The Most Underrated Player on Every MLB Team
For one reason or another, there are always a handful of MLB players who simply don't receive the attention they deserve.
In fact, every team has at least one guy who can be pointed to as underrated, whether he's a young player still trying to establish himself or a veteran who simply goes unappreciated.
The following is an attempt to identify said player for all 30 MLB teams.
Simply put: We're looking for the one player from each team who is not currently a household name outside of his hometown but probably should be.
Arizona Diamondbacks: SP Josh Collmenter
1 of 30
Josh Collmenter broke into the league in 2011, going 10-10 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.069 WHIP to finish fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
He pitched to a 3.41 ERA over the next two seasons but spent more time in the bullpen (66 appearances) than he did in the rotation (11 starts) during that span.
Back in the rotation for the bulk of last season, he went 11-9 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.126 WHIP over a career-high 179.1 innings, and he was particularly good down the stretch. Over his final seven starts, Collmenter was 3-2 with a 1.26 ERA, and that was enough to earn him the Opening Day nod here in 2015.
Five starts in, the 29-year-old has a 2.76 ERA and a 2.81 FIP and has already thrown a complete-game shutout, as he's looked the part of a legitimate front-line starter.
Honorable Mentions
CF A.J. Pollock, RP Brad Ziegler
Atlanta Braves: SP Alex Wood
2 of 30
A second-round pick in 2012, Alex Wood moved quickly and reached the majors the following season, posting a 3.13 ERA in 77.2 innings spanning 11 starts and 20 relief appearances.
He bounced back and forth between the rotation and bullpen again last season, but he was much better as a starter, going 8-10 with a 2.59 ERA, 1.094 WHIP and 19 quality starts in 24 starts total.
Still just 24 years old, Wood is joined by Julio Teheran and Shelby Miller atop an Atlanta Braves rotation that has a chance to be really good for a long time on the strength of that trio.
He is off to a somewhat slow start this season, going 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.620 WHIP in his first six starts. However, his peripheral numbers speak to some positive regression to come, as he has a 3.23 FIP and .377 BABIP to this point. His upside is tremendous, and he has the potential to be a co-ace alongside Teheran long term.
Honorable Mentions
SP Shelby Miller
Baltimore Orioles: UT Jimmy Paredes
3 of 30
It took a few stints with different teams, including the Baltimore Orioles once before, for Jimmy Paredes to finally find a home in the lineup this season.
"That's what I've been looking for all my career, being in the lineup every day," he told Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun. "I'm hungry. I know I have to compete every day. I have to compete to stay on the team. There are going to be changes. I never feel comfortable about it."
The 26-year-old entered 2015 with a .242/.279/.330 line in 430 at-bats over parts of four big league seasons, and he was by no means guaranteed a roster spot heading into spring training. However, in 18 games down the stretch for Baltimore last year, he hit .302/.327/.491 with four doubles and two home runs in 53 at-bats to open some eyes.
He's played his way into regular at-bats this season, with most of them coming as the designated hitter, batting .345/.357/.636 with five doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI.
That offensive production, coupled with versatility on defense, could make him this year's version of Josh Harrison.
Honorable Mentions
C Caleb Joseph, SP Miguel Gonzalez, RP Darren O'Day
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Boston Red Sox: RP Junichi Tazawa
4 of 30
Signed out of Japan prior to the 2009 season, right-hander Junichi Tazawa spent the bulk of his time in the minors pitching as a starter, but he's carved out a role in the eighth inning since reaching the majors.
Over the past three seasons, the 28-year-old has posted a 2.62 ERA, 1.135 WHIP and 9.3 K/9 while appearing in 179 games. He also has 47 holds and a 3.6 WAR over that span, as he's quietly emerged as one of the more reliable setup relievers in all of baseball.
Tazawa is off to a solid start once again this season, tallying five holds and posting a 2.19 ERA and 1.135 WHIP in 13 appearances. Consistent late-inning relief pitching is hard to come by these days, but he's provided it for the Boston Red Sox.
Honorable Mentions
UT Brock Holt, SP Joe Kelly
Chicago Cubs: SP Jake Arrieta
5 of 30
Jake Arrieta was ranked among the top five prospects in the Baltimore Orioles system and the top 100 prospects in all of baseball prior to both the 2008 and 2009 seasons, according to Baseball America. However, he was never really able to establish himself in Baltimore, and the team shipped him to the Chicago Cubs along with reliever Pedro Strop in exchange for starter Scott Feldman at the 2013 trade deadline.
The 29-year-old began last season on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, and he didn't make his first start of the season until May 3, but once he returned, he was lights out. He finished his first full season on the North Side at 10-5 with a 2.53 ERA, 0.989 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 156.2 innings, good enough to finish ninth in NL Cy Young voting.
Chicago signed Jon Lester to be the ace of an up-and-coming Cubs team, but the team is counting just as heavily on Arrieta to be a solid No. 2 guy alongside him.
Honorable Mentions
RP Hector Rondon, RP Pedro Strop
Chicago White Sox: SP Jose Quintana
6 of 30
It's easy to be overshadowed when you're pitching on the same staff as Chris Sale, but fellow Chicago White Sox southpaw Jose Quintana has emerged as a terrific starter in his own right. The 26-year-old has quietly turned in back-to-back 200-inning seasons for the South Siders, going 18-18 with a 3.42 ERA (3.31 FIP) and 1.231 WHIP in 2013 and 2014.
Not too shabby for a guy the White Sox scooped up as a minor league free agent in 2011 after he had spent the previous four years in the New York Yankees organization.
His 118 ERA+ in 2013 and 2014 is good for eighth among left-handed starters with at least 200 innings, yet he's rarely mentioned among the game's top southpaws.
Quintana signed a five-year, $21 million extension prior to last season that included a pair of option years that could keep him in Chicago through the 2020 season. If the White Sox are able to return to contention between now and then, expect Quintana to play a major role.
Honorable Mentions
RF Avisail Garcia
Cincinnati Reds: SP Mike Leake
7 of 30
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2009 draft, Mike Leake jumped right from his collegiate career at Arizona State to the Cincinnati Reds rotation in 2010, never appearing in a minor league game before making his big league debut.
His stuff is by no means overpowering, evidenced by his career 6.2 K/9 mark, but he's been a rock-solid middle-of-the-rotation arm during his five-plus big league seasons to this point.
The 27-year-old is 54-43 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.279 WHIP in 147 starts and five relief appearances during his time in the majors, and in a contract year, he appears to be in good position to land a lucrative multiyear deal.
Leake is a terrific athlete, and his offensive skills are just icing on the cake, as he's a .227/.254/.325 career hitter with 13 doubles and five home runs for a 3.5 oWAR.
With Mat Latos traded in the offseason and Homer Bailey lost for the year to Tommy John surgery, the Reds will be counting on him to step up and provide some support to Johnny Cueto at the top of the rotation here in 2015.
Honorable Mentions
SS Zack Cozart
Cleveland Indians: LF Michael Brantley
8 of 30
Despite a monster season in 2014, it's fair to say that Michael Brantley still does not get the attention he deserves as a bona fide superstar in the middle of the Cleveland Indians lineup.
The 27-year-old hit .327/.385/.506 with 45 doubles, 20 home runs, 97 RBI, 94 runs scored and 23 stolen bases last season, finishing third in AL MVP voting and posting a 6.8 WAR. That came on the heels of a solid 2013 season that earned him a four-year, $25 million extension, and in hindsight, that now ranks as one of the best bargains in all of baseball.
A sore back has cut into his power here in the early parts of 2015, as he's managed just two home runs, but he's still hitting .351/.415/.541 and has eight doubles and 14 RBI.
An All-Star for the first time last year, Brantley could be a perennial participant in the years to come, and it seems like only a matter of time before he's a bit more widely regarded as one of the game's best.
Honorable Mentions
UT Mike Aviles, RP Nick Hagadone
Colorado Rockies: 3B Nolan Arenado
9 of 30
Nolan Arenado has already made his mark on the league defensively, winning consecutive Gold Glove Awards to begin his career, but he has the offensive tools to also emerge as a difference-maker at the plate for the Colorado Rockies.
He was putting together a breakout season offensively last year when a fractured finger cost him 37 games, but he still managed an .828 OPS with 34 doubles and 18 home runs in 432 at-bats.
He's been even better in the early going this season, hitting .314/.348/.616 and leading the Rockies with six home runs and 17 RBI.
At this point, the 24-year-old may have as high a ceiling as any third baseman not named Kris Bryant, and those two could battle it out for starting honors in the All-Star Game for years to come.
Honorable Mentions
2B DJ LeMahieu, LF Corey Dickerson, SP Tyler Matzek
Detroit Tigers: SP Anibal Sanchez
10 of 30
Anibal Sanchez was one of the best pitchers in the game in 2013, going 14-8 and leading the American League with a 2.57 ERA and 2.39 FIP to finish fourth in AL Cy Young voting. However, he's always been somewhat overshadowed by his own teammates, and few were mentioning him among the top arms in the AL heading into this season.
Whether it was Josh Johnson during his 2010 breakout season with the Miami Marlins, Max Scherzer winning AL Cy Young in 2013 or now new staff ace David Price, Sanchez could never receive the attention he deserved.
It didn't help that he missed a combined 60 games with a finger laceration and a pectoral strain last season, as that limited him to just 126 innings of work.
Healthy once again, Sanchez got off to a slow start this season, posting a 7.71 ERA in his first three starts. He's rounded into form over his last three starts, though, and the Detroit Tigers are counting on him to step up as the No. 2 guy behind ace David Price.
Honorable Mentions
SS Jose Iglesias, SP Shane Greene
Houston Astros: SP Dallas Keuchel
11 of 30
There was little indication heading into the 2014 season that Dallas Keuchel was headed for a breakout season.
In his first two seasons in the league, Keuchel had gone 9-18 with a 5.20 ERA (4.78 FIP) and 1.540 WHIP, and he was just one of a handful of guys vying for the No. 5 starter job heading into spring training.
He wound up winning the job, and things took off quickly from there for the left-hander. He would finish the season at 12-9 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.175 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 200 innings while also winning Gold Glove honors.
There was nothing in his peripheral numbers to suggest his breakout season was anything but legit, but he's crushed any remaining doubts about whether or not he's a legitimate front-line starter with a red-hot start to the 2015 season.
Through six starts, he's gone 3-0 with a 0.80 ERA and 0.756 WHIP over an AL-high 45 innings, anchoring the staff for a Houston Astros team that is off to a fantastic start.
Honorable Mentions
CF Jake Marisnick, SP Collin McHugh
Kansas City Royals: SP Danny Duffy
12 of 30
After their surprise run to the World Series last season, many of the Kansas City Royals' previously underrated players have become household names thanks to the team's success.
However, one guy who played a virtually nonexistent role in the team's playoff run was starter Danny Duffy, as he was not part of the postseason rotation and pitched a grand total of 4.2 innings over three appearances in October.
That came as something of a surprise given how good he was during the regular season, as the left-hander went 9-12 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.112 WHIP in 25 starts and six relief appearances.
Duffy was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery early in the 2012 season, and he's finally healthy now and turning that potential into production.
Still just 26 years old, Duffy figures to be slotted alongside emerging ace Yordano Ventura atop the Royals rotation for at least the next few seasons. He's gone 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA in his first five starts here in 2015.
Honorable Mentions
1B Eric Hosmer, OF Jarrod Dyson
Los Angeles Angels: RF Kole Calhoun
13 of 30
Kole Calhoun never ranked among the Los Angeles Angels' top 10 prospects at any point during his time in the minors (per Baseball America), but that hasn't stopped him from emerging as the team's everyday right fielder.
After a solid 58-game showing in 2013 saw him post an .808 OPS with 17 extra-base hits and 29 runs scored in 195 at-bats, he entered last season with the starting job in hand. Hitting primarily out of the leadoff spot, Calhoun batted .272/.325/.450 with 31 doubles, 17 home runs and 90 runs scored for a 4.1 WAR.
A late bloomer of sorts at 27 years old, he still figures to be a key part of the Angels' immediate future, and he's one of the few hitters off to a strong start for the team this season. He's currently hitting .303/.374/.449 with six extra-base hits, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored, and he's doing it as a bargain pre-arbitration.
Honorable Mentions
RP Huston Street
Los Angeles Dodgers: 1B/OF Scott Van Slyke
14 of 30
Despite entering the season with just 395 career at-bats under his belt, Scott Van Slyke has been a serious weapon for the Los Angeles Dodgers over the past few seasons.
With most of his action coming as a platoon option against left-handed pitching, the 28-year-old posted a .910 OPS with 13 doubles and 11 home runs in just 212 at-bats last season, good for a solid 2.7 WAR.
The son of former St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates great Andy Van Slyke, Scott would likely get a crack at starting for most other teams, but instead, he's utilized as a fourth outfielder and backup first baseman for the Dodgers.
Nonetheless, he's earned more recognition than he receives, and he's off to another hot start, with a .342/.409/.526 line that includes four doubles, one home run and nine RBI in 38 at-bats.
Honorable Mentions
2B Howie Kendrick, RP Yimi Garcia
Miami Marlins: CF Marcell Ozuna
15 of 30
Giancarlo Stanton is one of the biggest stars in the game, and Christian Yelich has received some much-deserved attention and a lucrative extension of his own after a breakout season last year. But their outfield mate, Marcell Ozuna, remains significantly underrated.
A torn ligament in his thumb cost him 65 games during his rookie season in 2013, but Ozuna bounced back strong last year for a terrific first full season in the majors. The 24-year-old hit .269/.317/.455 with 26 doubles, 23 home runs and 85 RBI while settling in as the team's everyday center fielder on defense.
He's probably not going to win a Gold Glove anytime soon, but 10 defensive runs saved and a positive 0.8 UZR/150 (per FanGraphs) made him a plus option with the glove as well as the bat.
Ozuna has yet to homer here in 2015, but he's hitting .303/.379/.382 with seven doubles and 12 runs scored.
Honorable Mentions
SS Adeiny Hechavarria, LF Christian Yelich, SP Jarred Cosart
Milwaukee Brewers: RP Will Smith
16 of 30
It's not often that productive position players are traded for setup relievers, but that's exactly what the Milwaukee Brewers did when they shipped Nori Aoki to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for left-hander Will Smith.
While Aoki certainly played his part in helping the Royals reach the World Series, the deal wound up being a solid one for both teams, as Smith was a key piece of a solid Milwaukee bullpen. A big 6'5" and 260-pound southpaw with a devastating slider, Smith appeared in an NL-high 78 games and posted a 3.70 ERA and 11.8 K/9 on his way to a team-high 30 holds.
He's been one of the few bright spots for the Brewers here in 2015, appearing in 13 games and posting a 2.00 ERA, 0.889 WHIP and 11.0 K/9 with a win and two holds.
Honorable Mentions
OF Gerardo Parra, SP Wily Peralta
Minnesota Twins: 2B Brian Dozier
17 of 30
After a breakout season in 2013 when he posted a .726 OPS with 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases, Brian Dozier took another step forward last season for the Minnesota Twins. With 23 home runs and 21 steals, he became just the 14th second baseman in baseball history to post a 20/20 season. He also participated in the Home Run Derby in front of the home fans at Target Field.
Dozier had a 114 OPS+, and his 5.2 WAR paced a Twins team that surprisingly ranked seventh in the league in runs scored last season.
The Twins rewarded the 27-year-old Dozier with a four-year, $20 million extension this offseason, and he figures to be a cornerstone piece for a young Twins team on the rise.
"He has character. He's a good man. He's good in the clubhouse," general manager Terry Ryan said following the extension, according to The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "People follow him. We wouldn't extend this type of dollar figure and security to a guy that we don't trust. We trust him, on and off the field."
Honorable Mentions
3B Trevor Plouffe, SP Kyle Gibson, RP Glen Perkins
New York Mets: RP Jeurys Familia
18 of 30
People have started to take notice of Jeurys Familia since he's moved into the closer's role for the New York Mets, but the 25-year-old had already established himself as one of the game's top young relievers after a big 2014 season.
Setting up Jenrry Mejia last year, Familia had a 2.21 ERA, 1.177 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 77.1 innings of work to finish seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
With Mejia suspended 80 games to start this season, Familia has made a smooth transition to the ninth inning. The right-hander is a perfect 11-of-11 on save chances with a 1.88 ERA, 0.558 WHIP and 10.7 K/9, and he's played as big a part as anyone in the Mets' solid start to the 2015 season.
It's looking more and more like the job won't be waiting for Mejia once he returns. Familia has the stuff to be the game's next great closer.
Honorable Mentions
C Travis d'Arnaud, SP Bartolo Colo
New York Yankees: LF Brett Gardner
19 of 30
It's hard to find an underrated player on a team that receives as much attention as the New York Yankees do, but left fielder Brett Gardner somehow continues to go underappreciated.
The 31-year-old carved out an everyday spot for himself on the strength of his defense in left field and his speed on the bases, but he has really rounded into a solid all-around player over the past couple of years.
Good for a WAR over 4.0 in four of the past five years, Gardner added some power to his game last season, hitting a career-high 17 home runs to go along with 25 doubles and 21 stolen bases.
It's a crime that he never won a Gold Glove Award, but with Alex Gordon clearly establishing himself as the game's elite defensive left fielder in recent years, Gardner will have his work cut out for him if he's ever going to pull it off.
At any rate, he is off to another terrific start this season, hitting .309/.404/.444 with five doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI and eight stolen bases in nine attempts.
Honorable Mentions
OF Chris Young, SP Chase Whitley
Oakland Athletics: C Stephen Vogt
20 of 30
Part of a three-headed monster at the catching position for the Oakland Athletics last season, Stephen Vogt now has the job all to himself after Derek Norris (San Diego) and John Jaso (Tampa Bay) were both traded in the offseason.
Versatility made him extremely valuable last season, as he played first base (47 games), right field (16 games), designated hitter (six games) and left field (one game) on top of his time behind the plate. In the process, he hit .279/.321/.431 with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 35 RBI in 269 at-bats, and that was enough for the team to trust him to be the everyday guy here in 2015.
That trust has quickly been rewarded, as Vogt is off to a red-hot start, hitting .358/.454/.691 with four doubles, seven home runs and 25 RBI in his first 26 games. He currently leads the American League in on-base percentage and OPS (1.145) and has already been a 2.0 WAR player.
It might be time we all believed in Stephen Vogt.
Honorable Mentions
SS Marcus Semien, SP Jesse Hahn, SP/RP Jesse Chavez
Philadelphia Phillies: RP Ken Giles
21 of 30
The 2014 season was a rough one for the Philadelphia Phillies, and this year promises to be even worse before all is said and done, but one bright spot has been the emergence of a power relief arm in Ken Giles.
As a rookie last season, Giles posted a 1.18 ERA, 0.788 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 45.2 innings to finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He remains blocked by Jonathan Papelbon at this point, but he's the obvious choice as the closer of the future for the Phillies, and for the time being, he's one of the most overpowering setup men in the game.
In 12.1 innings of work so far this season, Giles has allowed just one earned run and punched out 13 hitters, tallying five holds in the team's 10 wins.
Honorable Mentions
CF Odubel Herrera
Pittsburgh Pirates: LF Starling Marte
22 of 30
Playing in the same outfield as Andrew McCutchen for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it's easy to overlook just how good Starling Marte is. Over the past two seasons, his 10.7 WAR is tops among left fielders and the fourth-highest total among all outfielders, trailing only Mike Trout (16.7), McCutchen (14.4) and Carlos Gomez (13.7).
After a subpar first half last season that saw him hit .256/.324/.383 with 94 strikeouts, Marte looked like a different player after the break with a .348/.408/.567 line and just 37 strikeouts.
The Pirates wisely locked him up with a six-year, $31 million extension last March, and he'll team with McCutchen and Gregory Polanco to form one of the best outfields in baseball for the foreseeable future.
The 26-year-old has an .847 OPS with three doubles, seven home runs and 18 RBI so far this season, and this could be the year he finally breaks out as a bona fide superstar and starts to get the attention he deserves.
Honorable Mentions
2B Neil Walker, RP Jared Hughes
San Diego Padres: RP Dale Thayer
23 of 30
The San Diego Padres have done a great job cultivating bullpen talent over the past several seasons, and right-hander Dale Thayer certainly ranks as one of their better scrapheap signings.
After posting a 5.88 ERA in 23 appearances over parts of three seasons, Thayer joined the Padres on a minor league deal prior to the 2012 season at the age of 31. He didn't break camp with the team, but he was called up during the first month of the season and went on to post a 3.43 ERA and 1.127 WHIP over 64 appearances.
He's only gotten better since, and over the past three seasons combined, he has a 3.02 ERA, 1.144 WHIP and 8.3 K/9 while averaging 68 appearances per season.
Thayer may not put up flashy strikeout numbers, but he's been a durable and reliable late-inning arm for three-plus seasons now, and that's saying something these days.
Honorable Mentions
UT Yangervis Solarte, SP Brandon Morrow, RP Kevin Quackenbush
San Francisco Giants: SS Brandon Crawford
24 of 30
There was a time not all that long ago that the shortstop position was a revolving door for the San Francisco Giants, and there were legitimate questions whether Brandon Crawford would ever hit enough to be the everyday option.
Suffice to say those questions were finally put to rest last season, when Crawford put up a .713 OPS with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 10 home runs and 69 RBI hitting out of the bottom half of the team's lineup.
Thanks to his terrific glove, Crawford could get by with just average offensive production, but he's continued to show improvement at the plate with a hot start to 2015. The 28-year-old is hitting .262/.374/.512 with four doubles, five home runs and 15 RBI, as he's been one of the most productive bats in the San Francisco lineup over the first month-plus.
Honorable Mentions
RP Jeremy Affeldt, RP Javier Lopez
Seattle Mariners: RP Carson Smith
25 of 30
Relief pitching prospects rarely receive much attention, but Seattle Mariners right-hander Carson Smith has a chance to be this year's version of Ken Giles.
An eighth-round pick in 2011, Smith was dominant over his three seasons in the minors, posting a 2.55 ERA and striking out 193 batters in 155 innings of work. His strong performance in Triple-A last season earned him a September call-up, and he went on to strike out 10 batters in 8.1 scoreless innings of work.
The 25-year-old entered the season as the team's No. 10 prospect, according to Baseball America, and he possesses the dominant fastball/slider combination to perhaps be the closer of the future in Seattle. In 13 appearances so far this season, Smith has a 0.73 ERA, 0.649 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in 12.1 innings of work.
Honorable Mentions
OF Seth Smith, SP Roenis Elias
St. Louis Cardinals: 3B Matt Carpenter
26 of 30
With two trips to the All-Star Game and a fourth-place finish in NL MVP voting under his belt, it's hard to call Matt Carpenter underrated on the surface, but he still gets nowhere near the recognition he deserves on the national level.
After putting up solid numbers as a super utility player in 2012, Carpenter took over as the St. Louis Cardinals' starting second baseman the following season, and he quickly emerged as one of the best table-setters in all of baseball. He finished the season hitting .318/.392/.481 while leading the National League in hits (199), doubles (55) and runs scored (126).
Carpenter moved across the diamond to third base last season, and while his numbers dropped a bit across the board, he still had a .375 on-base percentage and 99 runs scored as a top-flight leadoff man.
We're just 26 games into 2015, but he'd be your NL MVP if the season ended today thanks to a .346/.412/.644 line that includes 14 doubles, five home runs, 20 RBI and 23 runs scored.
Carpenter is one of the game's truly elite players, and it's time he's recognized as such.
Honorable Mentions
2B Kolten Wong, SP Michael Wacha, RP Matt Belisle
Tampa Bay Rays: SP Chris Archer
27 of 30
Acquired as the key piece of the five-player package the Chicago Cubs sent to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Matt Garza, right-hander Chris Archer has become a key piece of the present and future for the Rays.
Archer joined the team's rotation in 2013, and over 23 starts, he went 9-7 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.127 WHIP to finish third in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
The Rays have a history of locking up young talent pre-arbitration, and they followed suit with Archer, inking him to a six-year, $25.5 million deal that includes a pair of club options that could keep him around through 2021.
Another solid season last year (10-9, 3.33 ERA, 173 K) and injuries to a handful of starters set Archer up to take the ball on Opening Day this season, and he's been one of the better pitchers in the AL so far. Through his first six starts, the 26-year-old has gone 3-3 with a 1.64 ERA, 0.887 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 38.1 innings.
Honorable Mentions
CF Kevin Kiermaier, SP Drew Smyly, RP Brad Boxberger
Texas Rangers: RP Keone Kela
28 of 30
The Texas Rangers have been decimated by injuries for the second consecutive season, and the positives on an individual basis have been few and far between. That being said, one player worth keeping an eye on who is still flying under the radar is right-handed reliever Keone Kela.
A 12th-round pick out of Everett Community College in 2012, Kela saw his velocity spike from the low 90s to the mid-90s in his final college season, and now he can touch triple digits with his fastball.
Splitting last season between High-A and Double-A, Kela posted a 2.02 ERA, 10 saves and 68 strikeouts in 49 innings.
Despite a relative lack of experience, he won a bullpen spot this spring and has pitched to a 2.08 ERA in a team-high 14 appearances. His secondary stuff and overall command still need work, but we could be looking at a future closer here.
Honorable Mentions
CF Leonis Martin, SP Nick Martinez
Toronto Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis
29 of 30
Is Devon Travis going to keep his torrid pace offensively all season? Probably not, but the 24-year-old looks like the real deal as the Toronto Blue Jays second baseman of the present and future.
"The kid's good. What are you going to say, he's been doing it all year," manager John Gibbons said Sunday, per MLB.com's Jordan Bastian and August Fagerstrom. "It's not like he's on a little hot streak. ... I think he's a pretty special find for us."
Acquired from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for center fielder Anthony Gose in the offseason, Travis looked to be ticketed for the minors after spending all of last season in Double-A, but he won the second base job outright with a solid spring.
That decision was the right one, as he's hit .309/.380/.598 with seven doubles, seven home runs, 23 RBI and 20 runs scored in his first 26 games.
His production has become even more important with Jose Reyes landing on the disabled list, as he's now hitting leadoff, and he'll be setting the table for one of the best offenses in the league.
Honorable Mentions
LF Kevin Pillar, RP Roberto Osuna
Washington Nationals: C Wilson Ramos
30 of 30
It was tempting to make Doug Fister the choice here, as he's been overlooked for much of his career, but with the Washington Nationals rotation receiving so much attention this offseason, he may not qualify as underrated anymore.
Instead, we'll go with catcher Wilson Ramos, who would likely already rank among the game's top backstops if he could find a way to stay healthy. Since playing in 113 games as a rookie in 2011, Ramos has played in a total of just 191 games over the past three seasons, missing time with a pair of significant knee injuries as well as some hamstring issues.
However, when he's been on the field, he's remained productive. During that three-year span, he's hit .269/.309/.428 and averaged 10 home runs and 39 RBI in 237 at-bats per season.
Ramos has legitimate 15- to 20-home run power and is a plus defensive catcher to boot. He's been healthy so far this season and is hitting .310/.330/.379 with three doubles, one home run and 11 RBI.
Honorable Mentions
SP Doug Fister, RP Aaron Barrett
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.
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