Top 10 Most Underrated Major League Baseball Players

Underrated. Players like Alex Rodriguez, Jason Heyward, and Stephen Strasburg have never really known that assignation.

Yet as highly touted as any one player may be, there are just as many, if not more, that prove better in the long run.

Just ask Dustin Pedroia and his five and a half foot frame.

Underrated is a fantasy baseball player's dream.

Finding that diamond in the rough that others have discarded makes one's draft.

It's the same for real General Managers.

The joy of watching that first round pick fall apart while your supplemental pick flourishes.

Must be amazing.

In any case, I've taken it upon myself to rank the top 10 most underrated players in Major League Baseball.

Some are old, some are young.

All deserve more respect.

10. The Los Angeles Angels’ Kendry Morales

You’re thinking: yeah, right. Underrated?

You must be from Anaheim.

When Kendry Morales took over first base from Mark Teixeira at the start of 2009, it seemed as though a great hole had opened up in the Angels’ lineup.

Morales quickly filled that hole and silenced his doubters with a .306 average, 34 homeruns, and 108 RBIs in his first full year as a regular in the Angels’ starting squad.

Oddly enough, many still fear Morales to be a one-hit wonder, even though he’s already off to a fine start with 6 homers and a .315 average.

At the same time, as much as Angels fans know and love Morales, you’ll rarely find him in a discussion of the most valuable first basemen around the bigs.

Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Mark Teixeira, Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez.

Kendry Morales should be right there with them.

In fact, thus far this year, Morales ranks ahead of Howard, Fielder, and Teixeira in sabermetric value.

Enough fans know he’s good, but few know how good. Therefore, Kendry Morales is my No. 10 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

9. The New York Mets’ Mike Pelfrey

Career Line: 32-33 / 4.46 ERA / 1.48 WHIP
2010 Line: 4-1 / 2.40 ERA / 1.33 WHIP

Mike Pelfrey is not a name that injects fear into a batter’s veins, and it’s not a name that even vaguely rings a bell for most baseball “fans.”

Like so many of MLB’s most underrated players, Pelfrey is maligned by some early-career struggles and is overshadowed by much more brand-name pitchers in the same rotation.

Johan Santana. Pedro Martinez. Tough names to follow. Who shows up for that game when they can see Santana pitch two days earlier on fireworks night?

Without much fanfare, Pelfrey is developing into a fully fledged big-league pitcher, and his 2010 has thus far been nothing short of shocking.

Still, you don’t make it this far without talent. Mike Pelfrey is my No. 9 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

8. The Seattle Mariners’ Franklin Gutierrez

Still only 27, Franklin Gutierrez is essentially the upstart pride of the new Seattle organization. Only, virtually nobody believes he’s for real.

With a career UZR of 63.5 in only 461 games, Gutierrez has long been known for his defensive prowess.

They call him “Death to Flying Things.”

Again, nobody really thinks highly of you if you’re “only” a great defender.

Offensively, Gutierrez’ career is all uphill with huge upside.

In 2008, Gutierrez batted .248/.307/.383. In 2009, he raised that line to .283/.339/.425. In 2010, Gutierrez is on pace to hit .319/.369/.468.

Notice a pattern? You’re among the few, the proud, the Gutierrez fans.

Thus, Franklin Gutierrez is my Number 8 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

7. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Kelly Johnson

Non-tendered by the Atlanta Braves on December 12, 2009, the once first-round draft pick Kelly Johnson now has more home runs this year than during the entire 2009 campaign.

Batting .310 with nine homers and a 1.130 OPS, Johnson has definitely made his old club pay first for not starting him full time in Atlanta and second for showing him the door in such an offensive way as non-tendering him.

Johnson deserved to have been traded at least.

Good job Atlanta.

Great call Arizona.

While some fans in Georgia may bemoan Johnson’s departure, most casual fans don’t know many second basemen beyond Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley, and Ian Kinsler.

That’s why Kelly Johnson is my No. 7 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

6. The Washington Nationals’ Ivan Rodriguez

Washington’s 38-year-old backstop may be technically over the hill, but the former All-Star still has plenty of pop in his bat, and 13 Gold Gloves don’t rust over night.

When the Texas Rangers offered Rodriguez salary arbitration, they surely thought their strong catching depth—Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden—would carry them into 2010 and beyond.

Now, as the injury-riddled Rangers find themselves employing Matt Treanor and Max Ramirez, the Nationals are enjoying the fruits of their low-risk, high-reward acquisition of Ivan Rodriguez.

Certainly many other teams wish they had invested the paltry $6 million it took to acquire Rodriguez, who not only can throw out base stealers—Boston?—but is also hitting .400 with a 938 OPS.

Not too washed up for Washington, Ivan Rodriguez is my No. 6 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

5. The San Francisco Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez

Career Line: 23-31 / 4.65 ERA / 1.43 WHIP
2010 Line: 2-1 / 1.85 ERA / 1.11 WHIP

After dealing a no-hitter last July, San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez should have vaulted himself into a more permanent limelight. That’s difficult when you’re pitching behind Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Barry Zito.

Granted that Sanchez went on to an 8-12 record in 2009, but his record hides a steadily improving pitcher backed by a largely poor and streaky offense.

Sanchez’ hot start to 2010 isn’t an accident, and Giants fans should expect greater things from the 27-year-old southpaw.

Still, if you scan a few fantasy leagues, you’ll find Sanchez available in vast swaths of free-agent pools.

Fantasy players should know better, and that’s why Jonathan Sanchez is my No. 5 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

4. The Boston Red Sox’ Clay Buchholz

Career Line: 14-16 / 4.60 ERA / 1.47 WHIP
2010 Line: 2-2 / 2.19 ERA / 1.30 WHIP

Even many casual fans know the name as associated with trade rumors, but when will Clay Buchholz earn some respect?

After dealing a no hitter in 2007, Buchholz has often struggled to consistently dominate hitters as he’s capable.

Frequently mentioned in trade rumors for the likes of Johan Santana, Roy Halladay, and Adrian Gonzalez, Buchholz’ value to the Boston Red Sox has frequently involved him possibly leaving Beantown.

This year, as Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey have faltered mightily in the opening month, Buchholz value has become far more tangible than in fantastical pipe-dream trades.

While that triumvirate should be lights out on paper, Buchholz has been so on the playing field.

As a rising star and potential ace, Buchholz is far more valuable than Boston left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, but the Fenway faithful repeatedly poll as more willing to part with Buchholz than with the injured and defensively uncertain Ellsbury.

They don’t know what they have, and that’s why Clay Buchholz ranks as my Number 4 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

3. The Chicago Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano

Career Line: 106-70 / 3.56 ERA / 1.30 WHIP
2010 Line: 1-2 / 6.85 ERA / 1.79 WHIP

Everybody loves to trash Carlos Zambrano as the $90 million bust. Now in the third year of that “mammoth” deal, Zambrano finds himself relegated to the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen.

I simply don’t get it. 2007 saw the pre-contract Zambrano notch an 18-13 record with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.

During the 2008 and 2009 campaigns, Zambrano went 23-13 with 3.91 and 3.77 ERA’s, respectively.

Before being shunted to the bullpen a little over a week ago, Zambrano had essentially been rocked on Opening Day and then recovered to allow no more than three earned runs during each of his next three starts.

Why is this guy in the bullpen? Zambrano is in the baseball equivalent of a “timeout” because he doesn’t think the sky is falling when he gives up eight runs in an inning and a third on Opening Day.

It’s one start. Calling for Zambrano’s head in the first week of April, the Chicago fans are the real problem.

Zambrano is a better pitcher than his first start. His trip to the bullpen is a joke. The Chicago Cubs’ organization is a joke for demoting him.

Zambrano is my No. 3 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

2. The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brad Penny

Career Line: 108-84 / 4.09 ERA / 1.34 WHIP
2010 Line: 3-0 / 0.94 ERA / 0.98 WHIP

Following a disastrous attempt at the American League with the 2009 Boston Red Sox, Brad Penny was fortunate to land a spot in the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting rotation.

Considered by many to be washed up, Penny has been nothing short of magical for the Red Birds thus far in 2010.

Much like another Red Sox-Cardinals convert—Joel Pineiro—Penny has experienced a quiet resurgence in St. Louis.

In both cases, Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan should probably take most of the credit.

Overshadowed by the likes of 2009 Cy Young candidates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, Penny continues to surprise opponents and fans alike.

Still, most baseball fans are either clueless to Penny’s newfound dominance or believe it to be an early season flash in the pan.

However one views it, Brad Penny ranks as my No. 2 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.

1. The Boston Red Sox’ Tim Wakefield

Career Line: 189-163 / 4.34 ERA / 1.35 WHIP
2010 Line: 0-1 / 5.40 ERA / 1.52 WHIP

Since 1995 Tim Wakefield has been a remarkably affordable workhorse for the Boston Red Sox, who callously moved the veteran knuckleballer to the bullpen this week to make room for the now temporarily healthy Daisuke Matsuzaka.

While the Japanese import clearly possesses higher upside, Matsuzaka has been far from consistent and represents a much more significant risk for the troubled Red Sox rotation.

That said, this article isn’t about Matsuzaka’s faults. Rather, it’s about Tim Wakefield’s strengths.

A career 4.34 ERA is nothing to scoff at, particularly when one considers Wakefield’s longevity and affordability. The 43-year-old Wakefield will earn just $3.5 million this year.

Perhaps Matsuzaka’s $8 million salary and $50 million posting fee have something to do with his near-automatic promotion and Wakefield’s almost-unquestioned demotion.

While casual fans may recognize names like Josh Beckett and John Lackey, true fans know that Wakefield—loyal, diligent, self-sacrificing and reliable—has been just as valuable as anyone to the Boston Red Sox during their impressive first decade of the 21st century.

Wakefield is a baller, and my No. 1 most underrated player in Major League Baseball.