Parker was also named an all-star seven times and helped two different teams win the World Series. 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. There have been some great baseball players throughout history who have flown under the radar. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent his entire career in Cincinnati from 1970 to 1988, earning nine all-star selections and five Gold Gloves along the way. Career Stats: 2,011 G; .284/.376/.527; 393 HR; 1,199 RBI; 1,949 H; 1,251 R; 67-for-117 SB. The fact that Keith Hernandez isnt in the Hall of Fame is enough to make him one of the most underrated players in baseball history. 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. 25. Frankly, baseball history is filled with players who had unique skills or put the team over themselves, leaving them without the accolades they should have received. Thats why were happy to do the leg work and come up with a list of the 20 most underrated players in baseball history. Which teams should target Saquon Barkley in 2023 free agency? White made ridiculous catches in the outfield look routine while hitting for power and flashing excellent speed when he got on base. #12. Top 100 Players All-Time. Yogi Berra. Career Stats: 1,887 G; .267/.354/.475; 318 HR; 1,147 RBI; 1,703 H; 945 R; 14-for-33 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. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. A rare blend of both power and speed. For one, he's coming off an injury. In between three stints in Cleveland, Kenny Lofton bounced around a lot during his career, rarely spending more than one season with the same team. So when will the Veterans Committee consider Evans? Rico never had the attention of the media like his more famous teammate Carl Yastrzemski did, but Boston fans knew that he was a special player, and he remains one of the most popular Red Sox players of the past 50 years. He played over a decade in the big leagues, winning 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row at one point. 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. With almost 20,000 players some incredible players and evenm some players are forgotten and or underrated so I am going to go through some of the best of these players throughout baseball history starting with Billy Hamilton: Joey Votto: . . Injuries would take their toll andultimatelyend his career in 1985 after only 38 innings of work. 1,924: 2.87: Music: Sep 6, 2010: 100 . 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. Its shocking to know that someone with that resume never received more than 24% of the votes while on the Hall of Fame ballot. Twice a .300 hitter and with two 100 RBI seasons under his belt, Oglivie proved that power hitters don't necessarily come in physically imposing packages. *Caught stealing totals are incomplete per Baseball-Reference.com. Teams:Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Stats:443 games, 176-137, 3.44 ERA, 103 CG, 30 SHO, 5 K/9 IP. Five times he hit more than 30 home runs, twice he broke the 100 RBI barrier and eight times he hit more than 20 home runs and drove in at least 70 runs. When you're the only player in history with at least 100 triples, 150 homers and 600 steals, when you're one of only four players in history with at least 700 extra-base hits and 800 steals (joining Ty Cobb, Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson) and when you're seventh all-time in WAR at your position, you go to the Hall of Fame. 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. : 10.8%. Career Stats: 2,247 G; .260/.300/.320; 15 HR; 525 RBI; 2,191 H; 987 R; 318-for-423 SB. Between his tenures with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, Garvey won five NL pennants and one World Series, in 1981. World Series Champion (went to the World Series 4X as one of the main cogs that got them there). 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. Career Stats: 1,350 G; .300/.359/.522; 242 HR; 898 RBI; 1,550 H; 809 R; SB Data Not Known. From 1976 through 1987, DeCinces averaged 19 home runs and 71 RBI. Even Ty Cobb, whos often regarded as one of the greatest pure hitters of all time, described Wagner as maybe the greatest star ever to take the diamond. Wagner was also a great defensive shortstop, which is another aspect of his career that gets forgotten amidst the focus on his expensive baseball card. There is a final interesting case in the career of Nick Markakis. It wasn't until he made his way to the Minnesota Twins in November of 1972, however, that his career really began to flourish. 2h. Norm Cash thrived in the middle of the Tigers' lineup for 15 years, though he was often overshadowed by his teammates Al Kaline and Rocky Colavito. If more fans only knew about his accomplishments rather than just the surgery. Participating in the MLB at the same time as legendary pitcher Jack Morris probably fuels the fact that he is so underrated. Teams:New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Stats:1,998 games, .277 BA, 193 HR, 1,007 RBI, .343 OBP, .425 SLG. 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. A few even deserved a Cy Young Award or should be in the Hall of Fame. There are a lot of Braves players like Ozzie . He finished his quarter-century-long career with 288 wins and over 2,200 strikeouts. All 19 of his seasons in the majors were spent playing alongside Alan Trammell, making them the longest-running double-play tandem in MLB history. Let's take a look at the 50 most underrated baseball players in the history of the game. Arky Vaughan, I think it can safely be said, is among the most underrated superstars in history. Frankly, thats the way it should be and it should be more than enough to keep him out of the Hall of Fame. 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. Northrup was a streaky power hitter but one who had a short, quick stroke and a good eye at the plate. Career Stats: 1,863 G; .296/.393/.506; 288 HR; 1,283 RBI; 2,051 H; 1,239 R; 96-for-160 SB. Originally a Yankee, Hal Morris was sent to Cincinnati in 1989 in exchange for Tim Leary in a perfect example of how George Steinbrenner used to run the club; trading prospects for veterans. Jim Edmonds was far from the most talented player of his generation, but he got everything he could out of the talent he had. 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 is a 2008 graduate of Syracuse University and still resides in upstate New York. He moved to third base in 1971 when Boston acquired Luis Aparicio and was still manning the hot corner in 1975 when the Sox won the AL pennant and played in one of the most exciting World Series in history, losing in seven games to the Cincinnati Reds. The combination is celebrated with entry into the game's exclusive 30/30 club . 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. 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. 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. So disliked by his teammates, that when he died, the funeral home had to hire six pall bearers. While his accomplishments with the Pirates were overshadowed by the exploits of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke and even manager Jim Leyland, Bell established himself as one of the better shortstops in the game during his time with the Pirates, overcoming his limited range by putting himself in the right position, depending on the batter. Harry Heilmann. Furillo led the league in assists in 1950 and again the following season. Career Stats: 1,672 G; .282/.385/.498; 299 HR; 1,016 RBI; 1,674 H; 986 R; 48-for-90 SB, To most of us he's Tim Salmon, but to those in the know, he's simply known as "King Fish.". Career Stats: 2,239 G; .296/.340/.375; 37 HR; 842 RBI; 2,705 H; 1,357 R; 62-for-135 SB. 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. 10 Most Underrated MLB Players of All Time. He was a four-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time All-Star. 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. Underappreciated, thats what youd call him. In my opinion, Todd Helton might be the most underrated player between 2000-2009. Career Stats: 1,941 G; .263/.319/.419; 208 HR; 846 RBI; 1,934 H; 1,125 R; 346-for-444 SB. Giannis exits with knee injury, called day-to-day. Aside from a 2019 season where he was limited to just 129 games, Ramrez has finished below fourth in AL MVP voting just once since 2017. One of the more versatile players of his time. Vizquel is also the all-time leader in double plays turned among shortstops. Over his 17 seasons, he had two successful careers one with the Orioles, appearing in two World Series and winning one, and one with the Angels. The most lopsided odds come via Pool B, with hosts Team Japan (-650) pegged as hefty favorites.The two-time World Champions get to play their first-round games at the Tokyo Dome, and with a roster . Dave Stieb. He also won 11 consecutive Gold Gloves during his career. His average of 2.45 bWAR/season is "best" among active qualifiers. 0 of 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. Two, he's playing with a two-way player who everybody goo-goo and ga-gas about. Bottom line: Luis Tiant was a dominant pitcher. A four-time All-Star, he averaged 22 home runs and 92 runs batted in during the three consecutive World Series championships. Otis was part of an up-and-coming group of players that helped the Royals to five American League West division titles. Brown also led the National League in ERA twice during his career, including once after he signed that mega contract. Everyone loves labels, especially when it comes to athletes. 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. But if you take the money he made out of the equation, Brown was better than most people realize because they get too wrapped up in his shortcomings. 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. Dave Concepcion is usually one of the most overlooked players on the Reds during the days of the Big Red Machine. He wasnt much of a power hitter, amassing just 101 home runs over a career that spanned two decades. Answer (1 of 10): Try Cobb. While his lifetime ERA of 3.17 would lead someone to expect Steve Rogers to have a more impressive career win-loss record, he was often the victim of terrible run support during many challenging years in Montreal. Morris hit .340 in his first full season with the Reds and was an instrumental part of the team that upset the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the 1990 World Series. Anybody who can pitch 19 seasons in the majors and have a 3.30 ERA should be in serious consideration for the Hall of Fame. 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. 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. 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. Its crazy to think that Jeff Reardon is nowhere near the Hall of Fame after the type of career he had. 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. The hits are comparable. 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. Clemente won MVP honors in 1966 and helped the Pirates win two World Series, earning World Series MVP in 1971. If not Hall of Fame, then certainly underrated. The Most Underrated MLB Players of All Time. Winner of seven consecutive Gold Glove awards in center field and a three-time All-Star, Devon White was one of the more underrated players of the past 20 years. Career Stats: 1,514 G; .271/.347/.350; 28 HR; 574 RBI; 1,450 H; 676 R; 188-for-252 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. Bottom line: Nearly a career .300 hitter, Kenny Lofton was a premier base stealer with 622 career steals. Most baseball fans know about Honus Wagners famously expensive baseball card but they dont know that much about him as a player. 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." Vizquel also has the highest field percentage of any player who played at least 1,000 games at shortstop. He once had a season with just three errors, which is also a record among shortstops. Yogi Berra is one of the greatest winners in the history of the MLB. Now go take a look at his career stats. Bottom line: Many believe Lou Whitaker should be in the Hall along with his double-play partner, Alan Trammell. White chased the ball down and caught it while crashing full speed into the walla play some have said was more impressive than "The Catch" by Willie Maysthen threw a strike to Blue Jays' second baseman Roberto Alomar. Dallas Keuchel, Chicago White Sox. He won three Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger awards in addition to his battling titles. Gil Hodges and the Mets were convinced that Amos Otis was a third baseman. How can someone who has a losing record over the course of his career be considered underrated? 20 most underrated baseball players of all-time, overrated MLB players in baseball history, MLB player rankings ahead of 2023 season: Relievers & closers, Outlining the controversial rule changes being introduced for the 2023 MLB season, MLB player rankings ahead of 2023 season: Second basemen, 10 best sleepers to consider for 2023 fantasy baseball drafts, 10 players to watch at 2023 Spring Training, featuring top prospects & injury-hit veterans, MLB player rankings ahead of 2023 season: Starting pitchers, MLB player rankings ahead of 2023 season: Third basemen. Justice hit a ball to deep center field. He wasnt a natural talent, although he used his intelligence and instincts to become one of the best shortstops in baseball throughout the 90s. 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 1978, he finished third in the AL MVP voting behind the Yankees' Ron Guidry and the eventual winner, Boston's Jim Rice. Yet brown got just 2.1% of the HOF vote. 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. 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. Bottom line: Maybe Dave Stieb isnt Hall of Fame worthy, not with just 176 wins, but he was one of the toughest pitchers of his era. 5h Jamal Collier. He led American League third basemen four times inassists, five times indouble plays, and twice infielding percentage. A six-time All-Star with the Angels, Fregosi formed one of the most capable double-play combinations in the game with second baseman Bobby Knoop from 1964 until the midway point of the 1969 season. 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. Yes, the great third baseman who played the bulk of his career with the New York Yankees, won two world championships and has been retired for over 30 years. His statistics might not scream offensive domination, but he was one of the great clutch hitters of his time. Dozens of ESPN writers and editors submitted more than 20,000 votes ( see full methodology here ) to determine the . That sounds like a player who should be in contention for the Mount Rushmore of baseball. This also should paint a great picture of the current roster. 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. 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. A five-time All-Star, Doc Cramer patrolled center field for four different teams over a 20-year-career, one that saw him hit .300 eight times and break the 200-hit barrier on three different occasions. Sievers has the "honor" of being the first man with 300 lifetime home runs not to be elected to baseballs Hall of Fame. At minimum, Lofton should have bee a borderline Hall of Famer, although he was off the ballot after just two seasons, which is a disgrace for a six-time all-star, four-time Gold Glove winner, and a player who led the American League in stolen bases in five straight seasons. 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. 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. Some players simply aren't receiving due credit. Career Stats: 1,197 G; .273/.347/.452; 166 HR; 674 RBI; 128-for-189 SB. Indian Bob Johnson never had one of those super seasons that make everyone sit up and whistle. But he was best known for his 14 seasons with the Royals. For the next class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, were thinking Graig Nettles. Career Stats: 2019 G; .254/.352/.408; 242 HR; 1,039 RBI; 1,790 H; 982 R; 75-for-121 SB. Thats why we wanted to help rectify the situation by coming up with a list of the most underrated baseball players of all time. With his 10 all-star selections on top of that, his absence from Cooperstown is proof that he remains an underrated player. An MVP, Parker was a seven-time All-Star and two-time World Series champ. 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. He had a career average of .319 and OPS of .924. Jun 18, 2009. 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. 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. Yogi has . 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. Maybe they didn't make the Hall of Fame, but these players had great careers. All-Time Stats. 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. Olerud spent the early part of his career in Toronto, becoming a key piece of the Blue Jays winning back-to-back World Series. Somehow, its occasionally forgotten that Clemente was also one of the all-time greats. Guerrero, Alonso, Olson, Freeman, and Goldschmidt all sit in the top 35 and are well deserving of those rankings. 09-28-2010, 09:33 PM. Hank Aaron. . Except the umpire missed Gruber's tag and ruled Sanders safe. 2009: .269, 44 R (21st), 22 HR (2nd), 43 RBI (25th), again . But Lofton was a phenomenal athlete who actually went to the University of Arizona on a basketball scholarship. In addition to his longevity, Whitaker was Rookie of the Year in 1978, a five-time all-star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a four-time Silver Slugger. On July 17, 1941, the Indians were playing the New York Yankees. But there are plenty of reasons why former St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog referred to Oquendo as the secret weapon.. The infamous Black Sox Scandal will forever be Shoeless Joe Jacksons claim to fame. Career Stats: 2,012 G; .291/.364/.416; 89 HR; 674 RBI; 2,138 H; 1,124 R; 174-for-255 SB. Favorite players: Ted Williams, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial. Stats: 59.5 WAR, .285 AVG, .830 OPS, 1430 RBIs. Pedro Martinez, one of the best W/L % all time, 2.92 ERA and was just a great pitcher before he got injured, but when everyone think of the 90s and 00s they think of Clemens, Johnson and Maddux. The fans in St. Louis called him Jimmy Ballgame because he played the game the right way and always found ways to help his team win games. Although none of these players were proven to be completely clean, their accomplishments are quite substantial and too significant to overlook, leaving them . Robin Roberts - If the award existed then, and voters evaluated players they way, Roberts probably would have won 5, and possibly 6 consecutive Cy Youngs from 1950-1955. Maybe one of the most underrated MLB jerseys of all-time is the early 1970's Oakland Athletics' home jersey. After an inauspicious start to his career as a member of the Indians, Brian Giles found himself traded to the Pirates prior to the 1999 season. Rolen won eight Gold Gloves during his career, including five in a row during his prime, making him one of the best defensive third basemen of all time. In his 2021 breakout season with the Atlanta Braves, Riley had a batting average of .303, 107 RBIs and 33 home runs. Bottom line: After cups of coffee with the Twins in 1962 and 1963, Tony Oliva burst on the scene and won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1964. 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. Adrian Beltre is probably going to make the Hall of Fame on his first ballot next season - the former Texas Ranger is one of 12 players in MLB history to get 3,000 hits and 400 home runs. I don't think we can count the 2003 Danny Briere deal, so let's go way back for our Sabres pick. But the Reds may not have been the same without Concepcion, which is why hes among the most underrated players in MLB history. The road to Cooperstown is difficult for receivers, due to the difficulty of evaluating the position with statistics. 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At his career while being named an all-star seven times card but they dont know much... A list of the National baseball Hall of Fame, his absence from Cooperstown is proof that he an... Hall of Fame ; 67-for-117 SB to determine the ; 75-for-121 SB ; 525 RBI ; H! Short, quick stroke and a good eye at the 50 most underrated baseball players of time. Much about him as a player who should be in contention for the next class the! 17, 1941, the Indians were playing the New York.303, RBIs. One, he averaged 22 home runs contention for the Mount Rushmore of baseball ; 1,934 H 809... Speed when he got on base along with his double-play partner, Alan Trammell Gold winner. Will forever be Shoeless Joe Jacksons claim to Fame career steals frankly thats. Of career he had a season with just three errors, which is why hes among the underrated. Career of Nick Markakis clemente won MVP honors in 1966 and helped two different teams win the World Series as. 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