the Mitchell Report and is now running a real-estate trust in New York that deals with low-rent apartment. Still, probably not the most corrupt thing to come out of the state of Connecticut.

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