With the 2017 regular season wrapped up, and the postseason to follow in the coming weeks, the attention will soon shift to the MLB offseason. This means a flurry of player changes, coaching staff decisions, and of course award announcements. Unfortunately this list isn’t about those major award recipients, it’s about those who you won’t see taking home the top hardware. These are the most underrated MLB players at each position. Before we start, here are some criteria:
- Taking into account WAR since the start of the 2016 season
- No top three Cy Young or Most Valuable Player finishes
- At least years service time at the big league level
- Three or fewer All-Star appearances
J.T. Realmuto never seems to get the credit he deserves,
CATCHER: J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
Though Realmuto’s 2017 season was a step backward after a superb 2016, he still remains a hidden gem behind the plate. Realmuto has more at-bats than any catcher over the last two years, but his value doesn’t come from sheer playing time alone. Among qualifiers, he trailed only Gary Sanchez in runs scored this year, with 68. He only trailed Buster Posey in hits and doubles, and also racked in five triples and eight stolen bases. If you ask most fans who the top catchers in baseball are, Realmuto’s name won’t come up for a while, but it should. At 26 years old his best years should be ahead of him, and he should graduate from this list.
FIRST BASE: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
Freeman split time at the hot corner this year before the Braves moved him back to his natural position. Not that he needed another facet to his game, but Freeman added position versatility to what’s already one of baseball’s most impressive skillsets. Freeman is cut from a similar cloth as fellow position mates Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt, in terms of unconventional first baseman. When thinking of first baseman, many think of long swings and low batting averages, but Freeman wouldn’t fit that bill. A career .290 hitter, Freeman had one of his best seasons in 2017, hitting .307/28/71 with 35 doubles. Freeman also bolstered his resume with a career-best .403 on-base percentage. Trailing only Votto in position WAR since 2016, Freeman still flies surprisingly under the radar. He hasn’t made an All-Star team since 2014, which is a testament to both the quality of NL first baseman and the detriments of succeeding on failing teams. Freeman is the heart of the Braves team, but Atlanta is wasting the prime of a star career unless they can’t expedite the rebuilding process.
SECOND BASE: Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins
With the emergence of players like Miguel Sano, Eduardo Escobar, and Byron Buxton, Dozier seems even more likely to be the forgotten star in Minnesota. It was only one year ago, however, when we were talking about his unprecedented 42 home runs at the second base position. Though Dozier didn’t pass the 40-homer mark again this year, his 34 dingers were still tops at the keystone position. Trailing him was Jonathan Schoop, who with a similar 2018 season, could battle Dozier for this spot on the list. Dozier being underrated is nothing new in baseball. Since 2013, no second baseman has more home runs than Dozier, and since tying Neil Walker for the league lead in 2014, Dozier himself has led each year since. Despite the power, it’s not as if Dozier is a one-note player. He’s sported a respectable .269 batting average over the past two years, more than acceptable considering the thump in his bat. It’d be impossible to ignore the high strikeout rate he possesses, but part of that can be attributed to Dozier playing in 150 games for four straight seasons. If the power wasn’t enough, Dozier also stole 16 bases last season, and be counted on for solid base running every season. It’s amazing that Dozier has no hardware and only one All-Star appearance, coming in a season in which he hit .236. If his last two seasons weren’t enough to punch a ticket to the All-Star Game, it seems there’s nothing Dozier can do. His chances of breaking out of this list are slim.
SHORTSTOP: Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles Angels
After years of being considered a defensive specialist and nothing more, Simmons’ bat finally broke out with the Angels in 2017. Fans know what Simmons can do with the glove, a two-time Gold Glove award winner and Platinum Glove winner in 2013, but his production on the opposite side of the ball had been a disappointment. His penchant for gold glove plays may have hurt him early on, as fans expected a superstar bat to match it. Along with that glove, Simmons’ .278/14/69 line from 2017 will be happily accepted. Simmons also hit .281 in 2016, developing into a player with above-average plate discipline and power. He sits fifth in WAR over the last two years but leads all shortstops with a strikeout rate under 10% over that time. Simmons has never been selected to an All-Star team, and with the continued emergence of players like Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa in the American League, he may have to return to the NL if he wants a chance at the Midsummer Classic.
Third Base: Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals
At a star-heavy position like third base, it’s not surprising some players have been lost in the shuffle. Despite that, Rendon has done everything in his power to be mentioned with the elites. He was a first-half favorite for the 2014 MVP award, but second half inconsistency dropped him to fifth in the final voting. An injury plagued 2015 pushed Rendon away from the minds of fans, and he’s been fighting to return since. Despite a career-best .301/25/100 this season, Rendon is still without an All-Star appearance. He also joined a short list this season of players with more walks than strikeouts, only striking out 82 times compared to 84 walks. He trails just Kris Bryant and Josh Donaldson in WAR since 2016, placing ahead of stars like Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, and Justin Turner. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Rendon finished third in all of baseball in WAR this season, behind Jose Altuve and Aaron Judge. With a stacked MVP race this year, Rendon will again have trouble breaking into the top three, but his status as underrated can only last for so long if he keeps putting up these monster numbers.
LEFT FIELD: Christian Yelich, Miami Marlins
Yelich gets a lot of flack for “not being great at anything”, but it’s easy to forget he’s just 25 years old and has been in the league for five years already. He had a career-low batting average this season, but that career low was .282. Though it took a few years for his power to come along, he followed up a 21 homer campaign by hitting 18 in 2017, so it seems those arguments can be tucked away. Yelich has a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger to his name, but his trophy case is sure to be full of hardware before all is said and done. He sits 5th in all outfield WAR since 2016, ahead of teammates Marcel Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton. Though his 2017 season may have been viewed as a step backward, he still scored career-high 100 runs and walked a career-high 80 times. Look for Yelich to leap off this list by way of the All-Star Game over the next few years.
CENTER FIELD: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
Blackmon has as good a chance of any to escape this list if he can find his way into the top three for NL MVP voting this year. There’s even a case for Blackmon to win the award, and it’s hard to disagree with. Blackmon had a 2017 season for the ages, hitting .331/37/104, all as a leadoff hitter. He led the majors in batting, runs scored, hits, and triples. This wasn’t out of nowhere for the Rockies sparkplug, his true breakout came in 2014, where a strong first half led him to the All-Star game. Among all outfielders, Blackmon ranks third in WAR over the past two seasons, behind Mike Trout and Mookie Betts. At 31 years old, it’s unlikely Blackmon actually takes home an MVP award but should garner a few more All-Star appearances, and there’s no longer any question that Blackmon is among the league’s best in the outfield. Were it not for Trout, Blackmon could even lay claim to the league’s best center fielder.
RIGHT FIELD: Kole Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels
In some ways, Calhoun has become the poster child for underrated baseball players over the past few years. Calhoun has driven in over 70 runs each of the last three seasons, which may not seem like much-considering baseball’s recent home run explosion, but it’s still worth recognizing. Kalhoun is a near lock for 15-20 home runs and between 65-80 RBI every season and has found a comfortable home in Anaheim. Over the past two seasons, the only right fielder to play more games than Calhoun is Nick Markakis, a testament to his ability to stay on the field. Since 2016, Calhoun sits 6th in right field war, but it’s a position containing stars like Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, George Springer, and Giancarlo Stanton. Calhoun captured a Gold Glove in 2015, but with no other accolades, seems unlikely to gain more recognition as the years go on.
DESIGNATED HITTER: Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
Of the qualifiers, most were well beyond consideration for “underrated”. In a class of guys like Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre, Hanley Ramirez, and Carlos Beltran, none fit the bill. Santana didn’t qualify, as he split time in the infield, but for our purposes, he’ll be our Designated Hitter. It’s hard to believe Santana has already been in the league for seven seasons, and he’s been one of baseball’s most productive for all of them. Aside from his brief rookie season, he’s never had a season with fewer than 74 RBI. In that same span, he’s also had five seasons with over 20 home runs, including a career-high 34 in 2016. His batting average leaves a little to be desired, but his ability to play all around the field makes him one of baseball’s most valuable bargains. He plays all over, has eclipsed 600 at-bats each year since his rookie season, but has nothing to show for it. It will be hard for Santana to break out of the mold he’s found himself in, but even if he doesn’t, he’s still a player any team would love to have.
STARTING PITCHER: Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland Indians
The other Carlos in Cleveland can not only lay claim to being baseball’s most underrated pitcher, but also one of baseball’s best. “Cookie” took a few years to develop, but since 2014 you’d struggle to find a more reliable arm at the top of a rotation. In Cleveland, everyone plays second fiddle to Corey Kluber, but that’s no knock on Santana. His 18 wins in 2017 led the league, along with a career-high in innings pitched. Since 2016 he sits eighth in starting pitcher WAR and has never issued 50 walks in his career, despite a career-high 226 strikeouts this past season. For all his success, Santana has never been selected to an All-Star team, partly due to his health struggles. He’ll be 31 when the 2018 season starts, so he doesn’t have many years left if he wants to change the career narrative.
RELIEF PITCHER: Roberto Osuna, Toronto Blue Jays
Osuna completed his third major league season in 2017 and has been successful through all of them. He broke on to the scene with a 2.58 ERA in 68 games for Toronto in 2015. Since then, he’s established himself as one of baseball’s best relievers, increasing his save total each season. He’ll be 23 at the start of next season, so there’s no reason to believe he won’t rack up All-Star appearances as the year’s pass. Since the start of 2016, only Andrew Miller and Kenley Jansen have higher WAR’s than Osuna. His ERA ballooned this year, but he still was sent to Miami for his first All-Star appearance. You won’t often hear him mentioned with the likes of Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, or Wade Davis, but at a young age, Osuna is quickly building a case as one of baseball’s best closers.
In a game so full of young talent, it’s hard for every player to gain the recognition they deserve. Whether or not the players on this list graduate to stars of the game remains to be seen, but there are certainly worse lists to be on than baseball’s most underrated!
