Mo Vaughn: Similar to others on this list, Vaughn was a fan-favorite slugger whose numbers at the plate overshadowed his deficiencies in other areas of the game. Thats why were happy to do the leg work and come up with a list of the 20 most underrated players in baseball history. He possessed the speed to cover ground in the outfield and also steal 622 bases in his career. These underrated players solidified themselves as big leaguers last year and are primed to break out even further in 2023. 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. Teams:Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Stats:443 games, 176-137, 3.44 ERA, 103 CG, 30 SHO, 5 K/9 IP. His best year of 1922 is one of the most underrated seasons of all time. NL MVP. The most overrated pitcher in baseball may shock some of you, but man, oh man, has he been dreadful since the sticky substance crackdown. Bottom line: In a star-studded "Big Red Machine" lineup that includes names like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Ken Griffey Sr., George Foster and more, Dave Concepcion was the glue of the Cincinnati infield. Players in parentheses have the same grade. Career Stats: 1,847 G; .291/.400/.502; 287 HR; 1,078 RBI; 1,897 H; 1,121 R; 109-for-154 SB. 2,143: 3.24: Movies: May 30, 2010: VH-1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock bands. As a member of the Blue Jays, he was involved in one of the more bizarre plays in World Series history. Although most people remember him for his eight seasons with the Red Sox, he had a phenomenal 1968 season with the Indians (21-9, 1.60 ERA) and pitched the Twins into the American League Championship Series in 1970. Giannis exits with knee injury, called day-to-day. Third base: Rafael Devers, BOS. Stats:2,606 games, .272 BA, 385 HR, 1,385 RBI, .370 OBP, .470 SLG. And not too shabby at the plate, either. 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. His brilliance with the glove is easier to document than Ty Cobb's temper, Hack Wilson's drinking or Walter Johnson's fastball; it is all over the literature of the sport. He wasnt much of a power hitter, amassing just 101 home runs over a career that spanned two decades. 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. Cameron: Aybar is MLB's most underrated player. Dave Stieb. Gil Hodges and the Mets were convinced that Amos Otis was a third baseman. 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. He may not be an obvious omission from the Hall of Fame, but there are only about 50 players in MLB history with a better WAR than Whitaker, and most of the second basemen on that list are in the Hall of Fame. Career Stats: 399 G (393 GS); 158-152; 3.17 ERA; 1.23 WHIP; 2,837 IP; 2,619 H; 1.85 K/BB. 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. 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. But those defensive skills transferred to just about every other position, making him invaluable. 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. 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. The 1953 National League batting champion with a .344 mark, Furillo was an important part of two World Series championship winning teams in 1955 and 1959. The Greatest New York Yankees Of All Time. But it should be noted that the big right-hander threw 12 years for some of the worst Chicago Cubs teams in franchise history. White made ridiculous catches in the outfield look routine while hitting for power and flashing excellent speed when he got on base. *Caught stealing totals are incomplete per Baseball-Reference.com. Favorite players: Ted Williams, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial. 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. The glue that held the A's dynasty of the early 1970s together, Sal Bando was often overlooked while the accolades were bestowed on guys like Vida Blue, Gene Tenace, Joe Rudi and Reggie Jackson. Keith Hernandez. Jay Bell is one of many players who can be considered underrated because not enough fans and critics give strong defensive players enough credit. Throw in four seasons of at least 100 RBI, and you've got yourself a pretty complete player. 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. 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 . Besides Morris, no other pitcher had a winning ratio as high in the MLB during the 1980s. Jun 18, 2009. Career Stats: 1,865 G; .288/.362/.461; 223 HR; 1,247 RBI; 2,042 H; 1,094 R; 54-for-118 SB. Teams:St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Stats:2,088 games, .296 BA, 162 HR, 1,071 RBI, .384 OBP, .436 SLG. Clemente won MVP honors in 1966 and helped the Pirates win two World Series, earning World Series MVP in 1971. The hits are comparable. After going without a hit in the first two games of the series, he went on a tear. Then again, he wasnt paid to prevent runs but to manufacture them. Immokalee is the farming center along Florida's Paradise Coast. 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. . Meanwhile, few remember him for being an adequate hitter, batting .272 in his career and coming up 133 hits shy of the 3,000-hit plateau. Concepcion was rounding the bases after hitting a home run and crossed home plate roughly four seconds after Watson. Despite only going to the All-Star Game four times and leading the National League in saves once, Reardon amassed 367 career saves, which still puts him just outside the top 10 on the all-time list. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. Teams:Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels, Oakland Athletics, Stats: 760 games, 288-231, 3.34 ERA, 162 CG, 46 SHO, 4,3 K/9 IP. 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. Steve Garvey. . A two-time All-Star, White became one of the most popular Yankees during the 1970s with his no-nonsense style of play and remains a fan favorite to this day. My list of the greatest players in baseball, over time, goes back to 1901, the founding of the American League. Upon the discovery of a tumor in his foot and with the Angels having mixed feelings about his future as a ballplayer, Fregosi was traded to the Mets in exchange for four players, most notably a right-handed pitcher named Nolan Ryan. Teams:Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Stats:2,008 games, .266 BA, 224 HR, 864 RBI, .371 OBP, .424 SLG. Here's everything you need to know about the NFL for July 16 Pedro had a better ERA than all of them, same with winnign %. After all, if it was easy to pick them out, they wouldnt be so underappreciated. Major League Baseball is loaded with star power heading into the 2023 season. He wasn't a slugger, but he led the American League with three grand slams in 2002, two of which came in back-to-back games against the Blue Jays at a time when the Angels were floundering. Career Stats: 1,650 G; .242/.309/.324; 41 HR; 490 RBI; 1,340 H; 736 R; 385-for-516 SB. A four-time All-Star, he averaged 22 home runs and 92 runs batted in during the three consecutive World Series championships. Teams:Kansas City Athletics, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Stats:2,019 games, .254 BA, 242 HR, 1,039 RBI, .353 OBP, .408 SLG, World Series titles:3 (1972, 1973, 1974). 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. These are the Most underrated players in Hall of Fame history: C: Gary Carter. 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. Photo: Paul Popper. Los Angeles Angels. Just . Jim Fregosi became the face of the Angels franchiseand its most popular playerduring the 1960s and early 1970s. When Jose Oquendo broke into the majors with the Mets in 1983 as a 19-year-old shortstop, he became the first player in franchise history who was younger than the franchise itself. A fiery player with a live arm, Larry Bowa was a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner with . Williams played from 1915 to 1929, mainly for the St. Louis Browns. He was vastly underrated in the way that he kept hitters off balance by changing speeds with his pitches. 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. A rare blend of both power and speed. 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 . Longtime sports writer and researcher Bob Carroll wrote an article for the National Pastimein 1985 about 12 players he believed should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Toward the end of his career, Reardon spent a little time as MLBs all-time save leader despite Lee Smith passing him before the end of his career. 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. Bryan Zarpentine is a freelance writer and editor with most of his work focusing on the world of sports. After starting his career with three years of limited playing time in Cleveland, Jay Bell was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1989, where he became the everyday shortstop for the team that went to the NLCS in three consecutive seasons. 0 of 10. Big-time. 1 of 10. Ty Cobb. The Bucs are a young team that is trying to take that step forward, much like the 2011 and 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates teams. On other teams. It wasn't until he made his way to the Minnesota Twins in November of 1972, however, that his career really began to flourish. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. But during the Yankees' era of Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Ron Guidry, Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, et al., Nettles was often unappreciated. At 245 pounds, Rolen was still a nimble third baseman. Yogi has . The road to Cooperstown is difficult for receivers, due to the difficulty of evaluating the position with statistics. Except the umpire missed Gruber's tag and ruled Sanders safe. He may not have been overly dominant with a 3.16 career ERA. Teams:Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Stats:2,103 games, .299 BA, 130 HR, 781 RBI, .372 OBP, .423 SLG. He was a four-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time All-Star. From 1989 through 1990, Oquendo was the Cardinals starting second baseman, and he flourished in the position. Yet brown got just 2.1% of the HOF vote. Injuries would take their toll andultimatelyend his career in 1985 after only 38 innings of work. 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. A three-time All-Star with six .300 seasons under his belt, Hal McRae was named the Designated Hitter of the Year on three separate occasions by both The Sporting News and the Associated Press. 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. 1974-1992, 70.1 WAR (Wins Over Replacement), 1,225 RBIs and 2,092 hits. A versatile outfielder who could play all three outfield positions equally well, Jim Northrup spent all but one of his 12 major league seasons wearing a Tigers' uniform. The Most Underrated MLB Players of All Time. Career Stats: 1,887 G; .267/.354/.475; 318 HR; 1,147 RBI; 1,703 H; 945 R; 14-for-33 SB. Teams:Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Stats:2,456 games, .290 BA, 339 HR, 1,493 RBI, .339 OBP, .471 SLG. Austin Riley is a 30/30 player. Some players simply aren't receiving due credit. France remains one of the most underrated players in baseball despite starring for Seattle over the last two-and-a-half years. He was also an excellent fielder who held multiple fielding records at the time of his retirement that have since been passed. Hit: 60 - Robert Hassell III Power: 60 - Elijah Green (James Wood, Brady House, TJ White) The shortstop was also a two-time Silver Slugger winner. Cash was a highly regarded defensive first basemen as well, leading the league in putouts (in 1961), fielding percentage (1964, 1967) and assists (196567). 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. He was also a four-time all-star who fell just short of 400 home runs and 1,200 RBIs in his career. The 1982 Topps football set has a solid mix of rookie and veteran players. He wasnt even an all-star in one of the two years that he led the American League in ERA. Career Stats: 2,324 G; .255/.293/.383; 160 HR; 886 RBI; 2,006 H; 912 R; 178-for-261 SB. 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. Here are the 30 most unsung, under-the-radar, underrated pitchers in major league history. Otis was part of an up-and-coming group of players that helped the Royals to five American League West division titles. Career Stats: 1,311 G; .280/.345/.355; 35 HR; 392 RBI; 123-for-168 SB. He had a career average of .356, amassing 1,772 hits, including 54 home runs. Beyond the top ten, things seem to make a bit more sense at least: Phil Niekro, Pedro Martinez, Bert Blyleven, and Alex Rodriguez make up an interesting bloc from #19 to #22, with Curt Schilling . 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. The Most Underrated Ballplayers Since 1990. Stats:2,089 games, .271 BA, 377 HR, 1,104 RBI, .374 OBP, .488 SLG. Top 100 Players All-Time. Participating in the MLB at the same time as legendary pitcher Jack Morris probably fuels the fact that he is so underrated. He spent his entire career in Cincinnati from 1970 to 1988, earning nine all-star selections and five Gold Gloves along the way. Who did I miss? Stats:2,390 games, .276 BA, 244 HR, 1,084 RBI, .363 OBP, .426 SLG. 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