Who is the most underrated/under-appreciated player in baseball?

[BigSlim16]

First of all, I want to say that this is not intended to be a pump and dump thread. This thread comes out of a discussion between a buddy and I. Who is the most underrated player in baseball, both in terms of the hobby and baseball itself?

His answer was Jose Ramirez. 3 top 5 MVP finishes, 3 time silver slugger, but yet might not be a household name outside of Cleveland.

I went with Paul Goldschmidt. .293 career AVG, 50.7 career WAR, 4 time gold glove, 4 time silver slugger, and (in my opinion) is a Hall of Fame player but yet doesn’t seem to get much love

Who do you guys think?

[pewe]

Trout

[towerymt]

Trea Turner comes to mind. JRam for sure.

[Robles Fan]

Marcus Semien

[Baseballdude]

Xander Bogaerts


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[scotthenrichs]

Michael Brantley

[Rage]

Trevor Story(not anymore) , Max Muncy

[BigSlim16]

Xander Bogaerts


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Good call. Bogaerts is so underrated that I completely forgot of him when I was trying to think of underrated players lol

[bywayofvintage]

Nolan Arenado

[Homerun]

Yoan Moncada

[LCM1223]

Muncy

[mgariepy14]

Ozzie Albies

[jduds]

All of these are good. I'd go with Trea Turner, Manny Machado, and Goldschmidt.

[VandyCards]

Tony Kemp


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[DaryanLenz]

Manny Machado.

[pete2345]

Pujols

[speedyjg13]

Matt Chapman

[brownbear299]

Gotta be Goldschmidt for me, but Starling Marte instantly comes to mind

[ThoseBackPages]

George Brett

[SupermanBrandon]

Barry Bonds


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[Jblaw1]

George Brett

Boom.

[LVDan]

DeGrom
If pitching


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[RookiesInTheRaw]

Ketel Marte & Starling Marte

[brios8]

Ozzie Albies

:)!:)!:)!:)!:)!

[oplum29]

Dansby Swanson

outside of Acuna, he's probably my favorite player. he's just a blue collar, worker bee. he doesn't complain, does his job, and then goes home. he not only made the final out in the NLCS and the WS, but he also had that big 2-run homer that gave us a 5-0 lead.

that trade bringing him over from Arizona, bringing in a good dude like him, and a sure glove, really kick started the championship movement to me. we already had Freddie at 1st, but no teams win without a good SS, and he's good.

:)!

[jcmel323]

arenado

[rwperu34]

Joey Gallo.

[lemmer]

Put me down for Goldschmidt. I’m a Giants fan so I saw enough of him in the NL West to have a healthy respect for him, but I don’t think the market or even media is on to how good he is.

[Giants1964]

I would also go with P. Goldschmidt but throw in J. Votto as he seems to be forgotten at the tail end of his career

[ngaynanggm34289]

First of all, I want to say that this is not intended to be a pump and dump thread. This thread comes out of a discussion between a buddy and I. Who is the most underrated player in baseball, both in terms of the hobby and baseball itself?



His answer was Jose Ramirez. 3 top 5 MVP finishes, 3 time silver slugger, but yet might not be a household name outside of Cleveland.



I went with Paul Goldschmidt. .293 career AVG, 50.7 career WAR, 4 time gold glove, 4 time silver slugger, and (in my opinion) is a Hall of Fame player but yet doesn’t seem to get much love



Who do you guys think?Ron santo is the most underrated

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[griffan15]

Bryan Reynolds is my pick for most underrated.

[JrFinest]

Ozzie Albies

[chilly55]

Trea Turner is my pick. .300 career hitter, averaging 30 steals a season and a career slugging around .500. Pretty good fielder too, ranks 68 All-Time at shortstop.

[theshowandme]

For a while it was Freddie Freeman

[bankdawg]

matt olson

[AnthonyCorona]

Julio Rodriguez


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[Andrew1969]

Cedric Mullins

[KhalDrogo]

Hobby? Juan Soto.

Baseball? Trea Turner.

[StateEx]

Turner.

I think Goldschmidt might be the modern Mark Grace. Not a ding, by any stretch.

[tconte]

Bryce Harper

[pewe]

If my favorite players don’t make the list, is that a good or a bad sign??? :D


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[DontToewsMeBro]

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge

No one ever writes anything about them

:D

[DaryanLenz]

A couple more…

Cedric Mullins
Chris Davis…underrated by the sheer fact that we didn’t realize sooner just how horrid he truly was.

[Swipe79]

Zack Greinke

[Swipe79]

That's a good pick.

Bryan Reynolds is my pick for most underrated.

[doowopbruce]

My man Austin Meadows. No one gives a hoot about him.

[JayEvans813]

Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts are my picks.

[towerymt]

My man Austin Meadows. No one gives a hoot about him.
His recent work against lefties has him at risk of being platooned. I wanted him to be a thing....but he may lose ABs. Definitely not underrated.

[BostonNut]

Dick Pole or Rusty Kuntz.

Seriously...look up their stats.

[Alwayslefty]

JRam is hard to argue against. Machado would be on my list, but most people still consider him a immensely talented star player. Whit merrifield comes to mind. Josh Hader comes to mind. But my most under rated is Teoscar Hernandez.

[bloodwings19]

Robinson Cano

If he wasn't injured, suspended and failed drug tests. He could of achieved:

Member 3000 Hits Club
All-Time leader in HR as 2nd Baseman.

[NYRE2PECT]

Jose Ramirez, Teoscar, and Goldy - all mentioned previously.

[eephuspitch]

Underrated? Bo Bichette

Underappreciated? Mike Trout

[splitrockgamer]

Arenado IMO, no one like defense and if you're not fast people tend to underrate you.

I could get on the Muncy wagon too.

So many to pick from an injury standpoint, but I feel Like Bo is a bit underrated but could really see some love this year especially if the Jays can be strong.

[BigSlim16]

Underrated? Bo Bichette

Underappreciated? Mike Trout

What's interesting about Bo is that he's 4th in preseason 2022 AL MVP odds (+1600) behind only Vladdy, Trout, and Ohtani, so for whatever reason it seems like oddsmakers value him as an elite SS more than people in the hobby and the baseball media in general do

[eephuspitch]

What's interesting about Bo is that he's 4th in preseason 2022 AL MVP odds (+1600) behind only Vladdy, Trout, and Ohtani, so for whatever reason it seems like oddsmakers value him as an elite SS more than people in the hobby and the baseball media in general do

He and Kyle Tucker are unique in this regard in my view. When I talk to a few MLB players and scout personnel that I know, they praise these two guys are some of the best upstarts in the game...but little to no hobby love.

[Natenator76]

Underrated? Bo Bichette

Underappreciated? Mike Trout

I just.came here to say Bo before seeing your post. I know I'm a homer and see a lot of bo as a jays fan but he doesn't seem to get the attention he would get in another market given the numbers he puts up. Partly due to being overshadowed by Vladdy.

[SupermanBrandon]

Bo would be a tier 1 hobby darling if he didnt play in Toronto and on the same team as Vladdy. The hobby has to push Vlad due to all of the early hype and now success. Bo is just picking up crumbs, currently.

[MoreToppsPlease]

Whomever the player is, he’s a pitcher.

[cjraleigh]

Whomever the player is, he’s a pitcher.


Correct. One guy in particular. Rhymes with Talker Dueller.

[jjcan]

Miguel Cabrera, if he was a Yankee with a triple Crown, he would have a statue. Well he is close to 3000 this year

[rms13]

Manny Machado.


Machado is a weird one to me. I remember he had a lot of hype when he came up. He was 19 years old and took to year 4 for him to get going so I have this idea in my head of him being a bit of bust in comparison to the original hype. But he has been consistently very good with bat and glove since 2015. Doesn’t help that he was on bad Baltimore teams and now he’s Tatis’ sidekick

[wood minis]

Teoscar for me too.

[ksemmel]

Bichette. easily. Had 3 VERY good years but gets overshadowed by Vlad and being in Canada...

[no10pin]

Robinson Cano

If he wasn't injured, suspended and failed drug tests. He could of achieved:

Member 3000 Hits Club
All-Time leader in HR as 2nd Baseman.

So if he could stay healthy and hadn't cheated multiple times, he might have hit some career milestones?

I wouldn't call that underrated.

[LVDan]

At this point with most attention being youth-centric it could be Z Wheeler.


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[PKIPP]

Miguel Cabrera, if he was a Yankee with a triple Crown, he would have a statue. Well he is close to 3000 this year


Came here to mention him. Not so much as underrated or under appreciated by the baseball community and the hobby, but under appreciated by the casual sports fan in general. In Latin America this guy is an icon. In Venezuela he’s a God.


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[mikejones]

Orel Hershiser and Nomar Garciaparra.

[doowopbruce]

His recent work against lefties has him at risk of being platooned. I wanted him to be a thing....but he may lose ABs. Definitely not underrated.

Really? Wanna buy any of his cards?

[mikejones]

.....if only nomar could have played 20 seasons.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220321/2681328c1dac176878c2835b0ad15612.jpg

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[supercollector2]

Baseball overall seems under-appreciated, there's so many good answers.

Trout is under-appreciated.

But when you look at everyone not named Trout, Soto, or Ohtani, they are all under-appreciated

[rms13]

.....if only nomar could have played 20 seasons.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220321/2681328c1dac176878c2835b0ad15612.jpg

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Speaking as a Red Sox fan, the big negative on Nomar is that they had to get rid of him to win.

[DMCSports]

Whit Merrifield

[Tom Oates]

Funky Muncy , Pencil the dude in for 35 HR and 90ish RBI. I know he got a late start but the dude is a professional hitter.

[JRamIsTheKing]

You can tell who I would choose for a current player! Though I will echo those who mentioned Goldy and Merrifield.

But historically, I would say Stan Musial. He just doesn't seem to be on par with the others in his rarefied air - top 10 all time WAR. Maybe because he didn't make in into some important sets in the 50's, but it is odd to me.

[ScooterD]

Whit Merrifield

Thank you - this is my pick. If you were in the game around 2003, Whit may give you a Grady Sizemore feel. His production on a contender would not go unnoticed

[Biohazarddfl]

Ozzie AlbiesMy pick as well. Given his age, I'd say he is underappreciated by the hobby.

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[Supreme808]

Trea Turner. It’s crazy how under appreciated he is.

[LCM1223]

Trea Turner. It’s crazy how under appreciated he is.

Also, he doesn’t age. He’s looked 17 for 6 years

[123precision]

Robin Yount
Adrian Beltre
Clayton Kershaw

[pewe]

I looked this up for another reason last night, and it was fascinating: who have been the most valuable position players in the AL over the last three years?

I bet few of these names would be identified if you asked the average member of BO:

1. Simien
2. Xander
3. JoRam
4. Trout
5. Moncada
6. Bregman
7. Devers
8. Judge
9. Chapman
10. Springer

Essentially what this list proves to me?

Most great players are under appreciated (how many on that list are truely loved by the hobby?)

Most players loved by the hobby are overrated


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[Robles Fan]

I looked this up for another reason last night, and it was fascinating: who have been the most valuable position players in the AL over the last three years?

I bet few of these names would be identified if you asked the average member of BO:

1. Simeon
2. Xander
3. JoRam
4. Trout
5. Moncada
6. Bregman
7. Devers
8. Judge
9. Chapman
10. Springer

Essentially what this list proves to me?

Most great players are under appreciated (how many on that list are truely loved by the hobby?)

Most players loved by the hobby are overrated


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I've mentioned Semien earlier on. In fact, it seems he's so under appreciated that unlike the other guys mentioned he doesn't appear to even have his own thread on here.

[2010GBPackers]

Going off of current players only:

Pujols - His 11-year run (2001-11) may be the best 11-year run of all-time. Go look at his numbers from those years (including 2 WS rings), then look at Trout's great 8-year run. Respect.

Kershaw - Every year people think he's washed up and every year he gets up off the mat. During his 14-year stretch (2009-current), he has more sub-2.00ERA years (3) than 3.00+ ERA years (2).

[LCM1223]

Is the answer still Jose Ramirez

[StateEx]

Is the answer still Jose Ramirez

I change my vote to Ramirez. Never really watched him until this year. All he does is hit.

[Stifle]

During the regular season- S. Marte, Best High leverage hitter since 2019. Does everything well except keep healthy but there are others who struggle with that.

Post Season - what Randy Arozarena has been - insanely GREAT. His numbers are amazing.

[BSG]

Underrated: Teoscar Hernandez

[beavers]

I change my vote to Ramirez. Never really watched him until this year. All he does is hit.

If straw and Kwan keep getting on base like they have he could have some gaudy RBI numbers this year

[pewe]

Is the answer still Jose Ramirez


It was always Trout


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[ejharrington]

Xander Boegerts

[brios8]

YASIEL PUIG under appreciated

[LCM1223]

It was always Trout


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Idk. I feel he’s just appreciated. Like sure there could be more hooplah given that we’re witnessing an all time legend in front of our eyes. But at the same time, we still do recognize that we’re witnessing an all time legend in front of our eyes. If that makes senses.

Not over- nor under-appreciated

[pewe]

Idk. I feel he’s just appreciated. Like sure there could be more hooplah given that we’re witnessing an all time legend in front of our eyes. But at the same time, we still do recognize that we’re witnessing an all time legend in front of our eyes. If that makes senses.

Not over- nor under-appreciated


Even by trout’s standards, his current year has been astonishingly good thus far… and I see very little celebration of it on BO

It’s like everyone is numb to Trout at this point :doh:

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/amid-fits-and-starts-mike-trout-might-be-getting-better-at-something/


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[rogueriver]

Fred McGriff
Eddie Murray
George Brett
Tony Gwynn

[Stifle]

Miguel Cabrera, if he was a Yankee with a triple Crown, he would have a statue. Well he is close to 3000 this year

How dominate was / is Miggy -
Even from 2019-current Fangraphs has him listed 2nd in MLB in both High Leverage and RISP with I forgot how many PA.

Fangraphs in OPS in MLB with :

Runners on Base (100 PA) : 2006 - 17th, 2007 - 5th, 2010 - 10th, 2011 - 1st, 2012 - 13th, 2013 - 1st, 2014 - 15th, 2015 - 1st.
Miggy in the 3 years he was first would have finished first with only 18 PA in all 3 years which is unheard of.

RISP (40 PA) : 2006 - 9th, 2007 - 9th, 2011 - 2nd, 2013 - 1st, 2015 - 7th.

RISP W/2 outs (30 PA) : 2011 - 3rd, 2012 - 1st, 2013 - 1st, 2014 - 7th. It is so hard just to be in the top 15 in any of these categories.

I place Albert and Miggy as best two hitters in Y2K era. Trout had a 3 year run in which he was incredible in RISP and High Leverage 2014-2016.