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. He also stole 321 bases in his career. Over the next four seasons, Giles would be named to two All-Star teams while posting an average season of .309/.426/.604 with 37 HR, 106 RBI and 10 stolen bases. But he was also a part of one of the best defensive infields of all time during his time with the Mets in the late 90s. He slugged 32 home runs, 43 doubles and 94 RBI. 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: . Mickey Mantle. Career Stats: 2,213 G; .290/.377/.376; 54 HR; 578 RBI; 2,375 H; 1,359 R; 558-for-815 SB. 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. Thats why we wanted to help rectify the situation by coming up with a list of the most underrated baseball players of all time. Career Stats: 1,311 G; .280/.345/.355; 35 HR; 392 RBI; 123-for-168 SB. 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. Guerrero, Alonso, Olson, Freeman, and Goldschmidt all sit in the top 35 and are well deserving of those rankings. For one, he's coming off an injury. 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. 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. Teams:Kansas City Athletics, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Stats:2,019 games, .254 BA, 242 HR, 1,039 RBI, .353 OBP, .408 SLG, World Series titles:3 (1972, 1973, 1974). He'd accomplish the feat three more times over the course of his career. On other teams. He posted a .994 fielding percentage in 1989, committing only five errors in more than 850 chances. He was a four-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time All-Star. 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. When 22-year-old Bert Campaneris made his major league debut in 1964, he took Twins starter Jim Kaat deep in his first major league at-bat. A few even deserved a Cy Young Award or should be in the Hall of Fame. Our ranking of the 100 greatest MLB players of all time comes down to the top 25. A two-time All-Star, White became one of the most popular Yankees during the 1970s with his no-nonsense style of play and remains a fan favorite to this day. He once had a season with just three errors, which is also a record among shortstops. Sievers has the "honor" of being the first man with 300 lifetime home runs not to be elected to baseballs Hall of Fame. Participating in the MLB at the same time as legendary pitcher Jack Morris probably fuels the fact that he is so underrated. All-Time Stats. It makes no sense that a player with that resume isnt in the Hall of Fame. For the most part, baseball fans only know the name Tommy John because of the surgery thats named after him. 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. He was also a four-time all-star who fell just short of 400 home runs and 1,200 RBIs in his career. Stats:1,676 games, .304 BA, 220 HR, 947 RBI, .353 OBP, .476 SLG. A two-time MVP, Garvey also was a 10-time All-Star. Think about that for a moment as you contemplate some of the more underrated players. Another inductee to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Stieb is one of the most underrated MLB players of all time. He wasnt a natural talent, although he used his intelligence and instincts to become one of the best shortstops in baseball throughout the 90s. 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. His average of 2.45 bWAR/season is "best" among active qualifiers. Now that our list of the top 100 MLB players of all time has been revealed, it's time to have some fun. Go ask the Los Angeles Dodgers if they thought Nettles was unappreciated or underrated in Game 3 of the 1978 World Series. Career Stats: 1,350 G; .300/.359/.522; 242 HR; 898 RBI; 1,550 H; 809 R; SB Data Not Known. Then again, you have to remember that he really had two careers 12 to start his career and then 14 with a brand new arm after being the first person to have the eponymous "Tommy John surgery. Yogi Berra is one of the greatest winners in the history of the MLB. 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. Photo: Paul Popper. 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. By contrast, when Babe Ruth died . 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. I'd say Mike Trout is underrated. An MVP, Parker was a seven-time All-Star and two-time World Series champ. 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. 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. 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 . Big-time. Career Stats: 2,488 G; .267/.322/.357; 101 HR; 950 RBI; 2,326 H; 993 R; 321-for-430 SB. Other than dramatic power, Olerud was as solid as they come. Otis knew better, and he and Hodges clashed until the day that the Mets traded Otis to the Royals prior to the 1970 season. Amazingly enough, Ryne Sandberg took home Gold Glove honors. 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. One of the more versatile players of his time. Career Stats: 1,190 G; .256/.346/.317; 14 HR; 254 RBI; 821 H; 339 R; 35-for-68 SB. Omar Vizquel might be the poster boy for how little the Hall of Fame values defense, which is why hes among the most underrated MLB players of all time. Olerud spent the early part of his career in Toronto, becoming a key piece of the Blue Jays winning back-to-back World Series. Choke artist. Bottom line: Tommy John is sometimes referred to as an "accumulator." The five-time All-Star still ranks in Kansas Citys top five in every offensive career category except batting average. Conine wasn't about gaudy numbershe was simply consistent. How can someone who has a losing record over the course of his career be considered underrated? From 1976 to 1978, when the Yankees went to the World Series for three consecutive years and won two, Nettles hit 96 home runs and drove in 293 runs a key cog, to be sure. 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. Ken Williams- A forgotten power speed threat of his time. Favorite players: Ted Williams, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial. Here is a look at the most underrated soccer players of all time. Bottom line: What do baseball critics have against Dick Allen? So when will the Veterans Committee consider Evans? It's kind of tough to think that anything Harrison Ford has done is underrated, isn't it? His ability to play anywhere and everywhere on the field made him one of the more valuable players that Whitey Herzog ever had at his disposal. Career Stats: 1,881 G; .271/.360/.404; 160 HR; 758 RBI; 1,803 H; 964 R; 233-for-350 SB. A six-time All-Star and one of the most important pieces on the A's teams that won three consecutive World Series championships from 1972 through 1974, Campaneris was one of the great stolen base artists of his era, leading the league in steals six times. White was also one of the two runs that scored on Dave Winfield's 11th-inning-double in Game 6 of that series, the hit that eventually won the championship for Toronto. Teams:Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Stats:1,988 games, .313 BA, 383 HR, 1,311 RBI, .400 OBP, .565 SLG. He has two 20/20 seasons on his resume and fell three home runs short of adding three more to his collection. "Thinking about our own team where we're at, and where we've been so far I'd say Dylan Cease. Yogi Berra. The Greatest Relief Pitchers of All Time. Free Agent Grades. Unfortunately, Luis Tiant hasnt been awarded passage to Cooperstown just yet. 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 . 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. On July 17, 1941, the Indians were playing the New York Yankees. He also had two no-hitters as a member of the Red Sox withthe first coming in 1916 against theSt. Louis Brownsand the second in 1918 against theDetroit Tigers. Part of the excellent Baltimore Orioles teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Don Buford was a relatively unknown leadoff hitter who holds the record for grounding into the fewest double plays per at-bat than anyone else, one every 138 at-bats. Bottom line: Drafted by the Boston Red Sox, Amos Otis played his first two pro seasons with the New York Mets and his last with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Babe Ruth. Honus Wagner is known as one of the all-time greats. 09-28-2010, 09:33 PM. He went to the postseason 11 times, which is why hes the all-time leader in postseason stolen bases. #1 of 219. After going without a hit in the first two games of the series, he went on a tear. World Series Champion (went to the World Series 4X as one of the main cogs that got them there). 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. Granted, he was only a .256 hitter with 14 career home runs. But Garvey also has a .294 career average and won four straight Gold Gloves during his prime. Nettles is just one example of a bevy of Major League Baseball players who had outstanding careers but were considered underrated, especially, in retrospect, when they did not make the Hall of Fame, baseballs unofficial arbiter of separating transcendent careers from "merely" great ones. 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. White made ridiculous catches in the outfield look routine while hitting for power and flashing excellent speed when he got on base. 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. Known as a slugger, Allen had a good OBP and finished his career with a .292 batting average. The shortstop crop is golden, and third base ain't so bad, either. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. A two-time All-Star, Wynn led the National League in walks twice over the course of his career and hit 20 or more home runs on eight different occasions. Of his 184 home runs, only 50 came at the Astrodome. Pedro had a better ERA than all of them, same with winnign %. 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 . As the Yankees came back to prominence in 1976, White continued to excel on a team loaded with stars. Career Stats: 1,514 G; .271/.347/.350; 28 HR; 574 RBI; 1,450 H; 676 R; 188-for-252 SB. Career Stats: 1,720 G; .261/.328/.406; 176 HR; 729 RBI; 1,623 H; 798 R; 80-for-131 SB. 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. Dwight Evans was an anomaly he produced far better in his 30s than when he first came up in his 20s. Career Stats: 331 G (273 GS); 139-113; 2.76 ERA; 1.23 WHIP; 2,192 IP; 2,092 H, 1.75 K/BB. In my opinion, Todd Helton might be the most underrated player between 2000-2009. Bryan Zarpentine is a freelance writer and editor with most of his work focusing on the world of sports. 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. He played over a decade in the big leagues, winning 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row at one point. 10 Most Underrated MLB Players of All Time. But Wagner excelled at just about everything else. 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. Ronald Koeman of the Netherlands lines up before the UEFA Euro 88 Group 2 match between England and the Netherlands at the Rheinstadion on June 15, 1988 in Dsseldorf, West Germany. He was also named MVP of the 1980 American League Championship Series when he hit .545 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored as the Royals swept the Yankees in three games. Even late in his career, Vizquel was among the best defensive shortstops in the majors. Career Stats: 1,197 G; .273/.347/.452; 166 HR; 674 RBI; 128-for-189 SB. 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. Moreover, he was one of the best if not the best defensive center fielders of his time. Career Stats: 2,324 G; .255/.293/.383; 160 HR; 886 RBI; 2,006 H; 912 R; 178-for-261 SB. 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