Michael Brantley the most Underrated Player in Baseball?
By Josh Sippie
If you google the phrase “best players in baseball” you’ll turn up a wide array of names past and present. But one name I guarantee you will not turn up is Cleveland Indian‘s Michael Brantley.
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Michael Brantley was third in the MVP vote last year, an all star and a silver slugger and yet he continues to fly under the radar. Whether that’s because he plays in the middle of the United States in Cleveland or because he does his speaking on the playing field, Michael Brantley deserves to be recognized as one of the top players in the game.
Known as “Dr. Smooth,” Michael Brantley has been the primary driving force for the Cleveland Indians since 2012, when he hit .288 with six home runs and 60 RBIs, primarily out of the 5-hole in the lineup. In 2013, he continued to be shuffled around in the lineup and still hit .284 with an improved ten home runs and 73 RBIs.
All of those numbers are good, but not great. What Michael Brantley is doing now is great.
After making the three spot in the order his own last year, Brantley hit to the tune of .336 in that crucial spot in the lineup, which was first among qualifying players. His 15 home runs out of that spot were good for 7th in the league and his 74 RBIs were good for sixth. Add to that his 19 steals, good for second, and we’ve found one of the best No. 3 hitters in all of baseball.
Starting off 2015, Michael Brantley is in a three-way race with Matt Holliday and Adam Jones for the best No. 3 hitter in the league yet again. His .315 average with four home runs and 27 RBIs are quite the start along with his seven stolen bases. His OPS is even up from his MVP-caliber year last year.
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Michael Brantley deserves to be a perennial all-star and he absolutely deserves to be in the MVP talk. It’s a shame that it took until last year for him to get the recognition he deserves and even now he continues to produce and continues to be overshadowed by players that play on larger-market teams than the Cleveland Indians.
Michael Brantley is an elite baseball player. The offensive stats provide enough backing, but the solid defense is there as well. He hits in the premium No. 3 hole and he’s arguably the best No. 3 hitter in the game. Last years all-star and near-MVP results were no fluke, this guy is special and he’s going to be the core of the Cleveland Indians’ emerging lineup.