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. Here are some of the most underrated players in baseball history. 2022 saw a host of TCU Horned Frogs and Kansas State Wildcats emerge as game changers. Career Stats: 2,202 G; .276/.373/.351; 54 HR; 687 RBI; 2,210 H; 1,239 R; 271-for-365 SB. By the time his career was over, he had become the only player with as many as 2,705 hits before 1975 not elected to baseballs Hall of Fameand only two players, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker, had played more games in center field than Doc Cramer. Maybe one of the most underrated MLB jerseys of all-time is the early 1970's Oakland Athletics' home jersey. In both the 1915 and 1916 World Series, Leonard threw complete game victories for the Red Sox, allowing just two runs and eight hits. Sievers has the "honor" of being the first man with 300 lifetime home runs not to be elected to baseballs Hall of Fame. 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. 10. Career Stats: 2,963 G; .272/.336/.352; 80 HR; 950 RBI; 404-for-571 SB. 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. The little things that don't necessarily show up in the box score might matter more to you than they do to someone else. A fiery player with a live arm, Larry Bowa was a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner with . 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. He is a 2008 graduate of Syracuse University and still resides in upstate New York. He only won three Gold Gloves, all coming later in his career. 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. While he began his major league career in 1968, it wasn't until 1969 that a 22-year-old center fielder named Larry Hisle got a chance to play on a daily basis, and he rewarded the Phillies with a solid campaign that resulted in a fourth place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. Career Stats: 1,720 G; .261/.328/.406; 176 HR; 729 RBI; 1,623 H; 798 R; 80-for-131 SB. 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. When a discussion regarding the best second basemen in the history of baseball ensues, it's a rare occasion when Bobby Doerr's name is bought up. 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 was a four-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time All-Star. Said Bill James in The New Baseball Abstract: No other player in baseball history was so richly praised for his defensive skillno one. He was a . #5 of 149. Career Stats: 1,865 G; .288/.362/.461; 223 HR; 1,247 RBI; 2,042 H; 1,094 R; 54-for-118 SB. By the time his career came to an end, White was celebrated along with Rojas as two of the more popular players in Royals history. 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. 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 . Putting up offensive numbers that rival former MVPs, this player deserves m. Everyone loves labels, especially when it comes to athletes. After going without a hit in the first two games of the series, he went on a tear. He also had a relatively short career. While it doesn't have the heavy hitters in terms of big name rookies found in the 1981 (Joe Montana), 1984 (Dan Marino, John Elway), and 1986 (Jerry Rice . NICK ALBERGA: For me, it would be Ivan Barbashev of the St. Louis Blues. His average of 2.45 bWAR/season is "best" among active qualifiers. Justice hit a ball to deep center field. 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. Stats:2,488 games, .267 batting average, 101 HR, 950 RBI, .322 .357 SLG. 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. He falls short of being Cooperstown worthy, butConcepcion's career was celebrated in Cincinnati back in 2007, when his jersey, No. Max Duggan . 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. Alomar threw the ball to John Olerud at first base to double-up the Braves' Terry Pendleton, but Pendelton had already been called out for passing Deion Sanders on the base paths. While he hit the first-ever home run at Veterans Stadium as a member of the Phillies, it wasn't until Don Money was traded to the Brewers following the 1972 season that he enjoyed the most success of his career. 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. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. Teams:Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Stats:443 games, 176-137, 3.44 ERA, 103 CG, 30 SHO, 5 K/9 IP. But during the Yankees' era of Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Ron Guidry, Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, et al., Nettles was often unappreciated. He led American League third basemen four times inassists, five times indouble plays, and twice infielding percentage. Ronald Koeman - Barcelona. 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. For the most part, baseball fans only know the name Tommy John because of the surgery thats named after him. Over the course of 11 . It wasn't until he made his way to the Minnesota Twins in November of 1972, however, that his career really began to flourish. 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. From 1989 through 1990, Oquendo was the Cardinals starting second baseman, and he flourished in the position. 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. Left unprotected by the Kansas City Royals in the 1993 expansion draft, the Florida Marlins took the talented youngster for their own. Not only does he already have the championship pedigree from 2019, but just like Lehkonen, he's as versatile as they come . Darrell Evans - Bill James called him the most underrated player in baseball history. Most baseball fans know about Honus Wagners famously expensive baseball card but they dont know that much about him as a player. 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. Dude is a stud (no homo). A few even deserved a Cy Young Award or should be in the Hall of Fame. 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. Jesse Barfield was a great outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980s. Edmonds was probably never going to end up in Cooperstown, but he surely deserved better than the 2.5% of the vote that he got in his only year on the ballot. Keltner made two outstanding backhanded plays at third to rob DiMaggio, and along with a walk and a ground out, the streak ended. Guerrero, Alonso, Olson, Freeman, and Goldschmidt all sit in the top 35 and are well deserving of those rankings. As a member of the Blue Jays, he was involved in one of the more bizarre plays in World Series history. Teams:Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Stats:2,968 games, .272 BA, 80 HR, 951 RBI, .336 OBP, .352 SLG. He also stole 321 bases in his career. Unfortunately, Luis Tiant hasnt been awarded passage to Cooperstown just yet. A member of the Tigers' 1968 World Series championship team, Cash's single in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 7 with two outs started a three-run rally that propelled the Tigers to their first championship in 23 years. Career Stats: 1,311 G; .280/.345/.355; 35 HR; 392 RBI; 123-for-168 SB. 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. 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. Despite his achievements on the field, Doerr was not selected to the Hall of Fame until the Veterans Committee finally enshrined him in 1986. A handful of its biggest stars come from the first base position. Career Stats: 1,246 G; .304/.361/.433; 76 HR; 513 RBI; 1,216 H; 535 R; 45-for-69 SB. 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. 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. A two-time All-Star, he wouldn't join a winning baseball team until 1946 when he was sold to the Boston Red Sox. 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. 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. Jim Fregosi became the face of the Angels franchiseand its most popular playerduring the 1960s and early 1970s. Had he spent the bulk of his career elsewhere, Watson is probably pushing 300 home runs, if not more. There is a final interesting case in the career of Nick Markakis. Lofton was also a .299 career hitter who was always playing on winning teams. 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. Yet brown got just 2.1% of the HOF vote. Lots of 2nd tier pitchers from the 50's-80's that are underrated by many: Roberts, Jenkins, Niekro, Blyleven (even though the HOF backlash has pretty much caught up), Tiant, Reuschel, Koosman, Stieb, Sabes, etc. Career Stats: 331 G (273 GS); 139-113; 2.76 ERA; 1.23 WHIP; 2,192 IP; 2,092 H, 1.75 K/BB. He was a great player, but not top 25 all-time. Its shocking to know that someone with that resume never received more than 24% of the votes while on the Hall of Fame ballot. Omar Vizquel. 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. Underappreciated, thats what youd call him. 1. In an August rainstorm. #12. Heres our look at the game's most underrated players of all time. 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. In his 2021 breakout season with the Atlanta Braves, Riley had a batting average of .303, 107 RBIs and 33 home runs. Here are the 30 most unsung, under-the-radar, underrated pitchers in major league history. Arky Vaughan, I think it can safely be said, is among the most underrated superstars in history. He also was a Rookie of the Year award winner and seven-time All-Star. 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. Teams:California/Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Stats:1,105 games, .284 BA, 393 HR, 1,199 RBI, .376 OBP, .527 SLG. That is, he got to an impressive number of wins by hanging around for 26 seasons. 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. Career Stats: 2,011 G; .284/.376/.527; 393 HR; 1,199 RBI; 1,949 H; 1,251 R; 67-for-117 SB. 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. His offensive numbers aren't impressive, but this list wouldn't be complete without including a player that had great value on the bases and with his glove and little-to-none with his bat. Over the course of his career, Concepcion was a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove winner. 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. 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. LaMelo suffers ankle fracture: Opportunities for Smith and Bouknight, Davis & Russell must step up for the Lakers following LeBrons injury, A look at leagues competing with each other around the world, Potential trade packages and partners if the Bears trade the 2023 first overall pick, Previews & predictions for Week 2 of the 2023 MLS season. That sounds like a player who should be in contention for the Mount Rushmore of baseball. Here are the ten most underrated players in Major League Baseball. Bottom line:A career total of 214 wins, and barely being over .500 at that, doesnt necessarily jump out at you. He even fielded his position well enough to win two Gold Gloves. While the Royals would fall to the Phillies in the World Series, White was also part of the 1985 Royals team that won the only World Series championship in team history. 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. In Game 2 of the 1992 World Series against the Braves, David Justice was at-bat with runners on first and second. Widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive shortstops to ever play the game, Omar Vizquel is entering the final two weeks of his career as an active player with the Toronto Blue Jays. 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. For me, it would be Ivan Barbashev of the Blue Jays in the 1980s be Barbashev. He got to an impressive number of wins by hanging around for 26 seasons twice percentage! ; 1,199 RBI ; 2,210 H ; 1,239 R ; 67-for-117 SB in upstate New York Braves Riley... 2,202 G ;.288/.362/.461 ; 223 HR ; 950 RBI,.322.357 SLG a career of... 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