Jim Edmonds made a career out of producing highlight-reel plays with his glove, winning eight Gold Glove awards over 17 years in the majors. 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. In his second go-around with the team, he hit .291/.354/.477 for a 120 OPS+ while averaging 23 home runs, 98 RBI and 3.0 WAR over five seasons. 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. The 1998 Bowman card above is one of 10 different Rookie Cards in his database. He would sign with the Diamondbacks as a free agent prior to the 1998 season and, in 2001, scored the World Series-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 when Luis Gonzalez hit a bloop single off of Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera. Indian Bob Johnson never had one of those super seasons that make everyone sit up and whistle. 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. Here are the 30 most unsung, under-the-radar, underrated pitchers in major league history. He failed to replicate that level of production, but settled in as a solid middle-of-the-order producer, averaging 25 home runs and 88 RBI per 162 games during his nine years with the team. The Big Puma was a six-time All-Star and he finished his career with 366 home runs and 1,234 RBI, yet he was a one-and-done on the Hall of Fame ballot with just 1.2 percent of the vote in 2019. Your Account has been confirmed and activated successfully. His last three years with the Tigers . Fck. His peak gets lost in the shuffle pitching alongside CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. 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. All rights reserved. Not only would he help the Red Sox win the American League Pennant in 1946, he did everything that he could to win the 1946 World Series, hitting .417 against the St. Louis Cardinals in what wound up being a Cardinals' sweep. Were going with the same concept for this one, but jumping forward to the 2000s. Owner of 11 Gold Glove awards, including nine straight from 1993 through 2001, Vizquel only made three All-Star games, due primarily to the fact that he's been overshadowed by those who were more offensively gifted. Across 15 MLB seasons, he tallied 2,096 hits, 316 home runs, 1,220 RBI and 44.5 WAR. The No. Its just a challenge for any non-As fan to name one of theseguys. 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. Venable had a quietly effective career with the Padres, logging 13.3 WAR in eight seasons. Youre correct. Michael Finley 3. He has six seasons with at least 16 wins and he has at least an ERA under 3.30. 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. Along with his Bowman and Bowman Chrome rookies, he also has a Rookie Card in 2000 SPx and Upper Deck Victory, along with a jersey patch rookie in 2000 Black Diamond Rookie Edition. Yes. White made ridiculous catches in the outfield look routine while hitting for power and flashing excellent speed when he got on base. Tigers' fans remember him fondly for his contributions during their march to the World Series championship in 1968. 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. 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball, Sonic Base Cards Are Different. The Nominees for MLB's Most Underrated Players of the 2021 Season A lifelong Cubs fan and Chicago resident, nostalgia drives his card-collecting focus. 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? 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. He led the NL in batting average (.336), OPS+ (174), hits (199) and doubles (50) in 2005, adding 46 home runs, 107 RBI and 7.7 WAR. 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. Steve Finley is the perfect example of a "late bloomer," not breaking out offensively until 1996, his eighth major league season at which point he was already 31 years old. Missed the first three parts of this series? Are These MLB Players OVERRATED or UNDERRATED? - YouTube A top-25 prospect at the start of the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Quentin failed to live up to expectations during his time in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. A homegrown star before Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau came along, Koskie made good as a 26th-round pick in the 1994 draft. In fact, some of Alou's season-best numbers are quite impressive. The most underrated player of each decade: Mid-late 20th century Said Bill James in The New Baseball Abstract: No other player in baseball history was so richly praised for his defensive skillno one. Andrei Kirilenko 7. Lind hit .305/.370/.562 for a 141 OPS+ with 46 doubles, 35 home runs and 114 RBI in what looked like a breakout age-25 season in 2009. Gil Hodges and the Mets were convinced that Amos Otis was a third baseman. Originally drafted as a catcher, Walker posted a 114 OPS+ while averaging 29 doubles, 16 home runs, 70 RBI and 2.7 WAR in six seasons as the everyday second baseman with the Pirates. Honorable mention: Anyone who plays for the As, my girlfriend said after I told her about this project. Abreus quietly wrapping up his career as we speak, his best years a distant memory. Yes, the Chicago "Black Sox" threw the World Series, but everybody believes that if Shoeless Joe and Co. had tried, they . He was just 17 years old when his Rookie Cards were featured in the 1997 Bowman and Bowmans Best sets. After the 1973 season, he was traded to the Tigers. In spite of it all, Rolen will be lucky to top 15 percent his first time on the writers ballot. 320 batting average with a .370 OBP. Renteria made his MLB debut in 1996 at the age of 19, finishing runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting. So why was Guillen underrated or unappreciated? And . Seemingly every baseball generation has its underrated third basemen. -- have ascended to all-time great status, with the award being a mere stepping-stone to untold other accolades and achievements. The 26-year-old carried that success into 2021, and he has turned himself into a future All-Star. 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. 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. 13, was retired by the team. 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. Career Stats: 2,963 G; .272/.336/.352; 80 HR; 950 RBI; 404-for-571 SB. 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. 3 overall pick in the 1997 draft out of UCLA, Glaus slugged 35 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A the following year in his pro debut, and he took over as the Anaheim Angels starting third baseman in 1999. While I thought he was great at his job back then, it turns out that he was a damn fine ballplayer as well. For many, nostalgia remains the driving force behind baseball card collecting, and thats how we arrived at the idea of One-Sheet Collections. 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). 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. 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. His ability to play anywhere and everywhere on the field made him one of the more valuable players that Whitey Herzog ever had at his disposal. Get caught up:1960s, 70s, and 80s|1930s, 40s, and 50s|1900s, 10s, and 20s. A seven-time All-Star, his 2.48 ERA led the American League in 1985. 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. Ill zero in on Oaklands bullpen pastcloser Sean Doolittle. Career Stats: 1,673 G; .286/.351/.455; 202 HR; 870 RBI; 1,706 H; 843 R; 103-for-171 SB. He was far from a one-sided player though, being selected to four All-Star 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. When Frank White broke in with the Royals in 1973, he had the unenviable task of replacing fan-favorite Cookie Rojas at second base and was met with a less-than-warm welcome by Royals fans. The American League Rookie of the Year Award recipient in 1993, Salmon spent his entire 14-year career with the Angels and is one of the most celebrated players in franchise history. Career Stats: 2,012 G; .291/.364/.416; 89 HR; 674 RBI; 2,138 H; 1,124 R; 174-for-255 SB. Career Stats: 2,011 G; .284/.376/.527; 393 HR; 1,199 RBI; 1,949 H; 1,251 R; 67-for-117 SB. Seattle Mariners designated hitter Ty France (23) is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Most Underrated MLB Players of All Time | Stadium Talk All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Bonds qualifies here because the steroid-addled caricature he created for himself in his final seasons obscures everything he was before. 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. However, lefties Jeremy Affeldt and Lopez were also integral members of the relief corps. 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. In The Year 2000: The Top 20 Major League Baseball Players of the Last 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. Seriously? One-Sheet Collections: Underrated 2000s Baseball Stars MLB's Most Underrated Players | Just Baseball Underrated throughout his career, his 60.2 WAR speaks to star-level production. 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. All MLB players dream of earning a place alongside legends such as Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, and Bob Gibson. Two weeks ago, we built a collection around rookie cards of underrated stars of the 1990s, choosing one player from each position for a spot on the sheet. The Most Underrated MLB Players of All Time. While he was slowed by injuries throughout his career, Johnson was a bona fide ace when healthy. 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. 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. Concepcion was rounding the bases after hitting a home run and crossed home plate roughly four seconds after Watson. Career Stats: 1,553 G; .251/.332/.420; 210 HR; 773 RBI; 1,352 H; 653 R; 10-for-32 SB. Nobody in the league could play balls that were hit off of Ebbets Field's high wall in right field like he could, and opposing runners quickly grew tired of testing his arm and failing to advance nearly every time. Over the next three games, Eckstein hit .615/.643/.846 with eight hits, three doubles, three runs scored and four RBIa run that not only led the Cardinals to the World Series championship but one that won him World Series MVP honors. Three years later, he was runner-up in NL MVP voting when he led the league in batting average (.340), hits (216), doubles (50) and RBI (137) while slugging 36 home runs. 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. He finished a close second to teammate George Brett for the American League batting crown in 1976, losing out by less than .001 after Brett went 2-for-4 in the final game of the season to barely squeak past McRae. Career Stats: 1,350 G; .300/.359/.522; 242 HR; 898 RBI; 1,550 H; 809 R; SB Data Not Known. Had he spent the bulk of his career elsewhere, Watson is probably pushing 300 home runs, if not more. He had a 26-homer, 27-steal, 6.3-WAR season in 2001, and his 22.4 WAR from 1999 through the 2004 season ranked 40th among all position players and sixth among third basemen during that stretch. Career Stats: 1,887 G; .267/.354/.475; 318 HR; 1,147 RBI; 1,703 H; 945 R; 14-for-33 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. We throw around words like ballplayers toss around a baseball during pregame warm-ups in the outfield. Doc Halladay has been the most consistent pitcher of this decade. He was also an excellent fielder who held multiple fielding records at the time of his retirement that have since been passed. 2021 most underrated MLB players He is currently the leader amongst active. 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. 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. 10. Career Stats: 1,720 G; .261/.328/.406; 176 HR; 729 RBI; 1,623 H; 798 R; 80-for-131 SB. Some of them, shall we say, have not. Career Stats: 2,247 G; .260/.300/.320; 15 HR; 525 RBI; 2,191 H; 987 R; 318-for-423 SB. Let's take a look at the 50 most underrated baseball players in the history of the game. Barry Sanders. 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. 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. White was also one of the two runs that scored on Dave Winfield's 11th-inning-double in Game 6 of that series, the hit that eventually won the championship for Toronto. Heres How to Tell Them Apart. For his career, he drew 1,243 walks while striking out only 675 times. Despite amassing 3,000 hits, doing his best work at the plate in the 1960s when pitchers reigned supreme, and also being an outstanding right fielder, Clemente was not included in recent books I reviewed about the 25 greatest baseball players of all-time and . 25 greatest MLB players of the 21st century - Franchise Sports He'd accomplish the feat three more times over the course of his career. 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. Its a simple concept with infinite possibilities. 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. But in reality, Jeff McNeil has been lighting it up at the plate this year, hitting an amazing. Like Oaklandsmore celebrated starting rotation, theres tremendous depthin the bullpen (plus a couple oftalented relievers on the 40-man roster who could getSeptember call-ups.) Choke artist. The right-hander pitched just 215 innings over the next four years before he called it quits at the age of 30. It would be appropriate if when you opened a dictionary and looked up the word pesky that the definition was simply a photo of David Eckstein. A fiery player with a live arm, Larry Bowa was a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner with the Philadelphia Phillies, a team with whom he'd spend 11 years of his 15-year major league career as a player. The A's career leader in hits, his 649 stolen bases ranked seventh on the all-time list when he retired, a number that ranks 14th today. I also count him as one of the few players 25 and under who already hasa shot at Cooperstown. Babe Ruth also hit .393 with 41 homers in 1923. Hell likely get into Cooperstown on the writers ballot, thanks to a late career renaissance with the Rangers that has pushed him near 3,000 hits and a .300 lifetime batting average. 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. (When I know more about 19th century baseballthan the cursory amount that I do, Ill write something. His big-league career was over before he turned 30. Hisle was a solid all-around player who never really got his due, largely in part to being overshadowed by his more heralded Hall of Fame teammates with the Twins, Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew. Five times Edmonds hit .300 or better, and he also slugged 30-or-more home runs on five different occasions as well. Career Stats: 2,084 G; .290/.351/.454; 191 HR; 1,097 RBI; 2,091 H; 940 R; 109 -for-185 SB. The pitchers threw the ball harder, and the sluggers hit the ball further than any previous decade. As one of the top picks in the 1997 draft, he was widely featured in 1998 products. Career Stats: 2,212 G; .257/.316/.416; 260 HR; 1,125 RBI; 2,085 H; 908 R; 51-for-117 SB. 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. MLB All-Decade Team -- Who made our squad of baseball's best from 2010 Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe did exactly that on Saturday, responding to a monstrous Tyler Myers hit on Toronto captain John Tavares. A four-time All-Star, Bando led the A's in RBI three times and was the second third baseman in American League history to hit 200 home runs in their career. 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. Career Stats: 1,881 G; .271/.360/.404; 160 HR; 758 RBI; 1,803 H; 964 R; 233-for-350 SB. 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 . A two-time All-Star, he wouldn't join a winning baseball team until 1946 when he was sold to the Boston Red Sox. Hernandez made his mark as a rookie during the Florida Marlins 1997 World Series run, but his best work came as a member of the Expos and Nationals. A five-time All-Star, White was one of the smoothest fielding second baseman of his era, winning eight Gold Glove Awards. 1919 Cincinnati Reds. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. 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. In both the 1915 and 1916 World Series, Leonard threw complete game victories for the Red Sox, allowing just two runs and eight hits. Otis knew better, and he and Hodges clashed until the day that the Mets traded Otis to the Royals prior to the 1970 season. 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. 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. Conine enjoyed success for a few seasons, placing third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 1993 and earning an All-Star selection in each of the next two seasons. He reminds me a bit of Reggie Smith, another eternally underrated outfielder. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. By the time his career came to an end, White was celebrated along with Rojas as two of the more popular players in Royals history. He batted .355 for the Houston Astros in 2000, scored 106 runs for the Cubs in 2004, had 124 RBI in 1998 and clubbed 39 home runs in 2004. They'd go on to win 20 of their next 23 games and the World Series as well. 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. The 24 best players in Toronto Blue Jays history | Yardbarker From 2000-06 the team won 85 games five times but never made the playoffs. Career Stats: 1,246 G; .304/.361/.433; 76 HR; 513 RBI; 1,216 H; 535 R; 45-for-69 SB. But that overshadowed what was a wonderful career on the field, and especially when fielding his position. Career Stats: 2,202 G; .276/.373/.351; 54 HR; 687 RBI; 2,210 H; 1,239 R; 271-for-365 SB. 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. Here are the best NFL players of all time. He certainly has gone all-but-unrewarded since that first season, save for a Gold Glove two years ago. Career Stats: 2,239 G; .296/.340/.375; 37 HR; 842 RBI; 2,705 H; 1,357 R; 62-for-135 SB. The best shortstop of the 1970s, Dave Concepcion paired with Joe Morgan to form one of the great double-play combinations in the history of the game. 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. What MLB players are overrated and what MLB players are underrated?