Top 10 Players of the 1900s 1. In 2010, as a member of the Padres, Eckstein went 113 consecutive games without committing an error as a second baseman, a record that stood until this past August when the Cubs' Darwin Barney tied it and later broke it. I should clarify. Trailing 5-3 as they headed into the bottom of the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers on June 22, 1979, Doug DeCinces stepped to the plate with two outs, Eddie Murray on first base, and a Ken Singleton home run having cut the deficit to one run. Clutch. Career Stats: 1,863 G; .296/.393/.506; 288 HR; 1,283 RBI; 2,051 H; 1,239 R; 96-for-160 SB. He falls short of being Cooperstown worthy, butConcepcion's career was celebrated in Cincinnati back in 2007, when his jersey, No. His last three years with the Tigers . With an undersized 60 frame, Oswalt slipped all the way to the 23rd round of the 1996 draft where the Houston Astros selected him out of Holmes Community College. He was also an excellent fielder who held multiple fielding records at the time of his retirement that have since been passed. It was an impressive, but largely forgotten peak. Career Stats: 1,190 G; .256/.346/.317; 14 HR; 254 RBI; 821 H; 339 R; 35-for-68 SB. But enough procrastinating. Morris never made an All-Star team and never achieved superstar status; he was simply consistent and reliable, and that doesn't ever wind up having a spotlight shone on it. Get caught up:1960s, 70s, and 80s|1930s, 40s, and 50s|1900s, 10s, and 20s. Hal Chase is best remembered for being banned by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis following the 1919 season as rumors ran rampant that Chase, among other things, served as the middleman between the players and gamblers during the Chicago Black Sox scandal. Probably own at least two of these and flipped through them countless times and never noticed that. However, injuries took a toll from there, and he pitched just 65 more innings in the majors. Forget the Coors Effect. Thanks for another fun article. Furillo led the league in assists in 1950 and again the following season. He is the only player to debut with the Marlins in 1993 and play for both of their World Series teams, in 1997 and 2003. For his career, he drew 1,243 walks while striking out only 675 times. Everyone loves labels, especially when it comes to athletes. Choke artist. Hecostthe Astros one defensive run for the decadewhile providing offense that surely totaledmore aggregate value than a slick-gloved infielder with no bat. These guys had solid career resumes and often came up big in big games, yet they seldom, if ever, received widespread acclaim. Money pitcher. As one of the top picks in the 1997 draft, he was widely featured in 1998 products. He is currently the leader amongst active. He was by no means an all-or-nothing power hitter though, with a .293/.406/.537 career batting line. He never really got a chance to play with the Red Sox as he was behind Billy Conigliaro, Joe Lahoud and eventually a youngster named Dwight Evans on the depth chart. He racked up 18.6 WAR in nine seasons with the team, earning three All-Star selections and peaking as a 6-WAR player in 2006 when he helped the Tigers reach the World Series. Five times Edmonds hit .300 or better, and he also slugged 30-or-more home runs on five different occasions as well. His production was as steady as any player could hope, even if he was never a bonafide superstar. Corey Maggette Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Dating back to the year 2000, we've seen 40 different players win Rookie of the Year Awards. Hell likely get into Cooperstown on the writers ballot, thanks to a late career renaissance with the Rangers that has pushed him near 3,000 hits and a .300 lifetime batting average. A nine-time All-Star over his 14-year career spent entirely with the Red Sox, Doerr was not only an excellent bunter but a second baseman with power as well. He would hit .275 or better five times and put together seven consecutive seasons in which he stole at least 20 bases a year. I assume Heywards best years are in front of him. It was an era in baseball defined by power. He spent the last five seasons of his major league career with the Brewers, where he took two future Hall of Famers under his wing: Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. He was terrific once again in 2002 (15-4, 3.28 ERA, 144 K, 164.2 IP) and solid in 2003 (14-13, 4.13 ERA, 161 K, 187.1 IP) before shoulder injuries derailed his career. He tallied 10 complete games and three shutouts during that stretch, and he was an All-Star in '04 when he went 14-9 with a 3.38 ERA in 215.2 innings. A three-time All-Star with six .300 seasons under his belt, Hal McRae was named the Designated Hitter of the Year on three separate occasions by both The Sporting News and the Associated Press. 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball, Sonic Base Cards Are Different. Its not the best peak in baseball history, but it also isnt far off. 13, was retired by the team. It wasn't until he was traded to the Brewers prior to the 1978 season that a then 29-year-old Oglivie got a chance to play on an everyday basis. Fuentes was an All-Star for three straight seasons from 2005 to 2007, converting 84.7 percent of his save chances en route to a franchise record 115 saves. A switch-hitting left fielder who spent his entire career with the Yankees, Roy White was an excellent defensive outfielder who led all American League left fielders in fielding percentage from 1968 through the 1971 season. Hisle was a solid all-around player who never really got his due, largely in part to being overshadowed by his more heralded Hall of Fame teammates with the Twins, Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew. Jermaine O'Neal 2. DeCinces took Tigers' reliever Dave Tobik deep into the night, leading the Orioles to a comeback 6-5 victory on what has been called "the night Oriole Magic was born." Five times he hit more than 30 home runs, twice he broke the 100 RBI barrier and eight times he hit more than 20 home runs and drove in at least 70 runs. Victimized by a lack of run support for most of his career, largely because he was the best pitcher on some awful teams, Stieb's numbers are even more impressive. We use cookies to help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience. Morris hit .340 in his first full season with the Reds and was an instrumental part of the team that upset the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the 1990 World Series. Without question, the highlight of Abbott's career came on Sept. 4, 1993 when he threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium, walking five while striking out three. Career Stats: 1,392 G; .267/.333/.429; 153 HR; 610 RBI; 1,254 H; 603 R; 39-for-77 SB. At his peak, Edmonds was one of the greatest two-way center fielders in MLB history. However, who were the most underrated MLB players of the 2010s? But in reality, Jeff McNeil has been lighting it up at the plate this year, hitting an amazing. Theres also Buddy Bell, Ron Santo, Ken Boyer and a range of other third basemen who hit respectably and offered superb, if under-appreciated, defensive value. We saw the ends of the Terry Francona and Larry Bowa eras . If memory serves correctly, its his truck, too. Closers Brian Wilson, Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo received the bulk of the attention in the Giants bullpen during their impressive run to three World Series titles in five years. Career Stats: 1,649 G; .259/.329/.445; 237 HR; 879 RBI; 1,505 H; 778 R; 58-for-106 SB. Career Stats: 1,998 G; .277/.343/.425; 193 HR; 1,007 RBI; 2,020 H; 1,092 R; 341-for-434 SB. He hit at least 20 home runs in nine consecutive seasons from 1933 through 1941, and drove in at least 100 runs for seven straight seasons, from 1935 through 1941. He'd accomplish the feat three more times over the course of his career. He logged 7,370 plate appearances with a career slash line of .312/.397/.562. Conine enjoyed success for a few seasons, placing third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 1993 and earning an All-Star selection in each of the next two seasons. Career Stats: 1,919 G; .291/.319/.391; 57 HR; 941 RBI; 2,158 H; 980 R; 363-for-400 SB*. Honorable mention: Bobby Abreu, who fell just short ofa .300/.400/.500 slash for the first decade of the 2000s. Winner of seven consecutive Gold Glove awards in center field and a three-time All-Star, Devon White was one of the more underrated players of the past 20 years. A nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove Award winner during his 15 major-league seasons, Santo wasn't elected to the Hall of Fame until nearly 40 years after his retirementand tragically, one year after his death. (When I know more about 19th century baseballthan the cursory amount that I do, Ill write something. There have been just 12 position players worth three or more WAR in each of the last four seasons. Much like the Orioles are doing in 2012, the 1979 team made a habit of posting late-game comebacks en route to taking home the American League pennant. Here are nine underrated ones: 1) Luis Gonzalez, D-backs, 2001 57 HR, 36 2B, 7 3B, 100 BB, 1.117 OPS So the man puts together one of the great offensive seasons of all-time, and all anyone wants to talk to him about is a bloop single that just cleared the infield. Most underrated MLB players entering 2022 season #5 Julio Urias - Los Angeles Dodgers Julio Urias pitches against the Atlanta Braves Julio Urias won 20 MLB games in his first full season. SS Honus Wagner: (.352/.417/.508, 1,847 H, 51 HR, 956 RBI, 1,014 R) 2. He has Rookie Cards in 1999 Bowman, Bowman Chrome, Bowmans Best, Stadium Club, Topps and Topps Chrome. Copyright 2023, Beckett Collectibles, LLC. At his peak, Edmonds was one of the greatest two-way center fielders in MLB history. A five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Wallach led the National League in doubles twice and was the first player from Cal-State Fullerton to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. If you do not receive the verification code within 60 Seconds, we will send you the activation link again. Some might wonder how someone who is enshrined in the Hall of Fame could possibly be underrated, but without a doubt Ron Santo is arguably the most underrated player to ever play the game. The pitchers threw the ball harder, and the sluggers hit the ball further than any previous decade. A seven-time All-Star, his 2.48 ERA led the American League in 1985. Tim Wallach could play both corner-infield and outfield positions, and even took the mound twice for the Expos, in 1987 and 1989. Career Stats: 1,754 G; .273/.336/.450; 235 HR; 901 RBI; 87-for-157 SB. McRae is one of only a handful of players who have a rule be named after them. In my opinion, Todd Helton might be the most underrated player between 2000-2009. 6. Three years later, he was runner-up in NL MVP voting when he led the league in batting average (.340), hits (216), doubles (50) and RBI (137) while slugging 36 home runs. After starting his career with three years of limited playing time in Cleveland, Jay Bell was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1989, where he became the everyday shortstop for the team that went to the NLCS in three consecutive seasons. Career Stats: 2,324 G; .255/.293/.383; 160 HR; 886 RBI; 2,006 H; 912 R; 178-for-261 SB. Career Stats: 1,197 G; .273/.347/.452; 166 HR; 674 RBI; 128-for-189 SB. Part of the Impossible Dream Sox team that won the 1967 American League pennant in one of the closest races in history, Petrocelli hit two home runs in Game 6 of the World Series, forcing a Game 7 that the Sox ultimately lost to Bob Gibson and the Cardinals. His real claim to fame, however, came in 1973 when he stepped into the batter's box in spring training, becoming the first player to ever bat as a designated hitter. His brilliance with the glove is easier to document than Ty Cobb's temper, Hack Wilson's drinking or Walter Johnson's fastball; it is all over the literature of the sport. His hit tool should be remembered with Ichiro, Miggy, Pujols, Vladdy, and its beginning to look like Trout will go down in that group as well. Conine wasn't about gaudy numbershe was simply consistent. Corey Maggette 10. Phillies baseball in the early 2000s was a time to forget. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Stay in the know about the latest sports card, hobby news, and promotions from Beckett. Across 15 MLB seasons, he tallied 2,096 hits, 316 home runs, 1,220 RBI and 44.5 WAR. From 2000-06 the team won 85 games five times but never made the playoffs. How can someone who has a losing record over the course of his career be considered underrated? Take .05 off from his career OPS (quite a significant amount) and it still rounds up to .9. By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. Johnson was one of them, and Carroll captured how underrated "Indian Bob" truly was: Consistency may be the hobgoblin of little minds, but it can also make certain ballplayers nigh unto invisible. The rate stats matter most with Mize. Lind hit .305/.370/.562 for a 141 OPS+ with 46 doubles, 35 home runs and 114 RBI in what looked like a breakout age-25 season in 2009. He won 80 games and posted a 3.66 ERA in 1,163.1 innings in his first years in the big leagues, but multiple Tommy John surgeries limited him to just 49 innings after his age-27 season. Beltres lucky. Before he was a postseason hero serving as a veteran utility man for the Washington Nationals, Kendrick was a rock solid second baseman for the better part of a decade with the Angels. Not only would he help the Red Sox win the American League Pennant in 1946, he did everything that he could to win the 1946 World Series, hitting .417 against the St. Louis Cardinals in what wound up being a Cardinals' sweep. The most underrated player at every position March 29th, 2022 Anthony Castrovince @ castrovince Share It's the moment you've been waiting and rating for. It's not like Vizquel is the second coming of Rey Ordonez, a slick fielding shortstop who was inept at the plate. Think about Dennis Johnson of the 1980sthe dude was a five-time All-Star and a Finals MVP. He went 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA in 218 innings to finish runner-up in AL Cy Young voting in 2006, and followed that up with a 19-7 record and 3.60 ERA in 199.1 innings the next year before he was sidelined midway through the 2008 campaign. In between, he was a five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger winner, and two-time Gold Glove winner who helped set the table for some potent St. Louis Cardinals lineups in his prime. During the first six seasons of the 2000s, he hit .292/.406/.584 while averaging 35 home runs, 98 RBI and 6.1 . Yet somehow, Tim Salmon was never named to an All-Star team. He won Silver Slugger honors in 2014, hitting .271/.342/.467 for a 126 OPS+ with 23 home runs and 76 RBI and two years later he was traded to the Mets for left-hander Jon Niese. Look past Heywards garish traditional stats, though, and a brightly talented player emerges, one whos averaged All Star-level WAR since the beginning of his career. So Oquendo proved his worth as a super utility player, playing every position except for catcher in 1987 when Cardinals' manager Whitey Herzog dubbed him "the secret weapon." Yes. From 1989 through 1990, Oquendo was the Cardinals starting second baseman, and he flourished in the position. He has six seasons with at least 16 wins and he has at least an ERA under 3.30. He slugged 107 home runs and made two All-Star appearances in four years with the South Siders. Bonds packaged this with averages from 1990-98of 36 home runs, 36 steals and a .305/.438/.600 slash. While I thought he was great at his job back then, it turns out that he was a damn fine ballplayer as well. Missed the first three parts of this series? The left-hander signed a two-year, $17.5 million contract with the Angels after the 2008 season, but he stands as the best closer in Rockies franchise history. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Doug Christie 9. I also count him as one of the few players 25 and under who already hasa shot at Cooperstown. the first player to ever bat as a designated hitter. Full of young stars from all over the world including twenty different countries. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Vizquel hit .280 or better eight times, hit more than 30 doubles four times and led the league in sacrifice hits three times. Pitching: Christy Mathewson leads the pitching staff and he would battle Wagner for player of the decade honors. _______________________________________________________. He had a 26-homer, 27-steal, 6.3-WAR season in 2001, and his 22.4 WAR from 1999 through the 2004 season ranked 40th among all position players and sixth among third basemen during that stretch. A reliever as a rookie in 2010 (44 G, 1.30 ERA) and an All-Star as a starter the following year (13-8, 3.51 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 169 IP), Ogando's debut coincided with the Rangers appearing in back-to-back World Series. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Now that our list of the top 100 MLB players of all time has been revealed, it's time to have some fun.. More than 20,000 votes were . Career Stats: 331 G (273 GS); 139-113; 2.76 ERA; 1.23 WHIP; 2,192 IP; 2,092 H, 1.75 K/BB. From his first full season in the MLB rotation in 2006 through the 2013 season, he was one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, making at least 30 starts and working at least 180 innings . Joe DiMaggio, who had broken the consecutive-game hitting-streak record two weeks earlier (set by Willie Keeler in 1897) was vying for a 57th straight game with a hit. Jim Fregosi became the face of the Angels franchiseand its most popular playerduring the 1960s and early 1970s. I wonder if Rolen might be in the same boat if hed spent more time at the Ballpark inArlington; his slash in just 34 plate appearances there is .419/.471/.742. His 146 home runs rank eighth all-time in franchise history. The following year he helped lead the Florida Marlins to an unexpected World Series title. Bartlett came to the Rays along with Matt Garza in the deal that sent former top prospect Delmon Young to the Minnesota Twins. I just read an article on Tim Raines being the second best leadoff man from his generation due to his elite OBP (career .385) and SB skills. While he began his major league career in 1968, it wasn't until 1969 that a 22-year-old center fielder named Larry Hisle got a chance to play on a daily basis, and he rewarded the Phillies with a solid campaign that resulted in a fourth place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. Is Lance Berkman leaning on a beat up old Ford in the Astrodome parking lot? Career Stats: 2,247 G; .260/.300/.320; 15 HR; 525 RBI; 2,191 H; 987 R; 318-for-423 SB. The deal to acquire Guillen from the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2004 season in exchange for Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez (not that one) is one of the best trades in Tigers history. The oldest Major League player to play in a game in 2019 was Ichiro Suzuki at 45-years-old. Forgive me if Im wrong, but I believe Hornsby is the only MLB player to hit 40+ homers and bat .400 in the same season. Seriously? While his accomplishments with the Pirates were overshadowed by the exploits of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke and even manager Jim Leyland, Bell established himself as one of the better shortstops in the game during his time with the Pirates, overcoming his limited range by putting himself in the right position, depending on the batter. His peak gets lost in the shuffle pitching alongside CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Rarely mentioned among the most dominant relievers in recent history, Uehara had a 2.19 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 11.6 K/9 with 79 saves in 91 chances during his four seasons with the Red Sox. Most of the names you would expect: Andrew McCutchen, Dustin Pedroia, Matt Holliday, Robinson . They'd go on to win 20 of their next 23 games and the World Series as well.