MLB: Unveiling the All-Underrated team of the decade
2010s MLB All-Underrated Team
Starting Pitcher: Gio Gonzalez
Stats for the decade: 122-88 W-L, 3.50 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 31.7 WAR
The 2010s saw some of the best starting pitchers of all time. Starters threw harder, had sharper breaking balls, and struck out more batters than ever before. Pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and plenty of others appear poised to become enshrined in Cooperstown one day.
Others lacked the firepower of their peers, but still somehow found long term success in a decade defined by velocity. A perfect example of this is Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez broke out in 2010 with Oakland and proceeded to have two of the best seasons of his career in 2011 and 2012. He was an all-star both years and finished third in Cy Young voting in 2012. That year, he lead the league in wins (21), and FIP (2.82).
However, for the remainder of his career, he fell into the shadows of his teammates Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg in Washington. Despite being a number 3 starter, he continued to put in quality work as a starter. Without the elite velocity of his teammates, he continued to strikeout countless batters, and be the most underrated pieces in one of the best rotations of the decade.
In recent years, Gio Gonzalez has fallen out of favor by MLB teams. The Nationals traded him to the Brewers in 2018 after having two down years in a row. However, Gio bounced back for the Brew Crew, pitching to a perfect 3-0 record in 5 starts with a 2.13 ERA. The following year, he was signed by the Yankees, but never made it to the majors with them. After they released him, the Brewers picked him up once again, and Gonzalez proved to be a valuable back-of-the-rotation starter with for them.
It is clear that Gio Gonzalez is past his prime, but his consistent effectiveness as a starter should continue to land him jobs in major league rotations. He had some elite, ace-like years, and deserves the spot as the most underrated starting pitcher of the 2010s.