The Most Underpaid Athletes in Sports

The underpaid athlete is one of the most valuable commodities in sports.

Headlines teem with reports of overpaid players, from stars like Alex Rodriguez to benchwarmers like Ben Gordon. But there is a flip side: the player whose production drastically exceeds his paycheck.

Fans should cherish these outliers and admire them for as long as they can...until their prices shoot up on the open market.

Here is a list of the most underpaid athletes in sports.

20. Sean Weatherspoon, Linebacker

Sean Weatherspoon is a young, productive player who will only make $726,000 in salary for the 2012 season. He is also under low-salaried team control through 2014.

The former Missouri standout was the Atlanta Falcons' best player in 2011, posting 115 tackles and controlling the middle of the field with his speed and take-down ability.

19. R.A. Dickey, Pitcher

R.A. Dickey, the aging Mets knuckleballer, has enjoyed a killer season for the New York Mets in 2012.

This year, Dickey is 15-3 with a 2.72 ERA, but he is only making $4.25 million. What a deal!

18. Nick Leddy, Defenseman

A favorite of many Chicago Blackhawks faithful, Nick Leddy is one of the most underpaid defensemen in the NHL.

The young future star is already a top blueliner but barely made $900,000 in 2012. That's a great bargain, and Leddy has a bright future with the Hawks.

17. Torrey Smith, Wide Receiver

Smith will only earn $529,000 in 2012 but could be the big-play deep threat that the Baltimore Ravens desperately need.

He had an up-and-down rookie season in 2011 but got better as the year went along and demonstrated the ability to bring down deep balls in the air.

More importantly, the Baltimore Sun reported that Smith's timing and route-running ability are improving throughout offseason activities, so he may live up to the hype in 2012.

16. Alexandre Burrows, Forward

Alexandre Burrows is one of the most complete players in the NHL; he just isn't paid like his peers.

The young star is an excellent scorer, playmaker and penalty skater who has a great future with the Vancouver Canucks. For the moment, though, they'll get away with paying him $2 million in 2012.

15. Jason Heyward, Outfielder

Jason Heyward is still on his rookie deal and earning a pittance, but he is producing like a star.

The Atlanta Braves' future stud is hitting .271 with 19 home runs and 59 RBI, which is not perfect, but he is getting better every year. Superstardom is coming, and Atlanta fans are ready.

14. Brandon Pettigrew, Tight End

Brandon Pettigrew is the best emerging tight end in the NFL. The Detroit Lion recorded 83 receptions for 777 yards in 2011 and totaled 184 receptions in his first three NFL seasons.

Even better, he will only earn $1.06 million in 2012.

If Pettigrew can stay away from injury, he will become a top-three tight end in football with New England's Rob Gronkowski and New Orleans' Jimmy Graham.

13. David Price, Pitcher

David Price is one of the Tampa Bay Rays' great young pitchers. He has really grown into his own this season, putting up a 15-4 record with a 2.50 ERA and strong peripherals.

He only makes $4.35 million.

The question is, how long will the penny-pinching Rays be able to hold on to such a phenomenal bargain?

12. Sean Lee, Linebacker

Sean Lee is one of the most underrated linebackers in the NFL—and one of the most underpaid.

Despite tallying 71 solo tackles (105 total) and becoming one of the best run-stopping players in football, Lee will only make $540,000 in 2012 and is under Dallas' control through 2013.

11. Andrew McCutchen, Center Fielder

Andrew McCutchen is the rare young player who has already earned his big deal...and is still incredibly underpaid.

In 2012, McCutchen is batting .359 with a .419 OBP, .601 SLG and 1.020 OPS. He has 23 home runs and 14 stolen bases. Those numbers are insane, and he plays center field. His production, combined with his age and pedigree, would be worth over $20 million per year on the open market.

10. Mat Latos, Pitcher

Cincinnati Reds ace Mat Latos is one of the best bargains in the National League. He is a No. 1-caliber starter on a playoff team alongside co-ace Johnny Ceuto, but Latos will only make $550,000 in 2012.

If you compare him to pitchers with similar statistics who often earn upwards of $10 million annually, it's easy to see why the Reds traded multiple top prospects for his services over the winter.

9. Andy Dalton, Quarterback

Andy Dalton isn't the flashiest guy on the block, but he gets the job done in Cincinnati. He led the Bengals to the NFL playoffs in 2011 and could return the franchise to prominence.  

Luckily for the Bengals, he will be doing it on a cheap $612,000 rookie deal and is under team control for several more years.

8. Avery Bradley, Guard

Avery Bradley is the next core member of the Boston Celtics, but he is not paid like a core member. He will only earn $1.5 million in 2012.

The young Texas product supplanted Ray Allen as Boston's starting 2-guard last season, largely because of his exceptional perimeter defense and growing offensive game. He should be ensconced as an above-average NBA starter for the next decade.

7. Gio Gonzalez, Pitcher

Want value? Gio Gonzalez, the Washington Nationals' biggest winter acquisition, has gone 15-6 with a 3.29 ERA and strong peripherals this season.

The best part: He's only making $3.25 million in 2012.

6. Henry Melton, Defensive Tackle

Henry Melton, former GM Jerry Angelo's last present for the Bears franchise, is a gift that keeps on giving. And the Bears don't even have to pay much for him just yet because he will earn $565,000 in 2012 under his rookie deal.

Melton was the Bears' best young defensive performer in 2011, becoming a full-time starter and putting up seven sacks. He should be a centerpiece of Chicago's defensive line this season.

5. Ty Lawson, Point Guard

Ty Lawson is a top-five point guard in the NBA based on his incredible speed and creativity, but you would not know it from his meager $1.65 million salary in 2012.

The North Carolina product is the heart and soul of an emerging Denver Nuggets team and will be paid like a franchise star one day. But for now, Denver gets the NBA's best bargain.

4. Clayton Kershaw, Pitcher

Clayton Kershaw is earning $7.5 million in 2012...and would be worth $30 million as a hypothetical free agent.

Right now, Kershaw is the best pitcher on the planet. His 2.90 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 11 wins are impressive, but the overall quality of his pitching and peripherals blow those numbers away. He will lead contending Los Angeles Dodgers teams for years to come.

3. Cam Newton, Quarterback

Forget the $14.5 million signing bonus. That was so 2011. Newton will only earn $1.4 million in 2012 under the NFL's new rookie wage scale.

Don't forget, we are talking about a quarterback who was a Pro Bowl-level player as a rookie and could pass for 4,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 in 2012.

The price is right, and the sky is the limit.

2. Matt Moore, Pitcher

Is Matt Moore the best young pitcher in baseball?

Felix Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw and Moore can all lay claim to the title. Moore's 3.60 ERA and nine wins as a rookie may not bowl people over, but if you watch him play, he has future CY Young winner written all over him.

Tampa Bay has him locked up for years at ultra-low prices. The organization deserves great credit for astute long-term planning.

1. Mike Trout, Center Fielder

Mike Trout, baseball's newest future Hall of Famer in center field, is making $480,000 in 2012.

Trout has been a highly touted prospect for years, and baseball fans expected him to become a star. But few can say they expected him to bat .340 with 21 home runs and a .403 OBP in his rookie season.

Will he enter Ken Griffey Jr. territory one day in the future?