The concept of being undervalued on the baseball field can mean different things to different people. The following players are, without a doubt, viewed as important – and most of them, crucial – pieces to the puzzle if their respective teams plan on contending in 2016.
But when it comes to public perception and the amount of media coverage popular players like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw get over others, there are some legitimately good ballplayers who don’t get nearly enough attention. So, I put together a starting lineup with a player from each position that I think deserves more love than they’re currently getting.
Starting Pitcher: Collin McHugh, Houston Astros
During the 2015 season, there were a total of five big league pitchers who won at least 19 games. Can you name them? Jake Arrieta (22) and Dallas Keuchel (20) are the easy ones since they’re reigning Cy Young winners. It won’t be surprising to hear that Gerrit Cole (19) and Zack Greinke (19) are also a part of this group, but McHugh doesn’t really fit the “stud starting pitcher” mold.
His numbers weren’t as dominant as the other four hurlers, but he’s probably the quietest 19-game winner in recent memory. I know wins isn’t the best stat to measure a pitcher by, but the other numbers he posted weren’t all that bad (19-7 record, 3.89 ERA, 1.28 WHIP with 171 strikeouts in 203.2 innings pitched).
McHugh is off to a rough start (6.39 ERA, 1.90 WHIP in 12.2 innings), but has experienced nothing but solid production since landing with the Astros.
http://gty.im/522441536
Catcher: Francisco Cervelli, Pittsburgh Pirates
When naming the best catchers in baseball, the usual names come to mind: Buster Posey, Salvador Perez, Russell Martin, Jonathan Lucroy and not too long ago, Yadier Molina. But what about Francisco Cervelli? He doesn’t bring a ton of home run power to the table (17 career HRs in nine years), but he puts the bat on the ball and gets on base at a high clip.
He finally got a chance to catch every day in 2015 with the Pirates and posted a respectable OPS of .771 – especially when considering he only collected 29 extra-base hits. Cervelli is off to a similarly hot start this year, slashing .333/.453/.429 with six RBI and seven runs scored through 42 at-bats.
Also, something that shouldn’t be overlooked is his work behind the plate. Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs talked about Cervelli’s pitch-framing ability when Pittsburgh traded for him, and the consistent offense he’s provided has been an added bonus.
First Base: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
While he’s easily the game’s top first baseman, this three-time All-Star is not talked about nearly enough. There are some who consider him MLB’s third-best position player behind Harper and Trout, but it’s tough to see highlights of him on ESPN when the other two dominate headlines as much as they do.
Tony La Russa, who now works for the Diamondbacks, said Goldschmidt reminds him of a prime-age Albert Pujols. That’s quite a lofty comparison, but it’s also not crazy. He’s got two 30-homer seasons under his belt, has posted at least a .900 OPS three straight years and added 21 steals to his ledger in 2015.
Second Base: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians
Kipnis is a victim of being in the “next group” of top second baseman. Everyone is all over Dee Gordon, Jose Altuve and Robinson Cano, and while those three are ahead of him, Kipnis is no slouch.
The home run numbers haven’t been there since hitting 14 in 2012 and then 17 more in 2013, but he’s still a doubles machine, hitting at least 25 in each of the last three seasons. He’s also notorious for being a slow starter, but is off to one of the best starts of his career, hitting .293/.362/.463 with five RBI, seven runs scored and four doubles in 41 at-bats.
Third Base: Trevor Plouffe, Minnesota Twins
Not many people talk about the Twins on the national level, but when they do, it’s normally focused on their young talent, such as Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. However, it’s the veteran presence of guys like Joe Mauer and Plouffe that’s helped them crawl out of a 0-9 hole to start 2016.
How valuable is Plouffe to the Twins? Instead of trading him this past winter to open up a spot at third base for Sano, they’re sacrificing even more defense by putting him in right field so Plouffe has a place to play. He’s rewarded them so far, hitting .302/.333/.535 with two homers and six RBI before hitting the disabled list.
http://gty.im/522962822
Shortstop: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
Just about a month ago, I wrote an article talking about how Carlos Correa and Corey Seager were helping usher in a new golden age for the shortstop position. I mentioned a total of eight players, and not one of them was Crawford. Not because he doesn’t deserve it – there just wasn’t enough room.
He’s been steadily improving each year in the majors, which culminated in 2015 with a 4.7 fWAR performance thanks to his power showing up (21 homers, 84 RBI) to compliment his already solid defense. Crawford was so valuable enough to the Giants that they awarded him a six-year, $75 million extension over the winter, and also valuable enough for me to nab him in a few fantasy baseball leagues.
But either way, he unfairly gets overlooked because the shortstop position is just oozing with a ton of young talent these days.
Outfield: Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians
Poor Kipnis – he can’t even be the most undervalued player on his own team.
It’s pretty clear that Brantley is Cleveland’s most important offensive player, and they’re likely chomping at the bit to get him back after recovering from shoulder surgery (he’s on a rehab assignment, so it’s almost time). This guy is an extra-base hit machine, and it would’ve been hard for me to realize that until taking a look at his stats.
Not only has he posted an .800-plus OPS over the past two seasons, but he’s hit at least 15 home runs and 45 doubles each year, as well. He was an All-Star in his breakout 2014 campaign, also placing third in AL MVP voting and taking home a Silver Slugger award.
Brantley is a three-hole hitter that can hit at least 20 homers, steal 20 bases and hit 40 doubles in a season. There’s not much more a manager could want out of a player in the middle of a lineup.
Outfield: Christian Yelich, Miami Marlins
It’s really hard to share an outfield with Giancarlo Stanton, and it’s easy for a solid ballplayer like Yelich to fly under the radar. However, he’s possibly the best all-around player the Marlins have.
Entering just his age-24 season, he owns a career triple slash of .292/.370/.409 and has already won a Gold Glove award (in 2014). He’s may not be a big-time power hitter like Stanton (21 career homers in 344 games), but he’s registered 30 doubles in each of the last two seasons.
When looking at his age and the presence of hitting coach Barry Bonds, he could take a huge step forward in his development. Things have been going well so far in 2016, as he’s slashing .350/.500/.500 through 40 at-bats.
Outfield: J.D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers
If you thought sharing an outfield with Stanton was hard, what Martinez has to do truly takes the cake. I mean, try sharing a field with one of the greatest hitters of our generation in Miguel Cabrera. He does though, and does it awfully well.
In fact, he’s a crucial piece of the offense by providing lineup protection for both Cabrera and Victor Martinez. After getting released by the Houston Astros, he broke out in 2014 with a .912 OPS, which included 23 home runs and 76 RBI. His OPS dropped in 2015 (.879), but he became an even more legitimate power source at the plate (38 homers, 102 RBI).
Martinez is also off to a red-hot start this season, hitting .370/.444/.565 with two homers and six RBI in 46 at-bats, helping the Tigers offense stay afloat as other important pieces try getting into a groove.
Who do you think deserves to be on this list that didn’t make it?
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter so we can chat about baseball: @mmusico8.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
