MLB: Starters for the “All-Overrated” Team by Position

First Baseman: Mark Teixeira – New York Yankees

Without question, Mark Teixeira was arguably the best first basemen in the game earlier in his career. However, as the case with most overrated players, past accolades have a way of somehow being factored into the overall contributions a player has recently made to his team.  After an inconceivable season that saw Teixeira blast 31 homers, his best total since 2011, and accrue a 3.8 WAR, he has responded miserably by batting .196, slugging .297 and currently owns a -0.2 WAR.

Despite the success the Yankee first basemen experienced last year, it probably shouldn’t have called for much optimism among Yankee fans going forward. A look at the trajectory of his career reveals that the slugger has been trending downward across the board since 2012. Things have been so bad recently that Teixeira, who is statistically one of the most accomplished switch hitters ever, is now batting .148 from the left side, prompting manager Joe Girardi to leave him out of the roster more frequently based on what type of pitcher the Yankees are scheduled to face.

Combine declining statistics, the exposure that playing in New York brings and his name recognition with the fact Teixeira is scheduled to make a little over $23 million this year, and you have the recipe for an overrated player.

Next: Middle infielder too good to be true