White chased the ball down and caught it while crashing full speed into the walla play some have said was more impressive than "The Catch" by Willie Maysthen threw a strike to Blue Jays' second baseman Roberto Alomar. ", Teams:Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, Stats:573 games, 229-172, 3.30 ERA, 187 CG, 49 SHO, 6.2 K/9 IP. Concepcion was rounding the bases after hitting a home run and crossed home plate roughly four seconds after Watson. October 8, 2017 By Anson Whaley. The fact that hes been consistently overlooked is a testament to how undervalued defense is in the eyes of Hall of Fame voters. Voters don't like the paucity of homers from a corner infield spot, but the overall package of offense and defense puts Hernandez . He has a no-hitter on his resume and was also a six-time all-star. A two-time MVP, Garvey also was a 10-time All-Star. It's kind of tough to think that anything Harrison Ford has done is underrated, isn't it? While I thought he was great at his job back then, it turns out that he was a damn fine ballplayer as well. He slugged 32 home runs, 43 doubles and 94 RBI. Of the 18 players elected to start the 1934 All-Star Game, Berger is the only one not enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Their have been almost 150 years of the MLB and 19,349 players to ever play an inning as of this writing. But most people dont know just how good Jackson was as a player. Whitaker also had a 75.1 WAR over the course of his career. Here are the 11 most underrated players in MLB, in no particular order: 1. Top 100 Players All-Time. He was also an excellent fielder who held multiple fielding records at the time of his retirement that have since been passed. Bottom line: Norm Cash played in the shadows of the great Al Kaline, but at the time of his retirement, there were only three players in American League history that hit more home runs as a left-handed batter Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig. As the Yankees came back to prominence in 1976, White continued to excel on a team loaded with stars. But enough procrastinating. Think about that for a moment as you contemplate some of the more underrated players. The tiny town grows a significant portion of the nation's most-demanded produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, potatoes, and citrus. In between three stints in Cleveland, Kenny Lofton bounced around a lot during his career, rarely spending more than one season with the same team. He moved to third base in 1971 when Boston acquired Luis Aparicio and was still manning the hot corner in 1975 when the Sox won the AL pennant and played in one of the most exciting World Series in history, losing in seven games to the Cincinnati Reds. Parker was one of the most balanced and versatile outfielders of his era. : 10.8%. Twice a .300 hitter and with two 100 RBI seasons under his belt, Oglivie proved that power hitters don't necessarily come in physically imposing packages. He won three Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger awards in addition to his battling titles. He spent his entire career in Cincinnati from 1970 to 1988, earning nine all-star selections and five Gold Gloves along the way. Yogi has . Bottom line: Scott Rolen was among the best third basemen in the game during the first decade of the 2000s. 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. These underrated players solidified themselves as big leaguers last year and are primed to break out even further in 2023. Despite his achievements on the field, Doerr was not selected to the Hall of Fame until the Veterans Committee finally enshrined him in 1986. If more fans only knew about his accomplishments rather than just the surgery. Stats: 59.5 WAR, .285 AVG, .830 OPS, 1430 RBIs. Scott Rolens struggle to get into the Hall of Fame is disappointing to see and proof that hes one of the most underrated MLB players of his generation. 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. 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. 10x All-Star. Pujols' Career Accomplishments are Astounding. Bottom line: On a team filled with no less than four Hall of Fame players during its early 1970s dynasty and certainly filled with wild, outsized personalities such as Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers and Vida Blue Sal Bando was the quiet leader. White made ridiculous catches in the outfield look routine while hitting for power and flashing excellent speed when he got on base. Highest vote pct. He was also a phenomenal defensive second baseman as well and one of the best at turning the double play, yet he never received a Gold Glove Award due to the presence of two other second basemen who were equally as adept with the glove: the Royals' Frank White and the Tigers' Lou Whitaker. Other guys we hear about a lot who appear here include Phil Niekro, Bert Blyleven, Jerry Koosman, Tom Candiotti, Kevin Appier, Danny Darwin, Pete Alexander, Brad Radke, Larry Dierker, Kevin Brown, and Chuck Finley. 5h Jamal Collier. Klopp calls for change at 'unstable' Liverpool. He also managed the Angels to their first-ever postseason appearance in 1979 (serving as Ryan's manager) and is still regarded as one of the most popular Angels of all time. Now that our list of the top 100 MLB players of all time has been revealed, it's time to have some fun. It wasn't until he made his way to the Minnesota Twins in November of 1972, however, that his career really began to flourish. His 1985 season saw him earn his only All-Star berth and finish fifth in the MVP voting, after setting career highs in multiple categories including RBI, with 110 driven in on the season. His offensive numbers aren't impressive, but this list wouldn't be complete without including a player that had great value on the bases and with his glove and little-to-none with his bat. Career Stats: 2,247 G; .260/.300/.320; 15 HR; 525 RBI; 2,191 H; 987 R; 318-for-423 SB. The road to Cooperstown is difficult for receivers, due to the difficulty of evaluating the position with statistics. World Series Champion (went to the World Series 4X as one of the main cogs that got them there). Widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive shortstops to ever play the game, Omar Vizquel is entering the final two weeks of his career as an active player with the Toronto Blue Jays. Choke artist. Milwaukee Bucks. A four-time All-Star, he averaged 22 home runs and 92 runs batted in during the three consecutive World Series championships. Dave Stieb. 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. Free Agent Grades. Not only does he already have the championship pedigree from 2019, but just like Lehkonen, he's as versatile as they come . Moises Alou - .303, 332 homeruns, 6 time all-star, 2-time silver slugger, etc Albert Belle - obvious Larry Walker Luis Tiant Vida Blue Career Stats: 1,832 G; .295/.364/.447; 184 HR; 989 RBI; 1,826 H; 802 R; 27-for-55 SB. Dallas Keuchel, Chicago White Sox. Maris was never beloved in New York, breaking Babe Ruths record for most home runs in a season at a time when most fans wanted Mickey Mantle to break it. Robin Roberts - If the award existed then, and voters evaluated players they way, Roberts probably would have won 5, and possibly 6 consecutive Cy Youngs from 1950-1955. Here are the ten most underrated players in Major League Baseball. He is the only player to debut with the Marlins in 1993 and play for both of their World Series teams, in 1997 and 2003. Vizquel is also the all-time leader in double plays turned among . Players in parentheses have the same grade. On top of that, he was a great leader throughout his career, especially on the two teams that he helped lead to a World Series title. Career Stats: 1,197 G; .273/.347/.452; 166 HR; 674 RBI; 128-for-189 SB. Despite playing 19 seasons and being MVP in 1974, Garvey has been consistently overlooked by both voters and the Veterans Committee. He has two 20/20 seasons on his resume and fell three home runs short of adding three more to his collection. A fixture on the first four National League All-Star teams from 1933 though 1936, Wally Berger was a power-hitting center fielder who led the National League in home runs (34) and RBI (130). Clutch. The shortstop was also a two-time Silver Slugger winner. 4. 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 was a four-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time All-Star. He once had a season with just three errors, which is also a record among shortstops. Yet somehow, Tim Salmon was never named to an All-Star team. Clemente won MVP honors in 1966 and helped the Pirates win two World Series, earning World Series MVP in 1971. The following list of 20 underrated MLB players contains players whose accomplishments seem to have been diminished in due in large part to the accusations of rampant steroid abuse. Most baseball fans know about Honus Wagners famously expensive baseball card but they dont know that much about him as a player. A key contributor on three World Series-winning Boston Red Sox teams in the 1910s, Dutch Leonard largely played in the shadow of Babe Ruth and "Smoky" Joe Wood. Santo hit for power, had a great eye at the plate, was smooth with the glove and was one of the most popular Cubs in franchise history. 2008: .279, 103 R (18th in MLB), 36 taters (9th, in the best pitcher's park in the L), 119 RBI (8th), all while batting in a lineup where the next best hitter was Kevin Kouzmanoff. He only won three Gold Gloves, all coming later in his career. Without question, the highlight of Abbott's career came on Sept. 4, 1993 when he threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium, walking five while striking out three. He played over a decade in the big leagues, winning 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row at one point. In fact, from 2000 through 2009, Rolen had 127 defensive runs saved. That is, he got to an impressive number of wins by hanging around for 26 seasons. Bottom line: Steve Garvey was the face of some outstanding Dodger teams, leading Los Angeles to 1974, 1977, 1978 and 1981 World Series appearances, and San Diego to a berth in the 1984 Series. He was a 12-time Gold Glove winner, a 15-time all-star, and a four-time batting champ. Williams played from 1915 to 1929, mainly for the St. Louis Browns. Jim Fregosi became the face of the Angels franchiseand its most popular playerduring the 1960s and early 1970s. A five-time All-Star, Cash was a smooth fielding first baseman who was the first player to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium, clearing the roof on June 11, 1961. Money pitcher. If not Hall of Fame, then certainly underrated. "Thinking about our own team where we're at, and where we've been so far I'd say Dylan Cease. Cash was a highly regarded defensive first basemen as well, leading the league in putouts (in 1961), fielding percentage (1964, 1967) and assists (196567). 2,143: 3.24: Movies: May 30, 2010: VH-1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock bands. He spent the last five seasons of his major league career with the Brewers, where he took two future Hall of Famers under his wing: Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. With his 10 all-star selections on top of that, his absence from Cooperstown is proof that he remains an underrated player. He spent his entire career with the Tigers, playing in Detroit from 1977 to 1995. Throw in four seasons of at least 100 RBI, and you've got yourself a pretty complete player. Bob Watson not only played in relative obscurity for 13 seasons with the Astros but also had his home-run total reduced by the cavernous Houston Astrodome. He was also a four-time all-star who fell just short of 400 home runs and 1,200 RBIs in his career. Randolph was a patient hitter, drawing more than 80 walks seven times in his career, including a career high of 119 in 1980, a number that lead the American League. McNeil may not hit the homers that the . Had Jim Wynn not spent 11 years of his 15-year career playing in the Houston Astrodome, one of the more pitching friendly parks in the history of the game, chances are that he'd have approachedor surpassedthe 400 home run mark for his career. Bottom line: Keith Hernandez is one of the finest defensive first basemen who ever played the game. We can't predict how his career will turn out, but we can say that he's the most average player currently in the game. Were also talking about a five-time all-star, a batting champ, and a former MVP who finished his career with over 2,000 hits and a .296 career average. Just . Career Stats: 1,286 G; .264/.362/.379; 93 HR; 418 RBI; 1,203 H; 718 R; 200-for-305 SB. Also, Reuschel pitched for 20 seasons in the majors, and that longevity is just as impressive as his career 3.37 ERA across a career that long. For the next class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, were thinking Graig Nettles. He hit .332 with an OPS of 1.040 and had 39 home runs, 155 RBIs, and 37 stolen bases. Arky Vaughan, I think it can safely be said, is among the most underrated superstars in history. Teams:Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Stats:2,456 games, .290 BA, 339 HR, 1,493 RBI, .339 OBP, .471 SLG. Hank Aaron. So disliked by his teammates, that when he died, the funeral home had to hire six pall bearers. Well to be honest a lot of performances have usually been noticed without fail, but there are those that are overshadowed either by his own level of fame or by the work of others since it's become very easy to believe that as great as he is, Harrison Ford has been pushed to the side a bit in a few . Career Stats: 1,350 G; .300/.359/.522; 242 HR; 898 RBI; 1,550 H; 809 R; SB Data Not Known. On July 17, 1941, the Indians were playing the New York Yankees. He'll be the first to admit that his selections will invite skepticism and even controversy, which is the very essence of the O-U debate. Jose Oquendo was far ahead of his time when it came to being a versatile utility player who could play just about anywhere on the diamond. 250,000 people packed around st. Johns cathedral. He was a . Career Stats: 2,239 G; .296/.340/.375; 37 HR; 842 RBI; 2,705 H; 1,357 R; 62-for-135 SB. Accolades: MVP x 3, All-Star x 18, World Series x 10. While much of how we view athletes is performance-based and backed up with statistics, some of it is simply subjective. Adjusted WAR: 57.3. Giannis exits with knee injury, called day-to-day. Omar Vizquel. As a second baseman, he has one of the highest fielding percentages in MLB history. He was far from a one-sided player though, being selected to four All-Star games. I grew up with Bill White, watching him team up with Phil Rizzuto on WPIX in New York to call Yankees games from the late '70s through the early '90s. Playing the bulk of his career with the Cardinals, White was a five-time All-Star, a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner at first base and one of only a handful of players to hit over .300 and drive in 100 runs in three consecutive seasons. Stiebs ERA was solid, he was durable never made less than 31 starts in 10 of 11 seasons between 1980 and 1990 and was terrific in fielding his position. Nettles is just one example of a bevy of Major League Baseball players who had outstanding careers but were considered underrated, especially, in retrospect, when they did not make the Hall of Fame, baseballs unofficial arbiter of separating transcendent careers from "merely" great ones. He possessed the speed to cover ground in the outfield and also steal 622 bases in his career. Furillo led the league in assists in 1950 and again the following season. In 1973, at age 34 and after having missed virtually the entire 1972 season, he batted .291 with 16 home runs and 92 RBI. His statistics might not scream offensive domination, but he was one of the great clutch hitters of his time. What he did accomplish was becoming the premier defensive shortstop of his generation, with 11 Gold Gloves including nine in a row from 1993 through 2001 and three All-Star appearances. Most fans only remember John Olerud as the first baseman who wore a helmet while playing the field. He had a career average of .356, amassing 1,772 hits, including 54 home runs. Teams:Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Stats:1,463 games, .260 BA, 275 HR, 850 RBI, .345 OBP, .476 SLG, World Series titles:3 (1961, 1962, 1967). Upon his trade to the Cardinals in 1985, Oquendo faced a bit of a problemthe Cardinals were already set at shortstop with Ozzie Smith. Immokalee is the farming center along Florida's Paradise Coast. Underrated: Jeff McNeil, Mets. Lou Gehrig Sounds crazy at first but he really is underrated RELATIVE to where he SHOULD be all time. Now go take a look at his career stats. For comparisons sake, he hit more home runs than fellow teammate and Hall of Famer Jim Rice, and his OBP is 18 points higher than Rice. Moreover, he was one of the best if not the best defensive center fielders of his time. He played over a decade in the big leagues, winning 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row at one point. Career Stats: 1,887 G; .267/.354/.475; 318 HR; 1,147 RBI; 1,703 H; 945 R; 14-for-33 SB. The most overrated pitcher in baseball may shock some of you, but man, oh man, has he been dreadful since the sticky substance crackdown. He falls short of being Cooperstown worthy, butConcepcion's career was celebrated in Cincinnati back in 2007, when his jersey, No. Let me take you through his season and where things went south. Teams:New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Stats:1,998 games, .277 BA, 193 HR, 1,007 RBI, .343 OBP, .425 SLG. A two-time All-Star, Wynn led the National League in walks twice over the course of his career and hit 20 or more home runs on eight different occasions. 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. Vizquel also has the highest field percentage of any player who played at least 1,000 games at shortstop. 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. Mickey Mantle. Jesse Barfield was a great outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980s. Omar Vizquel might be the poster boy for how little the Hall of Fame values defense, which is why he's among the most underrated MLB players of all time. The knock against Walker is he was able to pad his stats in the thin air of Colorado. Lofton was a six-time All-Star who won four Gold Gloves in leading the renaissance of the Indians' franchise. Teams:Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Stats:2,008 games, .266 BA, 224 HR, 864 RBI, .371 OBP, .424 SLG. Career Stats: 1,673 G; .286/.351/.455; 202 HR; 870 RBI; 1,706 H; 843 R; 103-for-171 SB. 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. Career Stats: 2,212 G; .257/.316/.416; 260 HR; 1,125 RBI; 2,085 H; 908 R; 51-for-117 SB. 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. Not one teammate showed. Nets' Simmons (knee) to be reevaluated in week. He may not have been overly dominant with a 3.16 career ERA. Maybe they didn't make the Hall of Fame, but these players had great careers. He is a 2008 graduate of Syracuse University and still resides in upstate New York. More than anything, he was also one of the most feared outfielders in the game because of his incredible arm, saving countless runs by turning would-be doubles and triples into outs. Those players are still undervalued today, and they were overlooked even more during Oquendos era. Winner of seven consecutive Gold Glove awards in center field and a three-time All-Star, Devon White was one of the more underrated players of the past 20 years. 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