Hit: 60 - Robert Hassell III Power: 60 - Elijah Green (James Wood, Brady House, TJ White) Career Stats: 1,514 G; .271/.347/.350; 28 HR; 574 RBI; 1,450 H; 676 R; 188-for-252 SB. Even late in his career, Vizquel was among the best defensive shortstops in the majors. 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: 1,832 G; .295/.364/.447; 184 HR; 989 RBI; 1,826 H; 802 R; 27-for-55 SB. Career Stats: 2,324 G; .255/.293/.383; 160 HR; 886 RBI; 2,006 H; 912 R; 178-for-261 SB. The infamous Black Sox Scandal will forever be Shoeless Joe Jacksons claim to fame. Thats why we wanted to help rectify the situation by coming up with a list of the most underrated baseball players of all time. Reuschel pitched well enough to earn over 200 wins and three all-star selections during his career. 4. He would hit .275 or better five times and put together seven consecutive seasons in which he stole at least 20 bases a year. His statistics might not scream offensive domination, but he was one of the great clutch hitters of his time. Parker was one of the most balanced and versatile outfielders of his era. His best seasons came in the years that the Reds won back-to-back championships in 1975 and 1976 and were among the most dominant teams in baseball before and after those titles. He played first base, and when you play a corner infield position in Major League Baseball, the perception is that youre supposed to deliver a lot more than 255 home runs in 17 years. Bottom line: Drafted by the Boston Red Sox, Amos Otis played his first two pro seasons with the New York Mets and his last with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Career Stats: 1,919 G; .291/.319/.391; 57 HR; 941 RBI; 2,158 H; 980 R; 363-for-400 SB*. Clutch. Those players are still undervalued today, and they were overlooked even more during Oquendos era. 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. As a second baseman, he has one of the highest fielding percentages in MLB history. 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. Lofton was also a .299 career hitter who was always playing on winning teams. 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. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. #34 of 255. Klopp calls for change at 'unstable' Liverpool. Here are the 11 most underrated players in MLB, in no particular order: 1. October 8, 2017 By Anson Whaley. 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. 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. On July 17, 1941, the Indians were playing the New York Yankees. 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. In 1911, he batted .408 with an OPS of 1.011 for Cleveland in a dynamic season in which he also accumulated 331 total bases. He has a no-hitter on his resume and was also a six-time all-star. Here are the 30 most unsung, under-the-radar, underrated pitchers in major league history. Dozens of ESPN writers and editors submitted more than 20,000 votes ( see full methodology here ) to determine the . For the next class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, were thinking Graig Nettles. Pearson, once a top-ten prospect in all of baseball, has been restricted to just 33 largely unsuccessful big league innings since his debut in 2020, and didn't pitch at all in 2022 as a lat . Even his career totals of 339 home runs and a .290 average deserve more respect than hes received. While his power numbers increased in each of his four seasons with the Tigers, from four home runs in 1974 to 21 round-trippers in 1977, Oglivie still wasn't given a chance to start everyday. Career Stats: 1,865 G; .288/.362/.461; 223 HR; 1,247 RBI; 2,042 H; 1,094 R; 54-for-118 SB. He won eight Gold Gloves, including six in a row during his time with the Cardinals. The four-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger recipient has long been one of the most underrated players in baseball, but has become one of the best players in baseball over the last several years. 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). Cameron: Aybar is MLB's most underrated player. Maybe they didn't make the Hall of Fame, but these players had great careers. Most baseball fans know about Honus Wagners famously expensive baseball card but they dont know that much about him as a player. Conine wasn't about gaudy numbershe was simply consistent. However . Yogi Berra is one of the greatest winners in the history of the MLB. Bottom line:There is so much debate around Shoeless Joe Jackson and the true depth of his role in the 1918 Black Sox scandal that people forget what an incredible player he was. ", 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. 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. Photo: Paul Popper. He posted a .994 fielding percentage in 1989, committing only five errors in more than 850 chances. Olerud was one of the great contact hitters of his generation, batting .295 in his career, even if he didnt have the ideal power of a first baseman. 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. 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. He played over a decade in the big leagues, winning 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row at one point. Bottom line:When Graig Nettles retired in 1988, he had hit the most home runs of any third baseman in the American League. As the Yankees came back to prominence in 1976, White continued to excel on a team loaded with stars. Career Stats: 1,881 G; .271/.360/.404; 160 HR; 758 RBI; 1,803 H; 964 R; 233-for-350 SB. While much of how we view athletes is performance-based and backed up with statistics, some of it is simply subjective. In fact, from 2000 through 2009, Rolen had 127 defensive runs saved. 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. Now that our list of the top 100 MLB players of all time has been revealed, it's time to have some fun. DeJong should benefit from the Nolan Arenado addition, and both the ZiPS and Steamer projections see him as a Top-12 shortstop in WAR in '21. Nets' Simmons (knee) to be reevaluated in week. His .482 lifetime on-base percentage is the highest of all time, and he ranks in the top 20 in total runs scored, home runs, runs batted in, and walks despite having missed almost five full seasons of his prime to military service. Somewhat poetically, he finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits. Stats:2,089 games, .271 BA, 377 HR, 1,104 RBI, .374 OBP, .488 SLG. 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. He has two 20/20 seasons on his resume and fell three home runs short of adding three more to his collection. Career Stats: 2,247 G; .260/.300/.320; 15 HR; 525 RBI; 2,191 H; 987 R; 318-for-423 SB. John was a four-time all-star, three of those selections coming post-surgery. Indian Bob Johnson never had one of those super seasons that make everyone sit up and whistle. Career Stats: 1,887 G; .267/.354/.475; 318 HR; 1,147 RBI; 1,703 H; 945 R; 14-for-33 SB. Bottom line: Heres John Oleruds problem, or, rather, the problem that voters have with Olerud perception. Take a look back at the origins of America's favorite sport from the beginnings of Major League Baseball to members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, influential historical figures in coaching, eras, and all-time best teams. How can someone who has a losing record over the course of his career be considered underrated? Here are some of the most underrated players in baseball history. Of course, its easy to forget about Concepcion on a team that also featured Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Johnny Bench, and others. The Best Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ronald Koeman of the Netherlands lines up before the UEFA Euro 88 Group 2 match between England and the Netherlands at the Rheinstadion on June 15, 1988 in Dsseldorf, West Germany. The Yellow Jackets did not stop there though. From 1989 through 1990, Oquendo was the Cardinals starting second baseman, and he flourished in the position. Career Stats: 1,941 G; .263/.319/.419; 208 HR; 846 RBI; 1,934 H; 1,125 R; 346-for-444 SB. 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. Can you name the Most Overrated and Underrated MLB Players of All-time (as of Spring 2007) as named by Jayson Stark? 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. 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. 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. Buffalo Sabres. It wasnt all bad for a pitcher who won over 200 games and finished his career with a more than respectable 3.28 ERA. A first-time All-Star in 2016, Quintana threw at least 200 innings every year . But during the Yankees' era of Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Ron Guidry, Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, et al., Nettles was often unappreciated. I think the most underrated active player is Adrian Gonzalez. 13, was retired by the team. re: Most underrated MLB players of all time Posted on 5/14/21 at 4:18 am to Indiangensing. Moreover, he was one of the best if not the best defensive center fielders of his time. NL MVP. Dave Stieb. But it should be noted that the big right-hander threw 12 years for some of the worst Chicago Cubs teams in franchise history. 2,143: 3.24: Movies: May 30, 2010: VH-1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock bands. Vaughn was a three-time All-Star who maintained a .293 batting average with 328 home runs and 1,064 RBI. Two, he's playing with a two-way player who everybody goo-goo and ga-gas about. 2h. He was a key contributor to the Tigers unbelievable 35-5 start and eventual world championship in 1984, one of the most dominant seasons in baseball. His best year of 1922 is one of the most underrated seasons of all time. 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. In the span of 12 years, he won eight batting titles, including a stretch of four in a row from 1906 to 1909. 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. Anyway Sosa, Reardon, Reuschel and Wagner also don't belong on a list of underrated players. Jimmy Haslam net worth, business background & other teams: Who is the Bucks newest owner? 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. After two quick pop-outs, Minnick singled to the right and then Diamant was hit by a pitch to put two . Bottom line: A great contributor to some very good Red Sox teams. But he was also a part of one of the best defensive infields of all time during his time with the Mets in the late 90s. Teams:Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Stats:443 games, 176-137, 3.44 ERA, 103 CG, 30 SHO, 5 K/9 IP. 0 of 10. Stark, a baseball columnist and television analyst for the better part of the last three decades, attempts to identify the most overrated and underrated players of all time at each position. Injuries would take their toll andultimatelyend his career in 1985 after only 38 innings of work. 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: 1,650 G; .242/.309/.324; 41 HR; 490 RBI; 1,340 H; 736 R; 385-for-516 SB. Milwaukee Bucks. 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. Los Angeles Angels. So Oquendo proved his worth as a super utility player, playing every position except for catcher in 1987 when Cardinals' manager Whitey Herzog dubbed him "the secret weapon." Full of young stars from all over the world including twenty different countries. 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. But in terms of 1980s football issues, it's also one of the more underrated. Bottom line: Dave Parker was always dangerous at the plate, a threat to go yard at any time but someone who also hit for average, reached base, and scored almost 1,300 runs. He would have accomplished even more on the field if he hadnt died unexpectedly and should be remembered a little more for his brilliant career rather than his tragic death. 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. 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. Amazingly enough, Ryne Sandberg took home Gold Glove honors. 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. Black Sox Scandal will forever be Shoeless Joe Jacksons claim to Fame.374 OBP, SLG!,.271 BA, 377 HR, 1,104 RBI,.374 OBP.488. 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