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. But he was best known for his 14 seasons with the Royals. 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. #34 of 255. 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. 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. 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. Pujols' Career Accomplishments are Astounding. He would make two All-Star teams as a member of the Twins and lead the American League in RBI with 119 in 1977. As the Yankees came back to prominence in 1976, White continued to excel on a team loaded with stars. A five-time All-Star, White was one of the smoothest fielding second baseman of his era, winning eight Gold Glove Awards. 2,143: 3.24: Movies: May 30, 2010: VH-1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock bands. Career Stats: 2,202 G; .276/.373/.351; 54 HR; 687 RBI; 2,210 H; 1,239 R; 271-for-365 SB. He'd hit another home run off of Kaat in the seventh inning, becoming only the second player in baseball history, at that time, to hit two home runs in his first game. 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. 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. Here are the ten most underrated players in Major League Baseball. Believe it or not, the Big 12 has star power. 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. Social Media: @fuzzyfromytBusiness: fuzzy@iconagency.ggUse code FUZZY on Seatgeek for $20 o. 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. 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. Maybe they didn't make the Hall of Fame, but these players had great careers. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. Scott Rolens struggle to get into the Hall of Fame is disappointing to see and proof that hes one of the most underrated MLB players of his generation. Career Stats: 2,583 G; .271/.332/.442; 304 HR; 1,167 RBI; 2,548 H; 1,443 R; 320-for-438 SB. Bottom line: Steve Garvey was the face of some outstanding Dodger teams, leading Los Angeles to 1974, 1977, 1978 and 1981 World Series appearances, and San Diego to a berth in the 1984 Series. Bottom line:When Graig Nettles retired in 1988, he had hit the most home runs of any third baseman in the American League. 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. Career: 17 seasons (1996-2012) Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds Career Stats: 1,919 G; .291/.319/.391; 57 HR; 941 RBI; 2,158 H; 980 R; 363-for-400 SB*. Playing the bulk of his career with the Cardinals, White was a five-time All-Star, a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner at first base and one of only a handful of players to hit over .300 and drive in 100 runs in three consecutive seasons. 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. A rare blend of both power and speed. 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. Career Stats: 399 G (393 GS); 158-152; 3.17 ERA; 1.23 WHIP; 2,837 IP; 2,619 H; 1.85 K/BB. He won eight Gold Gloves, including six in a row during his time with the Cardinals. Career Stats: 1,392 G; .267/.333/.429; 153 HR; 610 RBI; 1,254 H; 603 R; 39-for-77 SB. 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. His statistics might not scream offensive domination, but he was one of the great clutch hitters of his time. While phenoms came, collected their MVP trophies, and faded, he just kept plodding along hitting .300, with a couple dozen homers and a hundred "ribbies" year after yearlike a guy punching a time clock. Olerud fired the ball to Blue Jays' third baseman Kelly Gruber who clipped the heel of Sanders' foot for what should have been the second triple play in World Series history. 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. A first-time All-Star in 2016, Quintana threw at least 200 innings every year . Bottom line: Luis Tiant was a dominant pitcher. A five-time All-Star, Cash was the 1961 batting champion with a .361 average. Conine wasn't about gaudy numbershe was simply consistent. Career Stats: 1,350 G; .300/.359/.522; 242 HR; 898 RBI; 1,550 H; 809 R; SB Data Not Known. Unfortunately, Kevin Brown is mostly remembered for being the first MLB player to sign a contract worth nine figures and never being able to live up to that contract. Hit: 60 - Robert Hassell III Power: 60 - Elijah Green (James Wood, Brady House, TJ White) However, it seems absurd that Carter had to wait six years on the ballot from . 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. Interestingly enough, Finley could have had multiple 20/20 and 30/30 seasons, but the speed that he exhibited early in his career wasn't quite the same when his power finally developed. Without question, the highlight of Abbott's career came on Sept. 4, 1993 when he threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium, walking five while striking out three. 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. The 1982 Topps football set has a solid mix of rookie and veteran players. Not complicated. John was a four-time all-star, three of those selections coming post-surgery. Cash was a highly regarded defensive first basemen as well, leading the league in putouts (in 1961), fielding percentage (1964, 1967) and assists (196567). Morris never made an All-Star team and never achieved superstar status; he was simply consistent and reliable, and that doesn't ever wind up having a spotlight shone on it. Vizquel didnt. Career Stats: 2,213 G; .290/.377/.376; 54 HR; 578 RBI; 2,375 H; 1,359 R; 558-for-815 SB. Heres our look at the game's most underrated players of all time. But there are plenty of reasons why former St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog referred to Oquendo as the secret weapon.. Dallas Keuchel, Chicago White Sox. 320 batting average with a .370 OBP. But he was a big-time contributor and a fine defensive player on three world champions. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. 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 most dynamic MLB players seem to always possess the same unique skill set. For his career, he drew 1,243 walks while striking out only 675 times. 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. He also led the National League in RBIs five times and stolen bases. 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. 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. How can someone who has a losing record over the course of his career be considered underrated? So a Top 10 list at the hot corner is a source of hot debate. His 272 career home runs dont stack up too well against other top-flight first basemen in baseball history. White made ridiculous catches in the outfield look routine while hitting for power and flashing excellent speed when he got on base. Concepcion was rounding the bases after hitting a home run and crossed home plate roughly four seconds after Watson. Career Stats: 2,084 G; .290/.351/.454; 191 HR; 1,097 RBI; 2,091 H; 940 R; 109 -for-185 SB. The Bucs are a young team that is trying to take that step forward, much like the 2011 and 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates teams. 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. They'd go on to win 20 of their next 23 games and the World Series as well. Other than dramatic power, Olerud was as solid as they come. Career Stats: 1,720 G; .261/.328/.406; 176 HR; 729 RBI; 1,623 H; 798 R; 80-for-131 SB. Free Agent Grades. Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. An eight-time All-Star, Robert "Indian Bob" Johnson spent 10 of his 13 major league seasons patrolling left field for thePhiladelphia As and was a consistent performer year-after-year, but most people have never heard of him. He also stole 321 bases in his career. Which teams should target Saquon Barkley in 2023 free agency? Its crazy to think that Jeff Reardon is nowhere near the Hall of Fame after the type of career he had. 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. Immokalee is the farming center along Florida's Paradise Coast. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 25: Vinnie Pasquantino #9 of the Kansas City Royals bats against the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. 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. Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates. 2008: .279, 103 R (18th in MLB), 36 taters (9th, in the best pitcher's park in the L), 119 RBI (8th), all while batting in a lineup where the next best hitter was Kevin Kouzmanoff. He would spend nine seasons with the Brewers, making three All-Star teams and leading the American League in home runs with 41 in 1980. But he was a good pitcher both before and after he had the surgery that bears his name. 5h Jamal Collier. He was a four-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time All-Star. 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. Jim Fregosi became the face of the Angels franchiseand its most popular playerduring the 1960s and early 1970s. DeCinces wouldn't have the same kind of memorable moments with the Angels as he did with the Orioles, but he was a solid contributor to the Angels success nonetheless. He won a Gold Glove in 1986 and was a two-time All-Star. 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. Jim Edmonds was far from the most talented player of his generation, but he got everything he could out of the talent he had. A switch-hitting left fielder who spent his entire career with the Yankees, Roy White was an excellent defensive outfielder who led all American League left fielders in fielding percentage from 1968 through the 1971 season. #12. Career Stats: 2,243 G; .277/.362/.464; 342 HR; 1,331 RBI; 35-for-76 SB. Upon his trade to the Cardinals in 1985, Oquendo faced a bit of a problemthe Cardinals were already set at shortstop with Ozzie Smith. Stats:2,606 games, .272 BA, 385 HR, 1,385 RBI, .370 OBP, .470 SLG. He slugged 32 home runs, 43 doubles and 94 RBI. 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. Dave Stieb. 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. Much like the Orioles are doing in 2012, the 1979 team made a habit of posting late-game comebacks en route to taking home the American League pennant. The great game of baseball. 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. Throw in four seasons of at least 100 RBI, and you've got yourself a pretty complete player. That sounds like a player who should be in contention for the Mount Rushmore of baseball. Somewhat poetically, he finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits. In 1939, Doerrbegan a string of 12 consecutive seasons with 10 or more home runs and 73 or more runs batted in; in 1940 the Red Sox became the 12th team in major league history to have four players wiith 100 RBI as Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Joe Cronin and Doerr each collected at least 105. Lou Gehrig Sounds crazy at first but he really is underrated RELATIVE to where he SHOULD be all time. 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