Most underrated player on each American League team heading into 2022
In each and every year throughout Major League Baseball, there are always a handful of players in both the American League and National League that seem to fly below the radar despite solid performance on the field.
There are many reasons why a player can be labelled as “underrated.” Maybe the player is not much of a media guy and tends to quietly go about his business (Mike Trout, anyone?). Some of the legends of the game were not very good soundbites and therefore were left out of the media circle and almost forgotten about, instead diverting the media’s attention to players on the opposite end of that spectrum and making said quiet player become underrated.
Another common way for baseball players to become underrated is if they’re pesky slap-hitters whose main value comes in the clubhouse. Maybe they’re good for some big moments throughout their career, but overall they may not be the flashiest player ever.
David Eckstein is my favorite example of a player like this.
David Eckstein, best known for his tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals in which he won a World Series championship as well as World Series MVP honors, played from 2001-2010, bouncing around from various teams in both the American and National leagues. His legendary postseason performance in 2006 is extraordinary. In the World Series of that year, Eckstein was hitless in game one. Over the next three games, his slash-line read .615/.643/.846 as he registered a total of eight hits — three of them for extra bases — scored three runs and drove in four, easily winning World Series MVP along the way.
By no means a slugger, the 5-foot-6, 170-pound Eckstein played in over 1,300 games and managed to hit just 35 home runs, never more than eight in a season and is a proud owner of a .355 career slugging-percentage.
A master of the walk and base-hit up the middle, Eckstein nearly walked as many times as he struck out during his career, always putting up a fight during his at-bats. The small speedster was also the league-leader in hit by pitches and sacrifice hits twice over the course of his career. Point being, David Eckstein always found a way to get on base by whatever means necessary. Never a big home run hitter and one that does not have any “black ink” on the back of his baseball card (meaning amount of times a player leads the league in any of the “important” offensive categories), Eckstein was and always will be very underrated, but damn did he know how to play the game of baseball.
There are loads of players in modern-day MLB that fit into each category mentioned above. Let’s take a look at one player from each American League team who is criminally underrated.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Alek Manoah
The first team up in the American League East is the Toronto Blue Jays and this one was already a tough decision to make. Relief ace Jordan Romano or shut down rookie Alek Manoah? When lining the numbers up against one another, Manoah is going to edge Romano out.
In Alek Manoah’s first season in the big leagues, the 24-year-old righty looked very, very promising. His MLB debut started things off on a positive note, striking out seven over six innings of work. It was all uphill from there.
Ending 2021 with a 9-2 record, a 3.22 ERA and a shiny 10.24 K/9. Manoah struck out 127 batters over 111 innings of work. If you’re looking to find flaws in his early-showings in the big leagues, you’ll find some; primarily his still-evolving control. Manoah hit 16 batters and walked 3.2 batters per-nine innings, good for an 8.7 BB%; a number he will need to work on moving forward.
The Toronto Blue Jays are an offensive powerhouse. Nearly every position player they have in their starting lineup is a double-digit home run threat. Having the likes of George Springer, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Teoscar Hernandez makes it easy to over-value their offensive and under-value their stellar pitching staff.
Honorable mention: RHP Jordan Romano 62 G, 23 SV, 2.14 ERA, 12.1 SO/9 in 2021
New York Yankees: OF/DH Giancarlo Stanton
How can one of this generation’s best power hitters and owner of one of the sweetest right-handed swings ever possibly be underrated? The short answer is, he plays in New York and Yankees fans can be unforgiving if a player slips up, whether it’s due to injury or poor performance. Once labelled as a sure-fire Hall of Famer and one of the most popular players in the game, Giancarlo Stanton now lives in the shadows of Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo, and Gerrit Cole.
When healthy, there is absolutely no doubt about what Giancarlo Stanton can do on a baseball field. Unfortunately for the Yankees-faithful, his health has been the issue so far during his tenure in New York. After missing significant time in both 2019 and 2020, Stanton was finally healthy for the vast majority of a season this past year.
In 2021, Giancarlo Stanton seemed to return to form, hitting 35 home runs and driving in 97 across 579 plate appearances in 139 games. His 137 wRC+, .273 batting average and .516 SLG% were the highest he has put up in a full season since his otherworldly performance back in 2017 as a member of the Marlins.
Honorable mention: LHP Lucas Luetge 57 G, 2.74 ERA, 157 ERA+, 1.9 BB/9, 9.7 SO/9, 1.30 WHIP in 2021
Baltimore Orioles: OF Austin Hays
Hidden behind Cedric Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle and Trey Mancini, 25-year-old Austin Hays is heavily slept on when talking about current Baltimore Orioles.
Durability has been a bit of an issue for Hays in the past but in 2021, Hays played his first full season in the big leagues, hitting 22 home runs, driving in 73, putting up 2.4 fWAR, a 106 wRC+, and a .461 SLG%. Steamer projections have him putting up almost an identical performance in the upcoming campaign, hitting 24 home runs and driving in 72 across 136 games.
On defense, Austin Hays is a capable outfielder who can fill it at any position on the grass, but the emergence of Cedric Mullins has pushed him to a corner spot; which ultimately may end up being the best fit for Hays.
Honorable mention: RHP Cole Sulser 60 G, 2.70 ERA, 10.4 SO/9, 1.1 WHIP in 2021
Boston Red Sox: RHP Garrett Whitlock
Raise your hand if you expected Rule 5 Draft-pick Garrett Whitlock to emerge as one of the top relief pitching options in the major leagues last season? Anyone? Didn’t think so.
Whitlock, 25, was used as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues with the Yankees but appeared exclusively out of the bullpen as a long-relief option in 2021, appearing in 46 games, pitching 73.1 innings. Across those 73 innings, Garrett Whitlock struck out 81 while walking just 17, good for a 9.9 SO/9 and 2.1 BB/9. The 6-foot-5 Georgia-native wrapped up the season with a 1.96 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 1.11 WHIP and an ERA+ of 241.
Steamer projections have Garrett Whitlock projected to come back down to Earth somewhat in 2022, posting a 3.76 ERA, 3.64 FIP, while maintaining a 9.00+ SO/9 and a 2.89 BB/9, appearing in 68 games out of the Red Sox bullpen.
Diving deeper into Garrett Whitlock, he is predominantly a three-pitch pitcher, relying heavily on his four-seam fastball and throwing a changeup and curveball as his secondary pitches. Last season, Whitlock posted above-average PLUS% (essentially measuring how often a specific pitch results in a positive result for the pitcher, so a called strike, swinging strike, foul ball, and outs on balls in play) on each of the three pitches including a 51.5% on the fastball, 46% on the changeup and 50% on the curveball – all well above average numbers.
Honorable mention: INF/OF Enrique Hernández 134 G, 20 HR, 60 RBI, .250/.337/.449 slash-line, OPS+ of 107 and wRC+ of 110 in 2021
Tampa Bay Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe
Since his debut in 2018, Brandon Lowe has done it all for the Tampa Bay Rays. His entire stat-line has gradually improved each year that he’s been around, ultimately hitting a crescendo in 2021 in which he played in a career-high 149 games, hit 39 home runs, drove in 99 while scoring 97 runs himself. Lowe was able to put up 5.2 fWAR and a 137 wRC+ and a very nice .863 OPS.
Brandon Lowe made his first career All-Star appearance back in 2019 and 2021 would have been his second career selection but his second-half performance was drastically better than the first-half. The left-handed swinging Lowe finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year race in 2019, eighth in the American League MVP race in 2020, and tenth in the AL MVP race in 2021. He always seems to be in the conversation when it comes to awards, but overall he is a slightly overlooked player.
On defense, Brandon Lowe is capable of bouncing around between second base (his primary position), first base, and both outfield corners. While Lowe is at or slightly-below average on defense at second, his ability to fill multiple spots as needed mixed with his excellent offensive abilities makes him an incredible asset for this Rays lineup.
Steamer projections have Lowe penciled in for a slight regression from last season, but still a great performance in 2022. In 142 games, Lowe is projected to hit 32 home runs, drive in 86 runs, put up 4.2 WAR and a 125 wRC+
Hidden behind the star-power of Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena, Brandon Lowe has been quietly going about his business over the past few seasons, being a well-above-average performer on a Rays lineup that looks to contend year in and year out.
Honorable mention: RHP Drew Rasmussen 35 G 10 GS, 2.84 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 1.4 fWAR in 2021 between two teams
Cleveland Guardians: RHP Cal Quantrill
Initially acquired as a mere thrown-in as a part of the Mike Clevinger trade between Cleveland and San Diego, I’m not sure anyone saw Cal Quantrill emerging as such a valuable piece at the time.
Since joining the Cleveland Guardians, Quantrill has done nothing but impress; raising his career-highs in nearly every pitching statistic. Since coming over to Cleveland, Quantrill has an 8-3 record, 2.79 ERA, 157 ERA+, 1.17 WHIP, the list goes on and on but you get the gist.
The soon to be 27-year old Canadian right-hander began the season out of the then-Indians bullpen, pitching very well, posting a 1.88 ERA in 18 games and 28 innings, only allowing two home runs in that span.
The first start of Cal Quantrill’s season came on May 31 against the White Sox and he never looked back from there, making a total of 22 starts down the stretch between May and September, posting a 3.12 ERA as a starter and a 7.4 SO/9, a higher number than when he was in the bullpen.
Not taking long at all to get stretched out into a starting pitcher, Cal Quantrill went 6+ in 13 of his starts including a stretch of seven consecutive starts of six or more innings from August 22-September 27.
Hidden behind incumbent staff ace Shane Bieber and bullpen weapons Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak, and Cal Quantrill has been quietly doing his thing since coming over to Cleveland and if his 2022 season goes anything like 2021 did for him, he may be here to stay.
Honorable mention: CF Myles Straw 158 G, 86 R, 30 SB, .336 BABIP, 3.7 fWAR in 2021
Detroit Tigers: RHP Michael Fulmer
Michael Fulmer burst onto the scene in 2016 with an excellent rookie season, ultimately winning the American League Rookie of the Year award and finishing 10th in American League Cy Young voting, even making his first career All-Star appearance the following season.
Injuries had been a huge problem for Fulmer in 2018 and ’19 as he has missed time from strained obliques, a torn meniscus in his right knee and eventually – Tommy John surgery just before the regular season began in 2019.
2020 saw Fulmer return to the mound, pitching in 10 games but compiling an 0-2 record with an 8.78 ERA, certainly not what you want to see from your former up-and-coming ace. Surprisingly, the Tigers elected to tender Fulmer a contract in the 2020-’21 offseason, a move that they are undoubtedly glad they made looking back on it now.
In 2021, Fulmer spent the vast majority of his time in the bullpen, a first for the career-long starting pitcher. Across 52 games, Michael Fulmer put up a 2.97 ERA, earning 14 saves and striking out 73 batters in 69 innings, good for a 9.4 SO/9 rate, the best of his career to this point.
At one point Michael Fulmer was widely expected to be the ace of the Detroit Tigers‘ future, but he seems to have found his niche coming out of the bullpen – maybe even as a future closer for the club.
Honorable mention: 3B Jeimer Candelario 149 G, 16 HR, 67 RBI, 3.2 fWAR, 119 wRC+ in 2021
Minnesota Twins: INF Luis Arraez
Luis Arraez, like David Eckstein, is a pesky singles hitter who doesn’t walk a lot, doesn’t strike out a lot, and makes a ton of contact. Since his debut, the now 24-year-old Arraez has bounced around defensively while showing incredible bat-to-ball skills and an excellent eye.
Through Luis Arraez’s first 245 games in the big leagues, he has struck out just 88 times in almost 1,000 plate appearances while walking 87 times; good for a career 9.1% K-rate and 9.0% walk-rate. By no means a home run hitter, Arraez has the ability to hit the ball essentially wherever he wants to, his 2021 spray chart shows consistent base hits to all fields.
This past season, Arraez was in the 100th percentile in Whiff% and was near the best in all of baseball in K% and chase rate per Statcast. Defensively, he is capable of playing wherever the Twins need him, gathering appearances at second, third, short, and left field. In 2021, Arraez played over 400 innings at third, 320 at second, and 165 in left, good for a combined total of 1.2 dWAR per Baseball-Reference.
The Minnesota Twins have a lineup filled with home run power, Luis Arraez does not fit that mold. He is a small, fast contact hitter that has flown beneath everyone’s radar so far in his career but his ability to make contact makes him a potential batting champion down the line.
Honorable mention: Miguel Sano 135 G, 30 HR, 75 RBI, .466 SLG%, 110 wRC+, .332 wOBA in 2021
Kansas City Royals: INF Nicky Lopez
Kansas City Royals middle-infielder Nicky Lopez is a very similar player to the Twins’ Luis Arraez in that he is crazy good at making contact with the ball, striking out very little, drawing his fair share of walks, and being solid on defense.
The 26-year-old Lopez played the vast majority of the 2019 and 2020 seasons on the Royals’ big league club but looked overmatched at the plate but respectable on defense, even being named a finalist for the American League Gold Glove award at second base.
Then 2021 happened. Nicky Lopez was able to take massive strides in his game, improving practically every single statistic to his name on both offense and defense. Offensively, Lopez finished the season with a .300 batting average, .365 OBP, stealing a career-high 22 bases (being caught just once), an OPS+ of 102. The list goes on, Lopez posted a career-best 106 wRC+ and a 4.4 fWAR across his 151 games, striking out just 13% of the time. Lopez’s eye in the box is one of the best in the game, as he finished in the 96th percentile in K% last season 93rd percentile in Whiff%.
Nicky Lopez, like Luis Arraez, is the furthest thing from a power threat at the plate. He finished last season near the bottom of the league in average exit velocity, HardHit% and Barrel % but was a pesky hitter at the top of the Royals’ lineup who showed the ability to hit the ball to the opposite field with the best of them.
As if I hadn’t already convinced you that Nicky Lopez was an excellent asset for the Kansas City Royals in 2021, let’s take a moment to talk about his defense. Primarily a second baseman in 2019 and ’20, injuries and poor performance from Adalberto Mondesi opened up shortstop for Lopez, who spent the entirety of 2021 there (aside from a 27-inning stint at second).
In over 1,230 innings at short in 2021, Lopez was able to post a 1.4 dWAR while making just seven total errors (four fielding and three throwing), good for a .987 fielding percentage and earning a spot in the 100th percentile in OAA (Outs Above Average) in all of the major leagues after posting an MLB-high 24 OAA with 18 runs prevented.
Honorable mention: RHP Scott Barlow 71 G, 16 SV, 11.0 SO/9, 0.5 HR/9, 190 ERA+, 2.9 bWAR in 2021
Chicago White Sox: RHP Dylan Cease
When you are a part of a Chicago White Sox pitching staff that includes Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Liam Hendriks, Kendall Graveman, Craig Kimbrel and former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel, it’s easy to understand why a pitcher like Dylan Cease may fly below the radar of MLB scouts and fans alike.
Cease, 26, was finally able to break through in 2021 and pitch a full season’s worth of starts – tying the league lead with 32. Cease ultimately finished the season with a 13-7 record, 3.91 ERA, and 226 strikeouts; showing off the talent that White Sox executives were drooling over when he was acquired from the Cubs back in 2017.
Paired with his 3.41 FIP and 4.4 fWAR, Dylan Cease managed to lower his batting average against to a career-best .223. The flame-throwing right-hander was also ranked near the very top of the charts MLB-wide in K%, Whiff%, fastball velocity and spin on his curveball. While the performances of Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito may have overshadowed Dylan Cease and his 2021 successes, he proved last year that he is here to stay.
Honorable mention: LHP Garrett Crochet 54 G, 2.82 ERA, 10.8 SO/9, 0.3 HR/9, 155 ERA+, 1.3 bWAR in 2021
Los Angeles Angels: 1B/OF Jared Walsh
It’s easy to see why someone like Jared Walsh of the Los Angeles Angels may be overlooked and underrated. Surrounded by a lineup consisting of superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout along with All Star-level players Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher, there’s only so much star-power and media attention to go around.
Walsh, 28, received his first significant look in the big leagues last season. He took the opportunity and ran with it. With an aging and rapidly declining Albert Pujols no longer a viable option at first, the Angels handed the reigns to Walsh and he did nothing but deliver for them.
Not only did Jared Walsh make his first career All Star appearance in 2021, he also was second on the Angels in hits, first in doubles, second in home runs and RBI and first in batting average. Were it not for the otherworldly season from Ohtani, Walsh would be considered to be the Angels’ best player last season.
Moving forward, Walsh is locked in as the club’s starting first baseman who will still see the occasional start in the outfield corners. He was one of the American League’s top performers last season and I’m willing to bet that he won’t stay underrated for long.
Honorable mention: RHP Raisel Iglesias 65 G, 34 SV, 2.8 bWAR, 13.2 SO/9, 174 ERA+ in 2021
Texas Rangers: 1B Nate Lowe
There are a multitude of players on the Texas Rangers’ roster that are criminally underrated. Heading into 2022, big first baseman Nate Lowe tops the list.
Lowe, 26, lit up the minor leagues for the Tampa Bay Rays for years before getting his promotion to the big leagues and playing for the Rays in parts of 2019 and 2020. In December of 2020 Lowe was dealt to the Rangers, where he got the opportunity to be the club’s every day option at first.
Last season Nate Lowe played in 157 games, making just under 650 plate appearances, hitting 18 home runs and driving in 72 RBI. Lowe ranked in the top 10% of the major leagues in max-EV (exit velocity) and BB%, drawing walks at a 12.5% clip.
Statcast has Nate Lowe near the top of the league in HardHit%, BB%, Barrel % and maximum exit velocity – he was able to hit the ball harder than the vast majority of the league while playing decent first base. He ranked near the bottom of the league in runs prevented and OAA last season, a mark he will need to improve on if he is to remain at first base and not stuck at designated hitter.
Honorable mention: INF/OF Nick Solak 127 G, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 89 wRC+, 1.1 fWAR in 2021
Houston Astros: OF Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker somewhat quietly was one of the Houston Astros’ best offensive players in 2021. In a lineup filled with pop from top to bottom, that’s really saying something.
Tucker, 25, finally received his first full season of consistent playing time and quickly showed the Astros’ front office that that was the right decision. In 140 games, Tucker hit 30 home runs, drove in 92, stole 14 bases, had a .557 SLG% and an outstanding .917 OPS while serving as the club’s primary right fielder.
Kyle Tucker was able to turn this excellent season into a 20th place finish in the American League MVP race despite the fact that he did not (but arguably should have) make the All Star team representing the Astros.
In a lineup featuring Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez, it’s no wonder Kyle Tucker has flown under the radar. His standout performance in 2021 will surely put him near or at the top of Houston Astros to know.
Honorable mention: Chas McCormick 108 G, 14 HR, 50 RBI, .341 BABIP, 109 wRC+, 2.3 bWAR in 2021
Seattle Mariners: INF Ty France
Ty France, like Kyle Tucker, turned his shot at everyday playing time into a guaranteed spot heading into 2022. France, 27, was acquired by the Seattle Mariners at the 2020 trade deadline from the San Diego Padres. He played in over 100 games for the first time in his career, somewhat surprisingly wrapping up the season as one of the Mariners’ best hitters.
Across 152 games and 650 plate appearances, Ty France hit 18 home runs while driving in 73 runs, ranking near the top of the league in Max Exit Velocity and K%, posting an OPS of .813 and an OPS+ of 128. FanGraphs has France at 3.5 fWAR in 2021 with a 129 wRC+.
A versatile infielder, France is capable of playing first base, second base and third base, ranking at just about league-average at each position. First base will most likely be his home going forward as the Mariners are set at second base and have the intriguing trade deadline acquisition Abraham Toro lined up at third base in 2022.
Mitch Haniger is the most prolific slugger on the Seattle Mariners’ roster heading into the upcoming season but Ty France showed last year that he is surely going to test Haniger for the top spot on the squad.
Honorable mention: RHP Paul Sewald 62 G, 11 SV, 14.5 SO/9, 3.06 ERA, 3.08 FIP, .175 BAA in 2021
Oakland Athletics: INF/OF Tony Kemp
30-year-old Tony Kemp has bounced around the league in his six-year big league career to this point, currently finding a home over the past few seasons as a member of the Oakland Athletics. Kemp received the largest amount of playing time to date last year, appearing in a total of 131 games and making just under 400 plate appearances.
Never much of a power-hitter, Kemp quietly tied a career-high with eight home runs in 2021, driving in 37 and posting a 2.7 fWAR and a 127 wRC+ while avoiding strikeouts and limiting walks amongst the very best in the big leagues — 97th percentile in strikeout % and 92nd percentile in walk-rate.
On defense, Tony Kemp is a capable defender at second base and all three outfield spots, he has never received much of a look at other infield spots. At both second and left field he ranked above-average but the results favored him slightly more in left field last season, he ranked in the 74th percentile in overall OAA.
Chris Paddack facing critical year. dark. Next
Kemp is only 5-foot-6 but he has solid abilities to make a lot of contact and is good for the occasional home run despite ranking near the bottom of the league in HardHit% and all exit velocity leaderboards last year. He is hidden behind some of the star power his Oakland A’s teammates possess but Tony Kemp seems to have shown that he is capable of putting up solid numbers when looking past the surface-level.