Underrated: Jeff McNeil, Mets 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. Choke artist. Corey Maggette 10. Upon his trade to the Cardinals in 1985, Oquendo faced a bit of a problemthe Cardinals were already set at shortstop with Ozzie Smith. I should clarify. "The Hal McRae Rule" requires that runners slide into second base when trying to break up a double play, doing away with McRae's favorite movethe cross-body check, something he terrorized American League middle infielders with for years. However, things clicked following a trade to the White Sox, and he posted a 149 OPS+ with 36 home runs and 100 RBI to finish fifth in AL MVP voting in his first year with the team. From 1999 through the 2004 season, Vidro was unquestionably one of the most productive second basemen in the game. 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. The best they can generally hope for is a belated nod from the Veterans Committee. 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. He was just 17 years old when his Rookie Cards were featured in the 1997 Bowman and Bowmans Best sets. Two years later, he was in the majors, and he quickly emerged as the staff ace. Career Stats: 1,902 G; .265/.338/.398; 151 HR; 706 RBI; 1,726 H; 844 R; 76-for-116 SB. From 2000-06 the team won 85 games five times but never made the playoffs. _______________________________________________________. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Except the umpire missed Gruber's tag and ruled Sanders safe. Babe Ruth also hit .393 with 41 homers in 1923. He led American League third basemen four times inassists, five times indouble plays, and twice infielding percentage. Barry Sanders. A five-time All-Star, White was one of the smoothest fielding second baseman of his era, winning eight Gold Glove Awards. Phillies baseball in the early 2000s was a time to forget. Copyright 2023, Beckett Collectibles, LLC. He never really got a chance to play with the Red Sox as he was behind Billy Conigliaro, Joe Lahoud and eventually a youngster named Dwight Evans on the depth chart. From the archive: Outrage when the Yankees sold to CBS, The most underrated players in baseball history | HardballTalk, Maury Wills: Barnstorming with Jackie Robinson and Luke Easter, Analyzing Maury Wills impact on baseball through stolen base opportunities, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Right fielders, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Center fielders, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Full of young stars from all over the world including twenty different countries. Career Stats: 1,311 G; .280/.345/.355; 35 HR; 392 RBI; 123-for-168 SB. Career Stats: 1,754 G; .273/.336/.450; 235 HR; 901 RBI; 87-for-157 SB. 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. I just read an article on Tim Raines being the second best leadoff man from his generation due to his elite OBP (career .385) and SB skills. 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 highlights: NFL Most Valuable Player (1997), two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1989 . If memory serves correctly, its his truck, too. He is currently working on assembling the entire base catalogs of four of his all-time favoritesKerry Wood, Mark Prior, Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee. Jurrjens made 115 starts in the big leagues before his age-26 season, going 50-33 with a 3.40 ERA in 702.1 innings, and he was an All-Star in 2011 when he went 13-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 152 innings. 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. 1980-89: Dwight Evans. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. Seemingly every baseball generation has its underrated third basemen. Career Stats: 1,649 G; .259/.329/.445; 237 HR; 879 RBI; 1,505 H; 778 R; 58-for-106 SB. Peja Stojakovi 5. During the first six seasons of the 2000s, he hit .292/.406/.584 while averaging 35 home runs, 98 RBI and 6.1 WAR and winning a Gold Glove every year. Joe DiMaggio, who had broken the consecutive-game hitting-streak record two weeks earlier (set by Willie Keeler in 1897) was vying for a 57th straight game with a hit. 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. He was also an excellent fielder who held multiple fielding records at the time of his retirement that have since been passed. 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. 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. From 1989 through 1990, Oquendo was the Cardinals starting second baseman, and he flourished in the position. 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. While he was slowed by injuries throughout his career, Johnson was a bona fide ace when healthy. 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. The rate stats matter most with Mize. Venable had a quietly effective career with the Padres, logging 13.3 WAR in eight seasons. Said Bill James in The New Baseball Abstract: No other player in baseball history was so richly praised for his defensive skillno one. 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). 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. The left-hander signed a two-year, $17.5 million contract with the Angels after the 2008 season, but he stands as the best closer in Rockies franchise history. 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. Graig Nettles and Darrell Evans came up in yesterday's post. Career Stats: 1,350 G; .300/.359/.522; 242 HR; 898 RBI; 1,550 H; 809 R; SB Data Not Known. 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. His 2,043 hits rank 10th all-time among players who played primarily catcher in their career, and his .280 career average speaks to his offensive prowess. I find that to be an amazing statistic. Underrated teams. In both the 1915 and 1916 World Series, Leonard threw complete game victories for the Red Sox, allowing just two runs and eight hits. SP Cy Young:. Corey Maggette He reminds me a bit of Reggie Smith, another eternally underrated outfielder. Tim Wallach could play both corner-infield and outfield positions, and even took the mound twice for the Expos, in 1987 and 1989. Hecostthe Astros one defensive run for the decadewhile providing offense that surely totaledmore aggregate value than a slick-gloved infielder with no bat. He hit .313/.374/.489 while averaging 39 doubles, 16 home runs and 73 RBI during that six-year span, hitting alongside Vladimir Guerrero in the Montreal Expos lineup. Who came up with that idea. They'd go on to win 20 of their next 23 games and the World Series as well. Throw in four seasons of at least 100 RBI, and you've got yourself a pretty complete player. Career Stats: 1,650 G; .242/.309/.324; 41 HR; 490 RBI; 1,340 H; 736 R; 385-for-516 SB. 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. Top 5 Underrated Position Players 5: Ty France (UTIL), Seattle Mariners Last year, Ty France came on to the scene when he hit over .300 in 23 appearances during the shortened season. He spent the last five seasons of his major league career with the Brewers, where he took two future Hall of Famers under his wing: Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. 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. Money pitcher. *Caught stealing totals are incomplete per Baseball-Reference.com. He racked up 18.6 WAR in nine seasons with the team, earning three All-Star selections and peaking as a 6-WAR player in 2006 when he helped the Tigers reach the World Series.
