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. Career Stats: 1,286 G; .264/.362/.379; 93 HR; 418 RBI; 1,203 H; 718 R; 200-for-305 SB. From 1989 through 1990, Oquendo was the Cardinals starting second baseman, and he flourished in the position. Top 100 MLB players of all time - Debating who is too high and - ESPN 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. I find that to be an amazing statistic. Elton Brand 11. It was an impressive, but largely forgotten peak. Who came up with that idea. He has Rookie Cards in 1999 Bowman, Bowman Chrome, Bowmans Best, Stadium Club, Topps and Topps Chrome. Sievers has the "honor" of being the first man with 300 lifetime home runs not to be elected to baseballs Hall of Fame. That's the beauty of sportsnobody watches a game the same way. He won 80 games and posted a 3.66 ERA in 1,163.1 innings in his first years in the big leagues, but multiple Tommy John surgeries limited him to just 49 innings after his age-27 season. Johnson was one of them, and Carroll captured how underrated "Indian Bob" truly was: Consistency may be the hobgoblin of little minds, but it can also make certain ballplayers nigh unto invisible. Here are nine underrated ones: 1) Luis Gonzalez, D-backs, 2001 57 HR, 36 2B, 7 3B, 100 BB, 1.117 OPS So the man puts together one of the great offensive seasons of all-time, and all anyone wants to talk to him about is a bloop single that just cleared the infield. (In the interest of full disclosure, I figure in the former group.). However, lefties Jeremy Affeldt and Lopez were also integral members of the relief corps. He slugged 107 home runs and made two All-Star appearances in four years with the South Siders. Career Stats: 2,243 G; .277/.362/.464; 342 HR; 1,331 RBI; 35-for-76 SB. 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. 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. 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. He certainly has gone all-but-unrewarded since that first season, save for a Gold Glove two years ago. 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. Rocky Colavito, Vote: The most-deserving players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame at each position, The best baseball player not in the Hall of Fame, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Six times over his 13-year career, Morris would hit over .300, though he did so with little powerhis 16-home-run season of 1996 was the most he'd ever hit. We throw around words like ballplayers toss around a baseball during pregame warm-ups in the outfield. Its just a challenge for any non-As fan to name one of theseguys. 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. As one of the top picks in the 1997 draft, he was widely featured in 1998 products. Lance Lynn is not only the Rangers' most underrated player, but he's also the league's most underrated starting pitcher since debuting in 2011. While I thought he was great at his job back then, it turns out that he was a damn fine ballplayer as well. Honorable mention: Craig Biggio, who willbe lambasted as one of the worst defensive Hall of Famers when his 3,000 hits get himenshrined. He led the Tigers in hits and RBI, broke up three no-hitters, crushed five grand slams and with Game 7 of the World Series a scoreless tie in the seventh inning, Northrup stroked a two-run double off of the Cardinals' Bob Gibson that wound up being the series-winning hit. An on-base machine who regularly posted a .400 OBP while also tallying eight 100 RBI seasons as a middle-of-the-order run producer, he earned just two All-Star selections in his 18-year career. Career Stats: 1,865 G; .288/.362/.461; 223 HR; 1,247 RBI; 2,042 H; 1,094 R; 54-for-118 SB. The 24 best players in Toronto Blue Jays history | Yardbarker 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. Five times Edmonds hit .300 or better, and he also slugged 30-or-more home runs on five different occasions as well. The first player to ever open a World Series with a home run, a feat he accomplished in 1969 against the Mets, Buford was generally overlooked due to his more notable teammates getting the majority of the attention: Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Mike Cuellar, Boog Powell and Jim Palmer. From 1903 to 1909, he averaged 29 wins per season, leading the NL three times in . A burly 6'7", 260-pound right-hander, Harang enjoyed a brief peak alongside Bronson Arroyo at the top of the Cincinnati rotation. Think about Dennis Johnson of the 1980sthe dude was a five-time All-Star and a Finals MVP. 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. Ben Oglivie is a perfect example of a player that could have had more impressive career numbers had he been given a chance to play on a daily basis. MLB's overrated and underrated players of the 2022 season Upon his trade to the Cardinals in 1985, Oquendo faced a bit of a problemthe Cardinals were already set at shortstop with Ozzie Smith. Doug Christie 9. 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. 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. Jeff Dean/Associated Press Enough about. The left-hander was never a star, but he was a rock solid middle-of-the-rotation arm, and he went 13-9 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 190.1 innings during the best season of his career in 2012. He went 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA in 218 innings to finish runner-up in AL Cy Young voting in 2006, and followed that up with a 19-7 record and 3.60 ERA in 199.1 innings the next year before he was sidelined midway through the 2008 campaign. We saw the ends of the Terry Francona and Larry Bowa eras . Most of the names you would expect: Andrew McCutchen, Dustin Pedroia, Matt Holliday, Robinson . 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. He finished in the top five in NL Cy Young voting five times in his first six MLB seasons, and went 163-102 with a 3.36 ERA and 1,852 strikeouts in 2,245.1 innings in 13 years in the big leagues. He logged 7,370 plate appearances with a career slash line of .312/.397/.562. Is Lance Berkman leaning on a beat up old Ford in the Astrodome parking lot? 6. 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. In between, he was a five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger winner, and two-time Gold Glove winner who helped set the table for some potent St. Louis Cardinals lineups in his prime. Most underrated player on each American League team heading into 2022 Career Stats: 263 G (254 GS); 87-108; 4.25 ERA; 1.43 WHIP; 1,674 IP; 1,779 H; 1.43 K/BB. the first player to ever bat as a designated hitter. Hecostthe Astros one defensive run for the decadewhile providing offense that surely totaledmore aggregate value than a slick-gloved infielder with no bat. 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. Career Stats: 2,324 G; .255/.293/.383; 160 HR; 886 RBI; 2,006 H; 912 R; 178-for-261 SB. Let's take a look at the 50 most underrated baseball players in the history of the game. The first shortstop to hit 40 home runs in a season, a feat he accomplished in 1969, Rico Petrocelli spent his entire 13-year-career with the Boston Red Sox. Thanks for another fun article. Heywardturned 25 on August 9, and to a frustrated Bravesfan, their right fielderhasstruggledsince finishing runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2010. Greatest Football Players in NFL History, Ranked Career Stats: 2,583 G; .271/.332/.442; 304 HR; 1,167 RBI; 2,548 H; 1,443 R; 320-for-438 SB. Morris hit .340 in his first full season with the Reds and was an instrumental part of the team that upset the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the 1990 World Series. 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. Four times he hit over .300, three times he slugged more than 20 home runs and only once did he break the 100 RBI mark. He'd accomplish the feat three more times over the course of his career. Forgive me if Im wrong, but I believe Hornsby is the only MLB player to hit 40+ homers and bat .400 in the same season. Some of them -- many of them! Everyone loves labels, especially when it comes to athletes. Career Stats: 2,012 G; .291/.364/.416; 89 HR; 674 RBI; 2,138 H; 1,124 R; 174-for-255 SB. While much of how we view athletes is performance-based and backed up with statistics, some of it is simply subjective. Jim Abbot underrated because he had one hand.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. Furillo finished his career needing only one hit to raise his career average to .300. Its tough for a third baseman if they dont have Mike Schmidts power, George Bretts batting average, or Brooks Robinsons highlight reel glove. Required fields are marked *. Morris never made an All-Star team and never achieved superstar status; he was simply consistent and reliable, and that doesn't ever wind up having a spotlight shone on it. Conine wasn't about gaudy numbershe was simply consistent. If theres any indication from Smiths showing on the Hall of Fame ballot 0.7 percent of the vote in 1988, one of the weaker ballots in recent memory Abreu doesnt have much to look forward to in five years. Across 15 MLB seasons, he tallied 2,096 hits, 316 home runs, 1,220 RBI and 44.5 WAR. His real claim to fame, however, came in 1973 when he stepped into the batter's box in spring training, becoming the first player to ever bat as a designated hitter. He generated down-ballot MVP support three different times, and was an All-Star in 2012 when he hit .324/.394/.540 for a 149 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI in a 4.6-WAR season. The 11 Most Underrated NBA Players of the 2000s | Ventured 30 Most Unsung Pitchers in MLB History | Stadium Talk While he began his major league career in 1968, it wasn't until 1969 that a 22-year-old center fielder named Larry Hisle got a chance to play on a daily basis, and he rewarded the Phillies with a solid campaign that resulted in a fourth place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. Full of young stars from all over the world including twenty different countries. 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. Career Stats: 1,197 G; .273/.347/.452; 166 HR; 674 RBI; 128-for-189 SB. Winner of the 1949 American League Rookie of the Year as a member of the St. Louis Browns and a four-time All-Star, first baseman/outfielder Roy Sievers kind of blended into the background and never really got much attention from fans or from the media. SS Honus Wagner: (.352/.417/.508, 1,847 H, 51 HR, 956 RBI, 1,014 R) 2. Career highlights: NFL Most Valuable Player (1997), two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1989 . Doc Halladay has been the most consistent pitcher of this decade. Choke artist. In seven seasons with the team, he won 70 games and posted a 3.98 ERA (106 ERA+) while leading the league in innings pitched three times and tallying 23 complete games. Career Stats: 1,832 G; .295/.364/.447; 184 HR; 989 RBI; 1,826 H; 802 R; 27-for-55 SB. Mitch Richmond, Detlef Schrempf, and Vin Baker are among the underrated players from the '90s. I also count him as one of the few players 25 and under who already hasa shot at Cooperstown. Not to mention a career batting average over .310 (including the highest single season batting average of the 2000s[.372!]) 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. 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. Some might wonder how someone who is enshrined in the Hall of Fame could possibly be underrated, but without a doubt Ron Santo is arguably the most underrated player to ever play the game. 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. He also deserves credit for his handling of a pitching staff, including the 2005 White Sox team that won a World Series title on the strength of a stellar starting rotation. Most underrated player on each American League team heading into 2022. During the first six seasons of the 2000s, he hit .292/.406/.584 while averaging 35 home runs, 98 RBI and 6.1 . With an undersized 60 frame, Oswalt slipped all the way to the 23rd round of the 1996 draft where the Houston Astros selected him out of Holmes Community College. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports. Bartlett came to the Rays along with Matt Garza in the deal that sent former top prospect Delmon Young to the Minnesota Twins. In 1181 total games in a Blue Jays uniform, Bell slashed .286/.325/.486 with 202 homers and 740 RBI. Baseball's Most Underrated Players of All Time Weve looked over the past few days at the1960s, 70s, and 80s, the1930s, 40s, and 50sand the1900s, 10s, and 20s. His 146 home runs rank eighth all-time in franchise history. Not bad considering that neither shortstop or second base had really evolved to the slugging positions we've grown accustomed to over the past 15 years. Roberto Clemente: Almost criminally underrated and had he not died heroically in a plane crash in 1972, he'd be even less remembered. Graig Nettles and Darrell Evans came up in yesterdays post. At his peak, Edmonds was one of the greatest two-way center fielders in MLB history. Giles finished his career with more than 300 more walks than strikeouts, and while he was never the same player in San Diego as he was in Pittsburgh, Giles was one of the most popular Padres during his time with the club.