Ibanez began his MLB career with five forgettable seasons as a part-time player with the Mariners before breaking out in Kansas City. A six-time All-Star and one of the most important pieces on the A's teams that won three consecutive World Series championships from 1972 through 1974, Campaneris was one of the great stolen base artists of his era, leading the league in steals six times. Career Stats: 1,311 G; .280/.345/.355; 35 HR; 392 RBI; 123-for-168 SB. While I thought he was great at his job back then, it turns out that he was a damn fine ballplayer as well. The most underrated player at every position March 29th, 2022 Anthony Castrovince @ castrovince Share It's the moment you've been waiting and rating for. There's also Buddy Bell, Ron Santo, Ken Boyer and a range of other third basemen who hit respectably and offered superb, if under-appreciated, defensive value. As the Yankees came back to prominence in 1976, White continued to excel on a team loaded with stars. However, lefties Jeremy Affeldt and Lopez were also integral members of the relief corps. Clutch. A 20-homer, 20-steal player in 2007 and 2008, Hart also had a 31-homer, 102-RBI campaign in 2010 when he earned his second All-Star selection. He struck out a ton, but he also hit .240/.319/.438 while averaging 23 home runs, 20 steals and 2.4 WAR in his five full seasons with the team. He hit at least 20 home runs in nine consecutive seasons from 1933 through 1941, and drove in at least 100 runs for seven straight seasons, from 1935 through 1941. Born without a right hand, Abbott joined the Angels starting rotation in 1989 without having pitched a single inning of minor league baseball, going 12-12 with a 3.92 ERA and finishing fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year Voting. He slugged 107 home runs and made two All-Star appearances in four years with the South Siders. Big-time. His big-league career was over before he turned 30. Five times he hit more than 30 home runs, twice he broke the 100 RBI barrier and eight times he hit more than 20 home runs and drove in at least 70 runs. Otis had power, played excellent defense and had speed, leading the American League with 52 stolen bases in 1971 while also becoming the first player since 1927 to steal five bases in one game. Leonard had a career record of 139-133 with a 2.76 ERA, and in 1914, he led the American League with a remarkable 0.96 ERA, the major league record for lowest ERA among pitchers who threw at least 150 innings in the same season. Sam Cassell 1. The first Angel to hit for the cycle, Fregosi was not only the face of the franchise in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but he was regarded as the best hitting shortstop in the game during that span as well. Here are the 30 most unsung, under-the-radar, underrated pitchers in major league history. Career Stats: 2,963 G; .272/.336/.352; 80 HR; 950 RBI; 404-for-571 SB. The deal to acquire Guillen from the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2004 season in exchange for Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez (not that one) is one of the best trades in Tigers history. From 1903 to 1909, he averaged 29 wins per season, leading the NL three times in . The Cardinals starting second baseman in three World Series (1982, 1985 and 1987), Tommy Herr paired with the Wizard of Oz, Ozzie Smith, to form one of the best double-play combinations the game has seen in the past 30 years. While he hit the first-ever home run at Veterans Stadium as a member of the Phillies, it wasn't until Don Money was traded to the Brewers following the 1972 season that he enjoyed the most success of his career. Sharing a lineup with Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and slugging middle infielders Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy, he wasn't always a focal point, but he stands as one of the most underrated outfielders of his era. Said Bill James in The New Baseball Abstract: No other player in baseball history was so richly praised for his defensive skillno one. Furillo led the league in assists in 1950 and again the following season. Doc Halladay has been the most consistent pitcher of this decade. It appeared the Astros had found a co-ace to slot alongside Roy Oswalt when Miller went 16-8 with a 3.40 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 212 innings during his age-24 season in 2001. Seemingly every baseball generation has its underrated third basemen. From his first full season in the MLB rotation in 2006 through the 2013 season, he was one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, making at least 30 starts and working at least 180 innings . No one-year wonders or self-promoters here. A two-time All-Star, White became one of the most popular Yankees during the 1970s with his no-nonsense style of play and remains a fan favorite to this day. The tussle between Myers and McCabe was short yet spirited, but the new Toronto blueliner picked up 17 penalty minutes on the play five for fighting, plus a two-minute instigator and a 10-minute misconduct. Tigers' fans remember him fondly for his contributions during their march to the World Series championship in 1968. Trailing 5-3 as they headed into the bottom of the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers on June 22, 1979, Doug DeCinces stepped to the plate with two outs, Eddie Murray on first base, and a Ken Singleton home run having cut the deficit to one run. He went 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA in a career-high 209 innings in 2009 and led the NL with a 2.30 ERA in 183.2 innings the following year to check in fifth in NL Cy Young voting, but that proved to be his peak. I would go so far as to say his career (career not hit tool) is better than the greatly revered Tony Gwynns (random reference, but it gives perspective) and I dont say that lightly. Across 15 MLB seasons, he tallied 2,096 hits, 316 home runs, 1,220 RBI and 44.5 WAR. It was an impressive, but largely forgotten peak. From 1989 through 1990, Oquendo was the Cardinals starting second baseman, and he flourished in the position. Babe Ruth also hit .393 with 41 homers in 1923. A five-time All-Star, Doc Cramer patrolled center field for four different teams over a 20-year-career, one that saw him hit .300 eight times and break the 200-hit barrier on three different occasions. Barry Sanders. We use cookies to help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience. Justice hit a ball to deep center field. Career Stats: 2,324 G; .255/.293/.383; 160 HR; 886 RBI; 2,006 H; 912 R; 178-for-261 SB. He posted a .994 fielding percentage in 1989, committing only five errors in more than 850 chances. One half of a great double-play combination in Kansas City, along with second baseman Frank White, shortstop Freddie Patek was part of the Royals teams that won the American League West from 1976-78. The Expos selected him out of Puerto Rico in the sixth round of the 1992 draft, and he was included in the rookie-filled 1993 Bowman set the following year. From 1976 through 1987, DeCinces averaged 19 home runs and 71 RBI. 10. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports. Is Bryce Harper the most underrated player in baseball and is Bo Bichette the most overra. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. Id like to see more focus on what Bonds did over his first 13 seasons, 1986 through 1998, before its generally assumedhe began taking steroids. Career Stats: 2,089 G; .271/.374/.488; 377 HR; 1,103 RBI; 1,820 H; 1,046 R; 43-for-73 SB. By the time his career was over, he had become the only player with as many as 2,705 hits before 1975 not elected to baseballs Hall of Fameand only two players, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker, had played more games in center field than Doc Cramer. Before Clayton Kershaw arrived on the scene, it was Billingsley who was on his way to becoming a homegrown ace for the Dodgers after the team selected him 24th in the 2003 draft. But with a wiry framehe was 6'2", 160 pounds when the Red Sox drafted himnobody thought he'd be anything more than someone with gap power. After an inauspicious start to his career as a member of the Indians, Brian Giles found himself traded to the Pirates prior to the 1999 season. 320 batting average with a .370 OBP. All-time underrated athletes. Career Stats: 2019 G; .254/.352/.408; 242 HR; 1,039 RBI; 1,790 H; 982 R; 75-for-121 SB. The youngest player to play in an MLB game in 2019 was Elvis Luciano a 19-year-old pitcher After going without a hit in the first two games of the series, he went on a tear. Career Stats: 2,212 G; .257/.316/.416; 260 HR; 1,125 RBI; 2,085 H; 908 R; 51-for-117 SB. Vizquel hit .280 or better eight times, hit more than 30 doubles four times and led the league in sacrifice hits three times. Concepcion was rounding the bases after hitting a home run and crossed home plate roughly four seconds after Watson. I assume Heywards best years are in front of him. I truly believe Todd Helton is one of the most grossly underrated players of our generation. He was terrific once again in 2002 (15-4, 3.28 ERA, 144 K, 164.2 IP) and solid in 2003 (14-13, 4.13 ERA, 161 K, 187.1 IP) before shoulder injuries derailed his career. However, things clicked following a trade to the White Sox, and he posted a 149 OPS+ with 36 home runs and 100 RBI to finish fifth in AL MVP voting in his first year with the team. He was far from a power hitter, and he only went deep eight times in 1985, making him the last NL player to drive in 100 or more runs in a season while hitting fewer than 10 home runs. Honorable mention: Anyone who plays for the As, my girlfriend said after I told her about this project. A seven-time All-Star and one of the smoothest fielding third basemen of the 1940s, Ken Keltner almost single-handedly ended Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak in 1941. His batting average fell 64 points (from .289 to .225) and his OPS dropped 79 points (from .863 to .784), yet his average exit velocity (91 mph), hard-hit percentage (46.7 percent), expected SLG (.542) and barrel percentage (16 percent) were all excellent, and his 7.9 percent walk rate was the best of his career. Career Stats: 1,286 G; .264/.362/.379; 93 HR; 418 RBI; 1,203 H; 718 R; 200-for-305 SB. It's time to unveil the 2022 MLB All-Underrated Team. This project has primarilybeen about identifying players who look underrated in the historic rear view. Arguably the best pitcher in Expos history, an average season for Rogers from 1977 though 1983 was a 15-11 record with a 2.83 ERA, though Dick Williams, his manager from 1977 through part of the 1981 season, was never a fan and routinely questioned whether the right-hander was truly giving a maximum effort. But enough procrastinating. When Jose Oquendo broke into the majors with the Mets in 1983 as a 19-year-old shortstop, he became the first player in franchise history who was younger than the franchise itself. He was traded from Baltimore to the Angels in 1982 to make room for Cal Ripken Jr.; ironically, DeCinces was the man who had the unenviable task of replacing legendary third baseman Brooks Robinson, so his time in Baltimore was sandwiched in between two all-time greats. He led the National League in hits with 192 in 1990 as a member of the Giants, led the National League in runs scored twice and triples four times while consistently placing near the top of the league in stolen bases. Playing alongside future Hall of Famers like Paul Molitor and Robin Yount and solid pros in Sal Bando and Gordon Thomas, Money was selected to four All-Star games as part of the "Brew Crew" and set the major league record for consecutive games played at third base without committing an error, 86 games, in 1974. Everyone loves labels, especially when it comes to athletes. That's the response we set out to elicit with our rundown of each MLB team's most underrated player of the past 20 years. Amazingly enough, Ryne Sandberg took home Gold Glove honors. As the lockout rolls on, sit back and enjoy some nostalgia with this walk down memory lane to highlight some underrated players who were once among the best on their respective team's roster. Injuries kept him from reaching his full potential, but he still quietly launched 320 home runs in 13 seasons, and he won World Series MVP in 2002. In the five seasons that followed a respectable sixth-place finish in 2004 AL Rookie of the Year voting, DeJesus hit .286/.357/.427 for a 107 OPS+ while filling up the stat sheet and averaging 30 doubles, eight triples, 10 home runs, 63 RBI, 79 runs and 2.9 WAR. Knowing that they couldn't afford to re-sign him when his contract expired, the Pirates traded him to the Padres in August of 2003 in exchange for Jason Bay and Oliver Perez, though he wouldn't enjoy the same level of success with the Padres. A two-time All-Star, he wouldn't join a winning baseball team until 1946 when he was sold to the Boston Red Sox. Career Stats: 2,012 G; .291/.364/.416; 89 HR; 674 RBI; 2,138 H; 1,124 R; 174-for-255 SB. He had three straight seasons with at least 200 innings pitched, including a 2007 campaign where he went 16-6 with a 3.73 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 218 strikeouts in 231.2 innings to finish fourth in NL Cy Young voting. At the time he retired in 1985, his .980 career fielding percentage was the highest career mark for any shortstop, though that's since been surpassed by seven players, including Jimmy Rollins and Troy Tulowitzki, the new record holder. Career Stats: 2,024 G; .285/.347/.443; 214 HR; 1,071 RBI; 1,982 H; 870 R; 54-for-83 SB. Career Stats: 1,672 G; .282/.385/.498; 299 HR; 1,016 RBI; 1,674 H; 986 R; 48-for-90 SB, To most of us he's Tim Salmon, but to those in the know, he's simply known as "King Fish.". He had four straight 4-WAR seasons from 2002 through 2005, peaking in '04 when he hit .340/.419/.562 with 41 doubles, 27 home runs and 104 RBI to win Silver Slugger honors and tally a career-high 5.6 WAR. Beltres lucky. Had he spent the bulk of his career elsewhere, Watson is probably pushing 300 home runs, if not more. While much of how we view athletes is performance-based and backed up with statistics, some of it is simply subjective. Career Stats: 1,650 G; .242/.309/.324; 41 HR; 490 RBI; 1,340 H; 736 R; 385-for-516 SB. After a 31-homer, 21-steal season for the World Series winning Marlins in 2003, Lee was traded to the Cubs where he was a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in seven seasons. Larry Wayne Jones is one of the greatest switch-hitters of all-time. Corey Maggette 10. Niese spent six full seasons in the Mets rotation from 2010 through 2015, posting a 59-59 record with a 3.86 ERA while averaging 171 innings per year. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? A nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove Award winner during his 19-year career with the Cincinnati Reds, Concepcion's contributions were routinely overshadowed by his Hall of Fame teammates, namely Pete Rose, Tony Perez and Morgan. Some of them, shall we say, have not. Regardless, Rolen has borderline Hall of Fame numbers for a third baseman and quietly did much of it the first decade of the 2000s. He was a multi-inning bullpen weapon in 2005 (65 G, 5 SV, 2.21 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 85.2 IP) and an excellent starter in 2008 (22 GS, 10-8, 2.54 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 141.2 IP) in what was his only year as a full-time member of the rotation. Every MLB Team's Most Underrated Player Since 2000 Joel Reuter December 16, 2021 Jim McIsaac/Getty Images "I completely forgot how good he was!" That's the response we set out to elicit. He tallied 10 complete games and three shutouts during that stretch, and he was an All-Star in '04 when he went 14-9 with a 3.38 ERA in 215.2 innings. Venable had a quietly effective career with the Padres, logging 13.3 WAR in eight seasons. After averaging 147 games played over his first five seasons,a shoulder injury that he suffered in 1936 bogged down his career after that, and he would play in more than 100 games only once before calling it quits. And an obp over .410! While his accomplishments with the Pirates were overshadowed by the exploits of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke and even manager Jim Leyland, Bell established himself as one of the better shortstops in the game during his time with the Pirates, overcoming his limited range by putting himself in the right position, depending on the batter. Heck, make it 1990 through 1998. Over his career, Beltre racked up over 3,000 hits and nearly made it to 500 home runs. Underrated teams. Among Rolens accolades from 2000 through 2009: 48.3 WAR, 127 defensive runs saved and a .285/.368/.497 slash. The left-hander signed a two-year, $17.5 million contract with the Angels after the 2008 season, but he stands as the best closer in Rockies franchise history. Furillo finished his career needing only one hit to raise his career average to .300. Career Stats: 2,583 G; .271/.332/.442; 304 HR; 1,167 RBI; 2,548 H; 1,443 R; 320-for-438 SB. Rico never had the attention of the media like his more famous teammate Carl Yastrzemski did, but Boston fans knew that he was a special player, and he remains one of the most popular Red Sox players of the past 50 years. His best season came two years later with the Angels in 1991, when he went 18-11 with a 2.89 ERA, finishing third in the American League Cy Young Award voting. Watson is underrated due to his immense contributions to the sport. At his peak, Edmonds was one of the greatest two-way center fielders in MLB history. Over the next four seasons, Giles would be named to two All-Star teams while posting an average season of .309/.426/.604 with 37 HR, 106 RBI and 10 stolen bases. A two-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove award winner, Finley was an integral part of the Diamondbacks team that won the 2001 World Series, batting .368/.478/.526 with one home run, two RBI and five runs scored. He is currently the leader amongst active. A five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Wallach led the National League in doubles twice and was the first player from Cal-State Fullerton to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. A seventh-round pick in the 1998 draft, Holliday reached the majors in 2004 and made an immediate impact, finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. DeCinces took Tigers' reliever Dave Tobik deep into the night, leading the Orioles to a comeback 6-5 victory on what has been called "the night Oriole Magic was born." (When I know more about 19th century baseballthan the cursory amount that I do, Ill write something. Calling Evans "one of the most underrated players in baseball history" James wrote: Dwight Evans is the very unusual player who had all of his best years in his thirties. Now, when anyone mentions Bonds, its to marvel over the freakishstats he offered from 2001 through 2004 or, conversely, to denounce his Hall of Fame candidacy. When a discussion regarding the best second basemen in the history of baseball ensues, it's a rare occasion when Bobby Doerr's name is bought up. Sievers has the "honor" of being the first man with 300 lifetime home runs not to be elected to baseballs Hall of Fame. He was a legitimate star in 2012 (137 OPS+, 22 HR, 92 RBI) and 2013 (129 OPS+, 13 HR, 97 RBI), but was traded to the Red Sox the following year and his production dropped off significantly from there. 13, was retired by the team. Interestingly enough, Finley could have had multiple 20/20 and 30/30 seasons, but the speed that he exhibited early in his career wasn't quite the same when his power finally developed. He won another ring 13 years later when he captured World Series MVP honors as a member of the San Francisco Giants. When 22-year-old Bert Campaneris made his major league debut in 1964, he took Twins starter Jim Kaat deep in his first major league at-bat. Mitch Richmond, Detlef Schrempf, and Vin Baker are among the underrated players from the '90s. Career Stats: 443 G (412 GS); 176-137; 3.44 ERA; 1.25 WHIP; 2,895.1 IP; 2,572 H; 1.61 K/BB. The Most Underrated NBA Players of the 2000s Hide 11. While the Royals would fall to the Phillies in the World Series, White was also part of the 1985 Royals team that won the only World Series championship in team history. Its not the best peak in baseball history, but it also isnt far off. He also had two no-hitters as a member of the Red Sox withthe first coming in 1916 against theSt. Louis Brownsand the second in 1918 against theDetroit Tigers. When it comes to the great pitchers of the 1980s, much is made of Tigers great Jack Morris and whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame, but nobody ever brings up the Blue Jays' Dave Stieb. The best they can generally hope for is a belated nod from the Veterans Committee. Thanks for another fun article. For many, nostalgia remains the driving force behind baseball card collecting, and thats how we arrived at the idea of One-Sheet Collections. He was by no means an all-or-nothing power hitter though, with a .293/.406/.537 career batting line. However, who were the most underrated MLB players of the 2010s? In 1939, Doerrbegan a string of 12 consecutive seasons with 10 or more home runs and 73 or more runs batted in; in 1940 the Red Sox became the 12th team in major league history to have four players wiith 100 RBI as Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Joe Cronin and Doerr each collected at least 105. Career Stats: 1,553 G; .251/.332/.420; 210 HR; 773 RBI; 1,352 H; 653 R; 10-for-32 SB. A nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove Award winner during his 15 major-league seasons, Santo wasn't elected to the Hall of Fame until nearly 40 years after his retirementand tragically, one year after his death. During the first six seasons of the 2000s, he hit .292/.406/.584 while averaging 35 home runs, 98 RBI and 6.1 WAR and winning a Gold Glove every year. He was also named MVP of the 1980 American League Championship Series when he hit .545 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored as the Royals swept the Yankees in three games. He would make two All-Star teams as a member of the Twins and lead the American League in RBI with 119 in 1977. He hit .313/.374/.489 while averaging 39 doubles, 16 home runs and 73 RBI during that six-year span, hitting alongside Vladimir Guerrero in the Montreal Expos lineup. Yes. While Abbott wasn't an elite pitcher, the fact that he lasted a decade in major league baseball with only one hand is truly a remarkable featand it's a shame that future generations will view him only as an oddity and not as the inspirational figure he truly isif they notice him at all. While phenoms came, collected their MVP trophies, and faded, he just kept plodding along hitting .300, with a couple dozen homers and a hundred "ribbies" year after yearlike a guy punching a time clock. These guys had solid career resumes and often came up big in big games, yet they seldom, if ever, received widespread acclaim. SP Christy Mathewson: (236-112, 1.98 ERA, 1.035 WHIP, 1,799 K, 2,996.2 IP) 3. Career Stats: 1,832 G; .295/.364/.447; 184 HR; 989 RBI; 1,826 H; 802 R; 27-for-55 SB. He had a 126 OPS+ with 22 home runs, 22 steals and a career-high 3.5 WAR in 151 games in 2013, earning a two-year, $8.5 million extension. Acquired from the New York Mets in exchange for Mike Bordick at the 2000 trade deadline, Mora went on to rack up 29.1 WAR in 10 seasons with the Orioles while playing all over the field defensively. Not to take anything away from any of those players, all of whom have had excellent careers, but none of them come close to fielding their position as well as Vizquel.
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