He swung a classic left-handed bat. On top of that, he was a great leader throughout his career, especially on the two teams that he helped lead to a World Series title. ", Teams:Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, Stats:573 games, 229-172, 3.30 ERA, 187 CG, 49 SHO, 6.2 K/9 IP. #12. Participating in the MLB at the same time as legendary pitcher Jack Morris probably fuels the fact that he is so underrated. The Baseball Hall of Fame was established in 1936 to honor the very best players in MLB, America's oldest organized sport. Five times he hit more than 30 home runs, twice he broke the 100 RBI barrier and eight times he hit more than 20 home runs and drove in at least 70 runs. He also was a Rookie of the Year award winner and seven-time All-Star. His average of 2.45 bWAR/season is "best" among active qualifiers. Hit: 60 - Robert Hassell III Power: 60 - Elijah Green (James Wood, Brady House, TJ White) . Had he spent the bulk of his career elsewhere, Watson is probably pushing 300 home runs, if not more. Yet somehow, Tim Salmon was never named to an All-Star team. Darrell Evans - Bill James called him the most underrated player in baseball history. Parker was one of the most balanced and versatile outfielders of his era. NL MVP. Twice a .300 hitter and with two 100 RBI seasons under his belt, Oglivie proved that power hitters don't necessarily come in physically imposing packages. 320 batting average with a .370 OBP. 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. World Series Champion (went to the World Series 4X as one of the main cogs that got them there). Frankly, thats the way it should be and it should be more than enough to keep him out of the Hall of Fame. Career Stats: 1,720 G; .261/.328/.406; 176 HR; 729 RBI; 1,623 H; 798 R; 80-for-131 SB. Bottom line: A great contributor to some very good Red Sox teams. The infamous Black Sox Scandal will forever be Shoeless Joe Jacksons claim to fame. Conine wasn't about gaudy numbershe was simply consistent. Career Stats: 2,213 G; .290/.377/.376; 54 HR; 578 RBI; 2,375 H; 1,359 R; 558-for-815 SB. Rolen won eight Gold Gloves during his career, including five in a row during his prime, making him one of the best defensive third basemen of all time. The hits are comparable. In addition to his longevity, Whitaker was Rookie of the Year in 1978, a five-time all-star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a four-time Silver Slugger. Career Stats: 1,919 G; .291/.319/.391; 57 HR; 941 RBI; 2,158 H; 980 R; 363-for-400 SB*. In 1920, at the age of 32, he batted .382 with an OPS of 1.033 before being suspended by MLB commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis for his role in throwing the World Series. Believe it or not, the Big 12 has star power. Over the course of his career, Concepcion was a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove winner. Players in parentheses have the same grade. As a second baseman, he has one of the highest fielding percentages in MLB history. He was vastly underrated in the way that he kept hitters off balance by changing speeds with his pitches. 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. Career Stats: 1,350 G; .300/.359/.522; 242 HR; 898 RBI; 1,550 H; 809 R; SB Data Not Known. The first Angel to hit for the cycle, Fregosi was not only the face of the franchise in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but he was regarded as the best hitting shortstop in the game during that span as well. His best year of 1922 is one of the most underrated seasons of all time. 25 Greatest Action Movies of All Time. He also won 11 consecutive Gold Gloves during his career. He wasnt a natural talent, although he used his intelligence and instincts to become one of the best shortstops in baseball throughout the 90s. For the next class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, were thinking Graig Nettles. Klopp calls for change at 'unstable' Liverpool. UZR: -7.3. Tigers' fans remember him fondly for his contributions during their march to the World Series championship in 1968. #5 of 149. A two-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove award winner, Finley was an integral part of the Diamondbacks team that won the 2001 World Series, batting .368/.478/.526 with one home run, two RBI and five runs scored. 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. 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. Free Agency Buzz. 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. Career Stats: 2,247 G; .260/.300/.320; 15 HR; 525 RBI; 2,191 H; 987 R; 318-for-423 SB. He won a batting title and an MVP with the Cardinals, and led the league in walks in 1986, the year he helped the Mets to a seven-game World Series title over the Red Sox. All-Time Stats. Our ranking of the 100 greatest MLB players of all time comes down to the top 25. Left unprotected by the Kansas City Royals in the 1993 expansion draft, the Florida Marlins took the talented youngster for their own. Money pitcher. Perhaps thats why hes easy to overlook, as only Cleveland fans got to know him. DeCinces took Tigers' reliever Dave Tobik deep into the night, leading the Orioles to a comeback 6-5 victory on what has been called "the night Oriole Magic was born." Keith Hernandez. Career Stats: 1,190 G; .256/.346/.317; 14 HR; 254 RBI; 821 H; 339 R; 35-for-68 SB. Olerud was one of the great contact hitters of his generation, batting .295 in his career, even if he didnt have the ideal power of a first baseman. 20 best players available via trade in the 2023 NFL offseason. He may not have been overly dominant with a 3.16 career ERA. 2,143: 3.24: Movies: May 30, 2010: VH-1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock bands. 2022 saw a host of TCU Horned Frogs and Kansas State Wildcats emerge as game changers. More than anything, he was also one of the most feared outfielders in the game because of his incredible arm, saving countless runs by turning would-be doubles and triples into outs. Most baseball fans know about Honus Wagners famously expensive baseball card but they dont know that much about him as a player. 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. If it wasnt for Ozzie Smith, he would have won more than just one Gold Glove and would be remembered far more than he is. 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. Lou Whitaker had a long and fruitful career that is often overlooked. In his 2021 breakout season with the Atlanta Braves, Riley had a batting average of .303, 107 RBIs and 33 home runs. Playing alongside future Hall of Famers like Paul Molitor and Robin Yount and solid pros in Sal Bando and Gordon Thomas, Money was selected to four All-Star games as part of the "Brew Crew" and set the major league record for consecutive games played at third base without committing an error, 86 games, in 1974. Otis knew better, and he and Hodges clashed until the day that the Mets traded Otis to the Royals prior to the 1970 season. Full of young stars from all over the world including twenty different countries. He played over a decade in the big leagues, winning 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row at one point. Jimmy Haslam net worth, business background & other teams: Who is the Bucks newest owner? 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 Stats: 1,865 G; .288/.362/.461; 223 HR; 1,247 RBI; 2,042 H; 1,094 R; 54-for-118 SB. More than 20,000 votes were cast to put together these rankings, from representatives from . After the 1973 season, he was traded to the Tigers. You've read the headline. His brilliance with the glove is easier to document than Ty Cobb's temper, Hack Wilson's drinking or Walter Johnson's fastball; it is all over the literature of the sport. Career Stats: 2,488 G; .267/.322/.357; 101 HR; 950 RBI; 2,326 H; 993 R; 321-for-430 SB. I grew up with Bill White, watching him team up with Phil Rizzuto on WPIX in New York to call Yankees games from the late '70s through the early '90s. 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 led American League third basemen four times inassists, five times indouble plays, and twice infielding percentage. Frankly, baseball history is filled with players who had unique skills or put the team over themselves, leaving them without the accolades they should have received. 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). Aside from a 2019 season where he was limited to just 129 games, Ramrez has finished below fourth in AL MVP voting just once since 2017. Now go take a look at his career stats. . 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. He also had a relatively short career. Those players are still undervalued today, and they were overlooked even more during Oquendos era. Not only does he already have the championship pedigree from 2019, but just like Lehkonen, he's as versatile as they come . 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