The following are some of my favorite underrated players in the league who deserve more attention.
Michael Brantley- Astros
The true definition of a hitter, Brantley is a sure bet to hit above .300 every season. One of my favorite hitters in the league, I have no doubt when Brantley steps in the batters box he will make some sort of contact with the baseball. Now 33, I feel like people forget about how good and consistent Brantley can be. Since the 2017 season, Brantley has hit at least .299. After the majority of his career was spent with Cleveland, he came over to Houston and is a force at the top of their lineup.
Pablo Lopez- Marlins
Pablo Lopez broke out last season and is among one of baseball's best overlooked pitchers. The whole Marlins rotation as a whole is really good, but Lopez is the one that stands out. Lopez's changeup is his best pitch which he uses at a 31 percent clip. Lopez is a groundball pitcher, resulting in a smaller number of home runs he allows.
Aaron Civale- Cleveland
Aaron Civale is one of my favorite underrated pitchers in the league. After having an ERA of 4.34 in the 2020 season, I expect him to have a bounce back season in 2021. Civale had a 2.34 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP his rookie year in 2019. Cleveland's pitching rotation as a whole is very good and is somewhat similar to Miami's rotation in that they can develop pitchers well.
Alex Verdugo- Red Sox
Verdugo was in the Betts and Price deal that sent those two to Los Angeles, Verdugo was the Red Sox consolation prize. Only 24 years old, Verdugo took major strides in the 2020 season, which has positioned him into a future all-star if he stays on track. Verdugo is a safe bet to hit in the .290 range with around 20 or more round-trippers. I am a firm believer in Verdugo's ability to develop into an all-star caliber type player in the next few seasons.
Cristian Javier- Astros
Javier came up in the 2020 season due to injuries to Houston's rotation and made an immediate impact with the Astros. In 2020, Javier had a 3.48 ERA and an outstanding 0.99 WHIP in 54.1 IP. He projects to stay in the starting rotation for the long term and is one of the most talented young arms in the game.
Richard Rodriguez- Pirates
Personally my favorite underrated closer in the league, Rodriguez is as reliable as it gets. I think he gets overlooked simply because he plays for the worst team in the league and gets very few save chances. Rich-Rod really settled in as Pittsburgh's closer in the 2020 season. Pitching to the tune of a 2.70 ERA in 2020, I am a big believer in Rodriguez's potential. He will most likely end up getting traded later this season and I hope he can continue his role as a closer wherever he ends up.
Jake Cronenworth- Padres
Cronenworth is a player who can do everything well. He gets on base, steals close to double digit bases, but has very minimal power in his bat. He can also play multiple positions which is a manager's dream. being able to stick a player wherever he wants on any given day. In 2020, Cronenworth hit .285 and projects to hit close to .300 in a full season. Cronenworth hits in a solid Padres lineup and is in a good position to contribute in multiple categories.
Luis Arraez- Twins
A player who could lead the league in batting average, Arraez is a hitting machine. Hitting .334 his rookie season in 2019 and .321 in 2020, Arraez is a sure bet to hit above .300. and is a threat to score a lot of runs considering he has Josh Donaldson and Nelson Cruz hitting below him in the batting order. Arraez is a player to keep an eye on for the batting title and may win one in the future.
Final Thoughts: I enjoyed writing this post on who I think are underrated players. These are just a few that impress me over and over when they are on the field.
See you at the Ballpark!
Adam
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