The Most Underrated Position Players in Baseball

Every year there seems to be a group of players that go unnoticed during the grueling 162 game schedule.  Though the season isn’t quite over yet, I’ve decided to highlight the five most underrated players in the 2010 MLB season.  Composing the list was not an easy task as there are plenty of quality players that slip through the cracks of the major media outlets for whatever reason.  In addition, a large part of the criteria was based on whether or not the player made the All-Star Game.  Thus, if a player was included in the game I didn’t include him on the list as I feel the best way to gage the fan’s appreciation of a player is through the all-star voting process.   Again, this list only includes position players, so no pitchers.

Before we get started, here are some honorable mentions:

Aubrey Huff, San Francisco Giants

Kelly Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

Alex Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves

David DeJesus, Kansas City Royals

Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies (though I feel he’s not underrated anymore)

Bret Gardner, New York Yankees

5. Shin-Soo Choo

What does this guy have to do to earn respect?  Though Choo has been remarkable and undervalued the last two seasons people have still failed to take notice to how great of a player he truly is.  Again in 2010 Choo has been his consistent, reliable, and underrated self. 

His .296/.393/.483 triple slash line coupled with 14 homers, 14 stolen bases, and 52 RBI’s is remarkable for a player that wasn’t voted into the All-Star Game despite playing for an awful Indians’ ball club. 

Perhaps Choo doesn’t receive the hype he deserves because he does nothing amazing (besides get on base at a high clip), but is a more well-rounded player that does everything great, but nothing spectacular.  His plate discipline is first class as he yet again has a .393 OBP after posting a .397 and .394 mark in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Choo’s .386 wOBA ranks him fifth among all right fielders in the game and his 3.6 WAR ranks third among right fielders in the majors. 

Choo might never reach super star status because he lacks the flashy numbers, but he offers the Indians’ organization a polished bat paired with above average defense in right field.  This marks the third straight year Choo has been underrated, so hopefully that trend changes course next season.

4. Rickie Weeks

Every since his college days at Southern University, Weeks has earned the reputation of being a valuable hitter.  However, when he first broke into the league the success Weeks had in college didn’t initially translate at the MLB level… until this year. 

Weeks looked well on his way to a breakout season last year through only 162 at bats, but a torn muscle derailed his season.  This year Weeks has officially broken out.  Owning a slash of .272/.368/.485, Weeks has been one of the bright spots for an underachieving Brewers’ ball club. 

Though his K% has spiked and his BB% has dropped, normally two signs of failure looming, Weeks has been mashing the ball.  The second baseman has jacked 23 homers, ranking second in the majors for the position behind only Dan Uggla. 

Despite hitting from the leadoff spot, usually considered a spot in the order with few RBI opportunities, Weeks has driven in an unprecedented 71 runs, falling one run short of leading the position behind Robinson Cano.  Weeks hasn’t been the base stealing threat he was earlier in his career (only seven this year), but his .375 wOBA this season ranks fourth in the position and would be a career high. 

With plenty of time left in the season to pad his stats it isn’t inconceivable for Weeks to crack 30 homeruns while stealing double digit bags.  For the icing on the cake, Weeks’ 4.0 WAR ranks him second in the majors for second basemen, a welcomed sign for Brewer Nation who has been awaiting the arrival of this once heralded prospect. 

3. Angel Pagan

When news broke that perennial All-Star Carlos Beltran underwent surgery that would cause him to miss a large portion of the 2010 season Mets management feared they wouldn’t be able to find a formidable replacement.  General Manager Omar Minaya went searching high and low for a potential replacement, failing to realize that player was on the roster the entire time.  Consistently overlooked by even his own organization after he broke out, as the Mets toyed with idea of platooning him when Beltran returned, Pagan has been nothing short of spectacular in 2010 for the Amazings. 

Owning a line of .309/.369/.475, Pagan has arguably been the most valuable player to the Mets in the 2010 season.  Though he’s never been known as much of a home run hitter, Pagan is sitting comfortably with 9 bombs on the year and 48 RBI. 

The Mets always knew he had speed and it’s been evident by his 24 stolen bases, ranking third in the NL.  His .373 wOBA is also a refreshing sign, but perhaps Pagan is most valuable to the Mets because of his versatility in the batting order. Thanks to his improved pitch recognition, plate discipline, and line drive power, which is perfect for the commodious confinements of Citi Field, Pagan has batted wherever manager Jerry Manuel felt the club needed a spark. 

When Jose Reyes was struggling to regain his stroke after missing most of 2010 Pagan was inserted into the leadoff hole and surpassed expectations by batting .299/.345/.482.  When the faltering Mets offense lacked sizzle in the heart of the order Pagan was shifted into the 3-hole, and responded by batting .286/.412/.429.  As Reyes began to develop into the Reyes of old, Pagan found a new home protecting the shortstop by batting in the 2-hole and registered a .336/.390/.541 line in the process. 

Due to improved reads off line drives, speed to cover a ton of range, and a solid arm, Pagan has also been one of the best defensive players in the majors this season. 

Collectively the unexpected offense and commendable defense have netted Pagan a 4.3 WAR, ranking seventh in the NL and first on the New York Mets.  Injuries are never a good thing, but maybe Beltran’s delayed surgery was a blessing in disguise as the organization might have found themselves a beneficial asset in Pagan heading into 2011 and beyond. 

2. Andres Torres

Torres entered the season as a little known commodity, but that hasn’t stopped the speedster from having a terrific 2010 campaign.  Entering 2010, Torres has notoriously been known as a great defensive outfielder, thanks in large part to his speed which enables him to cover a ton of range, but was never considered much of an offensive asset.  However, this season has been a completely different story. 

Torres was pegged into the leadoff spot for the Giants and hasn’t looked backed since.  Though on the wrong side of thirty, Torres has posted a stellar triple slash of .289/.371/.503.  Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Torres has managed to collect a .383 wOBA in the process. 

The superb combination of defensive prowess and unexpected offensive output has netted Torres a 4.7 WAR to date, good enough to rank third among all National League players.  Yes, you heard that right… third.  Torres currently has been worth more wins than the likes of Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and Adrian Gonzalez. 

Torres currently has 34 doubles, good enough to rank second in the NL behind only Jayson Werth.  To add on, Torres has belted 11 homers while stealing 21 bags and driving in 45. 

After Torres started off 2010 with a boom many experts were quick to label him with a red flag, claiming he wouldn’t be able to sustain the offensive output.  Nonetheless, Torres hasn’t had a significant drop-off in his offensive production while playing exceptional defense in the outfield, whether it be left, right, or center.  His UZR/150 of 26.9 and 10 runs savedranks third among outfielders in the majors.  Who knows where the Giants would be if the underappreciated Torres had not emerged this year.

1. Ryan Zimmerman

In what I consider a criminal offense, possibly a felony, baseball fans and Charlie Manuel decided to leave Ryan Zimmerman out of the All-Star Game.  Despite ranking fourth in the majors and first in the NL in WAR with 5.2 wins, Zimmerman has quietly been ignored. 

He has a remarkable slash line of .300/.389/.545 and his .400 wOBA is even more impressive and currently ranks third for third basemen in the major this year.  Yet when asked about the top third basemen in the game his name always appears to be left off the list.  T

hough he might not reach last year’s career high of 33 homeruns, Zimmerman still has mashed 22 homers this year while driving in 63 runs.  Zimmerman employs plus power and a high OBP, both rare anomalies in the Nationals batting order with the exceptions of Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. 

In addition, Zimmerman has a notable .934 OPS, which is once again good enough to place him third in the majors for his position.  Though often overlooked, what’s even more impressive about the Nationals’ cornerstone third basemen is that he grades out very highly with the glove. 

In fact, Zimmerman has graded out as the unanimous top defensive third basemen this year accumulating a UZR/150 of 19.8 while saving 17 runs. 

When you pair the outstanding offensive production with the even superior defensive production it’s truly a wonder how Zimmerman has gone so unnoticed in 2010.  Hopefully heading into 2011 people start taking notice and realize the Nationals have themselves one of the games elite third basemen, and possibly the best.