As the decade comes to a close, people are crowning their team of the decade. However, who were the most underrated MLB players of the 2010s?
As the decade comes to a close, the baseball community is beginning to look back at the 2010s. It was an era in baseball defined by power. The pitchers threw the ball harder, and the sluggers hit the ball further than any previous decade.
We saw some crazy statistics emerge, alongside studs at every position. We saw record home runs in both quantity and distance. We saw pitchers reach impossible velocities. And most of all, we changed the way we think of baseball with the introduction of Statcast and all its insane metrics.
While the perennial MVP candidates attract all the headlines (and are rewarded with record-breaking contracts), there’s a crop of unsung heroes that have consistently made their teams better throughout the decade. These aren’t the players who are breaking records or winning MVPs but have quietly found ways to maintain long term success in the major leagues.
Whether it’s with their stellar defense, ability to get on base or timely hitting, the game’s top underrated players have impacted the decade far more than can be seen by the untrained eye. So, let’s take a closer look at the numbers in order to pick the most underrated players at each position this decade.
First, let’s set some ground rules. The All-Decade Underrated team will consist of one player at each position, including one starting pitcher and one relief pitcher. Next, each player must play over 70% of their games at the position they are selected for (Sorry, Ben Zobrist). Lastly, every player must be actively playing in the MLB as of the 2019 season.
So, without further ado, let’s reveal who earned their spots on the MLB All-Underrated Team of the Decade.