Ranking the 10 Most Underrated Yankees of All Time

It's not easy to be underrated playing for the New York Yankees.

More often than not, a Yankees player is going to be overrated before he's underrated. It just comes with the territory.

However, from championship drought standouts to short-peak stars, there are a handful of Yankees players who don't get the recognition they deserve. They make up our list of the 10 most underrated Yankees of all time.

It's worth noting that there is a difference between underrated and simply forgotten. Expect this list to skew heavily toward more recent players, though there are a handful of vintage throwbacks.

10. SP Chien-Ming Wang

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Tenure: 2005-2009
Stats: 104 GS, 55-26, 4.16 ERA, 310 K, 670.2 IP
WAR: 14.0

Background

Chien-Ming Wang debuted as the Yankees dynasty was wrapping up. His peak concluded before they won their next World Series in 2009, leaving him as something of a tweener lost to time. A severe right foot injury that he suffered while running the bases derailed his career at the age of 28.

Why He's Underrated

Wang's prime lasted only two years before his 2008 injury.

2006: 33 GS, 19-6, 3.63 ERA, 218.0 IP, 6.0 WAR
2007: 30 GS, 19-7, 3.70 ERA, 199.1 IP, 5.0 WAR

His 2006 season was good for a runner-up finish in AL Cy Young balloting, and while he spent those two years sharing the rotation with Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson, Andy Pettitte and others, he was the best arm on the staff.

9. 3B Scott Brosius

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Tenure: 1998-2001
Stats: 540 G, 96 OPS+, .267/.331/.428, 173 XBH (65 HR)
WAR: 8.3

Background

After seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, Scott Brosius was traded to the Yankees in exchange for left-hander Kenny Rogers ahead of the 1998 season. He then promptly won three straight World Series titles as the team's primary third baseman. He won the 1998 World Series MVP and hit a dramatic game-tying home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in Game 5 of the 2001 Fall Classic.

Why He's Underrated

The huge postseason resume is what fans remember, but he was more than just an October standout. In 1998, his 5.3 WAR was the third-highest mark for one of the greatest teams in MLB history, behind only Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill. He also won a Gold Glove the following year, showcasing his two-way value.

Playoff legend? Absolutely, but he was also a well-rounded contributor before the calendar flipped to October.

8. SS Didi Gregorius

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Tenure: 2015-2019
Stats: 660 G, 102 OPS+, .269/.313/.446, 228 XBH (97 HR)
WAR: 14.8

Background

Hall of Famer Derek Jeter played his final MLB season in 2014. With no clear in-house replacement at shortstop in place, Didi Gregorius was acquired from Arizona in a three-team deal with the D-backs and Tigers. He spent five seasons as the team's primary shortstop before passing the torch to Gleyber Torres in 2020, earning MVP votes twice along the way.

Why He's Underrated

Given impossible shoes to fill, Gregorius ultimately did a pretty stellar job. His 14.5 WAR trailed only Francisco Lindor (22.2), Andrelton Simmons (22.1), Carlos Correa (21.3), Xander Bogaerts (15.2) and Brandon Crawford (15.0) among all shortstops from 2015-18.

In the years since his departure, the Yankees have shuffled through Gleyber Torres, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Anthony Volpe and now George Lombard Jr. at the position, with no one from that group providing a comparable sustained run.

7. SP/RP Dave Righetti

Tenure: 1979-1990
Stats: 522 G, 76 GS, 74-61, 224 SV, 3.11 ERA, 1,136.2 IP
WAR: 22.9

Background

After three seasons as a staple in the Yankees rotation, including 1981 AL Rookie of the Year and a 1983 no-hitter, Dave Righetti was moved to the bullpen to replace Goose Gossage in the closer's role. It proved to be a terrific fit. In 1986, he set the single-season saves record at the time with 46. He still ranks as one of the most successful relievers in franchise history.

Why He's Underrated

Pitchers often move to the bullpen after flaming out in a starting role or suffering an injury, but Righetti did it just as he was entering his prime and coming off a fantastic 1983 season.

1983: 31 GS, 14-8, 3.44 ERA, 169 K, 217.0 IP, 3.6 WAR
1984: 64 G, 31 SV, 2.34 ERA, 90 K, 96.1 IP, 3.3 WAR

It's not a move many players in today's game would accept, but one he made seamlessly. His 224 saves in an era before that became a more prominent stat still rank second in franchise history.

6. OF Roberto Kelly

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Tenure: 1987-1992, 2000
Stats: 648 G, 107 OPS+, .278/.331/.411, 180 XBH (57 HR), 151 SB
WAR: 13.2

Background

The Yankees signed Roberto Kelly out of Panama as a teenager in 1982. By 1989, he was the team's starting center fielder. During a four-year run in that role, he hit .281/.334/.415 for a 109 OPS+ while averaging 14 home runs, 34 steals and 3.2 WAR, earning an All-Star selection in 1992.

Why He's Underrated

A single All-Star selection might not sound significant until you realize how rare it is for a homegrown Yankees outfielder to earn a spot in the Midsummer Classic. In the last 50 years, here is the entire list of those who accomplished it:

Aaron Judge (8)
Bernie Williams (5)
Brett Gardner (1)
Roberto Kelly (1)

For many Yankees fans, his enduring legacy is that he went the other way in the deal to acquire fan favorite Paul O'Neill from Cincinnati, but he was a terrific player himself during his time in the Bronx.

5. SP Jimmy Key

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Tenure: 1993-1996
Stats: 94 GS, 48-23, 3.68 ERA, 400 K, 604.1 IP
WAR: 13.5

Background

After whiffing in their pursuit of Greg Maddux and Doug Drabek prior to the 1993 season, the Yankees inked Jimmy Key to a four-year, $17 million deal. The 32-year-old immediately became the ace of the staff. In his final appearance in a Yankees uniform, he was the winning pitcher in Game 6 of the 1996 World Series.

Why He's Underrated

While his role on the 1996 championship team provided his most memorable moments in New York, Key was legitimately one of the best pitchers in baseball during his first two seasons in the Bronx.

1993: 34 GS, 18-6, 3.00 ERA, 236.2 IP, 6.3 WAR, 4th in AL Cy Young
1994: 25 GS, 17-4, 3.27 ERA, 168.0 IP, 4.4 WAR, 2nd in AL Cy Young

If the players' strike hadn't brought the 1994 season to a premature end, he might have been a 20-game winner and pushed David Cone for Cy Young honors. Even with an injury-plagued 1995 season, he stands as one of the best free-agent signings in franchise history.

4. IF Gil McDougald

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Tenure: 1951-1960
Stats: 1,336 G, 111 OPS+, .276/.356/.410, 350 XBH (112 HR)
WAR: 40.9

Background

A six-time All-Star and the 1951 AL Rookie of the Year, Gil McDougald spent his entire career in pinstripes. In an era of set positions, he provided valuable versatility with extensive action at second base, shortstop and third base. He won five rings and played in eight World Series over a 10-year career.

Why He's Underrated

When you can count Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Phil Rizzuto among your teammates, it's not hard to see why McDougald often gets lost in the shuffle, but he was a legitimate impact player with at least 3 WAR in nine of his 10 years in the big leagues.

To put his 40.9 WAR into context, Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski tallied 36.5 WAR while playing seven more seasons in the majors.

3. SP/RP Ramiro Mendoza

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Tenure: 1996-2002, 2005
Stats: 278 G, 57 GS, 54-34, 16 SV, 4.10 ERA, 699.2 IP
WAR: 11.6

Background

Signed by the Yankees out of Panama, Ramiro Mendoza debuted with an ugly 6.78 ERA in 11 starts during the team's 1996 World Series season. He quickly settled into a versatile swingman role in the years that followed. Mendoza was a key arm on the 1998 and 1999 World Series teams.

Why He's Underrated

The 1998 season is the perfect snapshot of why Mendoza was such a valuable Swiss Army knife on the Yankees staff.

41 G, 14 GS, 10-2, 1 SV, 3.25 ERA, 130.1 IP

He threw a five-hit shutout on May 10, logging a 2.2-inning save on July 10. He also pitched scoreless sixth, seventh and eighth innings in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 13. Any role, any time, he was ready to take the ball.

2. C Mike Stanley

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Tenure: 1992-1995, 1997
Stats: 426 G, 134 OPS+, .285/.377/.504, 155 XBH (72 HR)
WAR: 12.8

Background

Mike Stanley was 29 years old with six forgettable seasons as a part-time player with the Texas Rangers when he joined the Yankees on a minor league deal. After serving as the backup to Matt Nokes in 1992, he took over as the team's primary catcher and won a Silver Slugger and made an All-Star team during a standout three-year stretch.

Why He's Underrated

From 1993-95, Stanley posted a 136 OPS+ while averaging 20 home runs and 75 RBI and logging at least 3 WAR each season. Here's a full list of every Yankees catcher with three or more 3-WAR seasons:

Yogi Berra (10)
Bill Dickey (9)
Thurman Munson (9)
Jorge Posada (8)
Elston Howard (5)
Gary Sánchez (3)
Mike Stanley (3)

Ask the average Yankees fan that trivia question, and there's a good chance Stanley is the one name they can't pull.

1. SP Mel Stottlemyre

Tenure: 1964-1974
Stats: 356 GS, 164-139, 2.97 ERA, 2,661.1 IP
WAR: 40.7

Background

Mel Stottlemyre was a five-time All-Star over an 11-year career spent entirely with the Yankees, as he shows up all over the franchise's all-time leaderboard. He ranks inside the top 10 in pitching WAR (40.7, 8th), wins (164, 7th), strikeouts (1,257, 8th), innings pitched (2,661.1, 4th), complete games (152, 8th) and shutouts (40, 2nd). He later served as the team's pitching coach from 1996-2005, which is probably how most modern Yankees fans remember him.

Why He's Underrated

In Stottlemyre's rookie season in 1964, the Yankees lost the World Series in seven games. They would not return to the Fall Classic until 1976, two years after he retired. That is why he's so underrated, in a nutshell.

In a franchise loaded with postseason heroes, his playoff resume consisted of three starts as a 22-year-old in the 1964 World Series. He went 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in 20 innings. He was the bridge between Whitey Ford and Ron Guidry, but his contributions are often overlooked as a result.