Most underrated player on each American League team heading into 2022

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