Career Stats: 2,089 G; .271/.374/.488; 377 HR; 1,103 RBI; 1,820 H; 1,046 R; 43-for-73 SB. Highest vote pct. UZR: -7.3. 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. 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. In 1978, he finished third in the AL MVP voting behind the Yankees' Ron Guidry and the eventual winner, Boston's Jim Rice. . He played center, as well, before his career was over. Dave Concepcion is usually one of the most overlooked players on the Reds during the days of the Big Red Machine. I don't think we can count the 2003 Danny Briere deal, so let's go way back for our Sabres pick. Part of the excellent Baltimore Orioles teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Don Buford was a relatively unknown leadoff hitter who holds the record for grounding into the fewest double plays per at-bat than anyone else, one every 138 at-bats. John was a four-time all-star, three of those selections coming post-surgery. Jim Edmonds won eight Gold Gloves in his 17-year career and hit 30 or more home runs five times, batted .300 or better five times, and knocked in 100 or more runs four times. 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. These guys had solid career resumes and often came up big in big games, yet they seldom, if ever, received widespread acclaim. We throw around words like ballplayers toss around a baseball during pregame warm-ups in the outfield. Dallas Keuchel, Chicago White Sox. Baseball. Which teams should target Saquon Barkley in 2023 free agency? A few even deserved a Cy Young Award or should be in the Hall of Fame. Teams:Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Stats:358 games, 214-191, 3.37 ERA, 102 CG, 26 SHO, 5.4 K/9 IP. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. These underrated players solidified themselves as big leaguers last year and are primed to break out even further in 2023. He won a batting title and an MVP with the Cardinals, and led the league in walks in 1986, the year he helped the Mets to a seven-game World Series title over the Red Sox. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. Career Stats: 1,526 G; .276/.338/.441; 163 HR; 852 RBI; 1,570 H; 737 R; 39-for-72 SB. Oakland Athletics: Reggie Jackson. Bottom line: Many believe Lou Whitaker should be in the Hall along with his double-play partner, Alan Trammell. Career Stats: 2,963 G; .272/.336/.352; 80 HR; 950 RBI; 404-for-571 SB. It's easy to go overlooked when you can call Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges teammates during your career. In fact, he holds the career batting average record for two different franchises and ended his career with a .940 OPS, which most players in todays game would love to emulate. #12. 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. Stats:2,488 games, .267 batting average, 101 HR, 950 RBI, .322 .357 SLG. The Baseball Hall of Fame was established in 1936 to honor the very best players in MLB, America's oldest organized sport. 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. 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. Teams:Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Stats:1,988 games, .313 BA, 383 HR, 1,311 RBI, .400 OBP, .565 SLG. Reuschel pitched well enough to earn over 200 wins and three all-star selections during his career. He finished his quarter-century-long career with 288 wins and over 2,200 strikeouts. 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. In an August rainstorm. 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. Career Stats: 399 G (393 GS); 158-152; 3.17 ERA; 1.23 WHIP; 2,837 IP; 2,619 H; 1.85 K/BB. Today our esteemed panel of Chris Baud, Sam Fels and Jesse Spector ramble on while choosing the Deadspin Underrated MLB Team of the past 30 years. Yet Gehrig is always overshadowed by Ruth and other greats. He also won 11 consecutive Gold Gloves during his career. A six-time All-Star, Olivas cumulative stats might not be as impressive as others, but consider the fact that he played the bulk of his career during an era when pitching was far more dominant. Ronald Koeman - Barcelona. When you think of the 2022 Mets, the first players to come to mind are likely Pete Alonso, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and/or Francisco Lindor. 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. Now that our list of the top 100 MLB players of all time has been revealed, it's time to have some fun. Teams:Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Stats:1,749 games, .292 BA, 351 HR, 1,119 RBI, .378 OBP, .534 SLG. Somehow, its occasionally forgotten that Clemente was also one of the all-time greats. Stats: 59.5 WAR, .285 AVG, .830 OPS, 1430 RBIs. The most underrated players in baseball history. Rolen was also Rookie of the Year and amassed more than 2,000 hits in his career while being named an all-star seven times. Teams:Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Stats:2,234 games, .295 BA, 255 HR, 1,230 RBI, .398 OBP, .465 SLG. 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. They'd go on to win 20 of their next 23 games and the World Series as well. Gil Hodges and the Mets were convinced that Amos Otis was a third baseman. The most overrated pitcher in baseball may shock some of you, but man, oh man, has he been dreadful since the sticky substance crackdown. 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. Career Stats: 1,190 G; .256/.346/.317; 14 HR; 254 RBI; 821 H; 339 R; 35-for-68 SB. 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. Indeed, he was a powerful presence at the plate. 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. Jay Bell is one of many players who can be considered underrated because not enough fans and critics give strong defensive players enough credit. Quizzes; Events; Quiz Creation; Community; Videos; Private Events; Remove Ads . A nine-time All-Star over his 14-year career spent entirely with the Red Sox, Doerr was not only an excellent bunter but a second baseman with power as well. Career Stats: 1,649 G; .259/.329/.445; 237 HR; 879 RBI; 1,505 H; 778 R; 58-for-106 SB. Other than dramatic power, Olerud was as solid as they come. 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. But in reality, Jeff McNeil has been lighting it up at the plate this year, hitting an amazing. 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. Pujols, alongside Aaron Judge, is . In 1973, at age 34 and after having missed virtually the entire 1972 season, he batted .291 with 16 home runs and 92 RBI. Career Stats: 1,887 G; .267/.354/.475; 318 HR; 1,147 RBI; 1,703 H; 945 R; 14-for-33 SB. He even fielded his position well enough to win two Gold Gloves. I'd say Mike Trout is underrated. Favorite players: Ted Williams, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial. Scott Rolen, Third Base Scott Rolen was drafted in the second round of the 1993 MLB draft by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Jasper High School in Indiana. 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. History & Major Milestones. He won eight Gold Gloves, including six in a row during his time with the Cardinals. 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. Big-time. He had a career average of .319 and OPS of .924. A handful of its biggest stars come from the first base position. For one, he's coming off an injury. Five times Edmonds hit .300 or better, and he also slugged 30-or-more home runs on five different occasions as well. Our ranking of the 100 greatest MLB players of all time comes down to the top 25. 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. Guerrero, Alonso, Olson, Freeman, and Goldschmidt all sit in the top 35 and are well deserving of those rankings. the first player to ever bat as a designated hitter. Had he spent the bulk of his career elsewhere, Watson is probably pushing 300 home runs, if not more. Answer (1 of 10): Try Cobb. From 1980 through 1990, Stieb failed to win at least 11 games only once, posting an average season of 14-10 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.22 WHIP and nine complete games. On other teams. White made ridiculous catches in the outfield look routine while hitting for power and flashing excellent speed when he got on base. He swung a classic left-handed bat. 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 . Despite playing 19 seasons and being MVP in 1974, Garvey has been consistently overlooked by both voters and the Veterans Committee. He finished his career with 107 home runs and 875 RBIs. Here is a look at the most underrated soccer players of all time. 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. Always clutch, he batted .338 in 11 postseason series. However . Teams:Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Stats:2,700 games, .248 BA, 390 HR, 1,314 RBI, .329 OBP, .471 SLG. Those players are still undervalued today, and they were overlooked even more during Oquendos era. But most people dont know just how good Jackson was as a player. Bottom line:A career total of 214 wins, and barely being over .500 at that, doesnt necessarily jump out at you. 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. So a Top 10 list at the hot corner is a source of hot debate. 1,924: 2.87: Music: Sep 6, 2010: 100 . Career Stats: 1,832 G; .295/.364/.447; 184 HR; 989 RBI; 1,826 H; 802 R; 27-for-55 SB. Voters don't like the paucity of homers from a corner infield spot, but the overall package of offense and defense puts Hernandez . Career Stats: 331 G (273 GS); 139-113; 2.76 ERA; 1.23 WHIP; 2,192 IP; 2,092 H, 1.75 K/BB. Bottom line: Scott Rolen was among the best third basemen in the game during the first decade of the 2000s. He also stole 321 bases in his career. He would hit .275 or better five times and put together seven consecutive seasons in which he stole at least 20 bases a year. Left unprotected by the Kansas City Royals in the 1993 expansion draft, the Florida Marlins took the talented youngster for their own. Bottom line: Shortstops, at least during the era when Omar Vizquel started his career, werent supposed to produce corner infielder numbers. He was also a four-time all-star who fell just short of 400 home runs and 1,200 RBIs in his career. 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