Most underrated player on each National League team heading into 2022
We recently took a look at the most underrated player on each American League team heading into 2022, now we take things over to the National League.
The Atlanta Braves were able to put together a roster of scrappers that took them straight to the World Series in 2021, ultimately taking home the trophy after finishing just 88-73 during the regular season.
The Braves’ World Series roster consisted of stars such as Freddie Freeman, Charlie Morton, Max Fried and Ozzie Albies. That same roster also featured players like Orlando Arcia, Terrance Gore, Ehire Adrianza, Dylan Lee, and William Contreras. Do any of those names make you say “who?” out loud to yourself? Exactly.
The National League features a ton of faces who fly under the radar year in and year out. From top to bottom the list will contain All-Stars, former MVPs, and everything in between. Let’s dive in.
Atlanta Braves: OF Adam Duvall
Adam Duvall of the Atlanta Braves had a career year in 2021; hitting 38 home runs, driving in 113 RBI (to lead the National League), posting 2.4 fWAR and a .772 OPS.
Duvall’s .228 batting average may not jump off of the page to the old-school fans out there, but his Statcast page has him ranking near the top in the league in HardHit%, Barrel %, maximum exit velocity and – a new one for Duvall – sprint speed and OAA.
Duvall, 33, ranked in the 86th percentile in sprint speed amongst major leaguers in 2021 while ranking in the 82nd percentile in OAA, or Outs Above Average, on defense. He rode this performance to his first career Gold Glove award after playing plus-defense at all three outfield spots for the Marlins and Braves.
Duvall managed to fly under the radar in 2021 underneath a breakout performance from Austin Riley, controversy surrounding Marcell Ozuna, and the impending free agency of superstar Freddie Freeman. 2022 should be a different story for the power-hitting outfielder.
Honorable mention: LHP Will Smith 71 G, 37 SV, 3.44 ERA, 1.7 bWAR, 11.5 SO/9 in 2021
Washington Nationals: RHP Paolo Espino
Penciled in as the Washington Nationals’ fifth starter in 2022 per FanGraphs’ Roster Resource projections, Paolo Espino came seemingly out of nowhere last season and gave the Nationals almost 20 starts and over 100 innings of 4.27 ERA and 96 ERA+ ball.
Espino, 35, has bounced around between multiple teams in his career; surfacing in the big leagues with the Brewers and the Rangers as well as the Nationals. 2021 was his first significant sample-size in the majors and he did enough to earn himself a spot in this upcoming season’s rotation.
Hidden behind the likes of Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Max Scherzer last season, it’s easy to see why Espino’s quietly solid season flew under the radar of many.
Honorable mention: OF Lane Thomas 45 G, 7 HR, .364 OBP, .853 OPS, 115 OPS+ in 2021 for WAS
New York Mets: INF Eduardo Escobar
One could make the argument that the signing of Eduardo Escobar by the New York Mets received the least amount of publicity when the club went on their spending-spree and signed four big-name free agents in a matter of days.
Escobar, 33, spent last season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers. The switch-hitting infielder hit 28 home runs and drove in 90 runs, posting a 109 OPS+ and 107 wRC+ while adding another position to his defensive repertoire; first base.
Escobar is not a flashy player – he has regularly flown under the radar throughout his entire career – but he is going to be a major contributor to this Mets lineup alongside big boppers Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.
Honorable mention: RHP Seth Lugo 46 G, 3.50 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 10.7 SO/9, 115 ERA+ in 2021
Miami Marlins: OF Avisail Garcia
Avisail Garcia is coming off of a quietly successful two-year run with the Milwaukee Brewers highlighted by his performance last year.
Garcia, 30, struggled a bit in 2020 but went off last season; putting up career-high home run numbers (29) and RBI (86) while also being worth 2.9 bWAR.
Garcia suddenly finds himself on a young Miami Marlins team aiming to contend in the very near future. He will provide a big power bat to the lineup that already features exciting up-and-comers Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jesus Sanchez.
While he has a large, bulky frame, Garcia is capable of playing all three outfield positions respectably and is expected to get the majority of his playing time in 2022 in right field.
Honorable mention: RHP Anthony Bender 60 G, 61.1 IP, 2.79 ERA, 0.7 HR/9, 10.4 SO/9 in 2021
Philadelphia Phillies: LHP Ranger Suarez
There’s just no way to reference underrated players without mentioning the performance by Philadelphia Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez, who quietly was one of the best pitchers in not only the National League, but the entire major leagues as a whole.
Suarez, 26, pitched exclusively out of the Phils’ bullpen last year up until August when he made the transition to the starting rotation. All told, Suarez posted a 1.12 ERA in 27 outings out of the pen, striking out 42 and allowing just 5 earned runs in 40+ innings.
Upon the transition to the rotation, Suarez continued to dominate the opposition. His best outing came in his second to last start of the season when he threw a complete-game shutout against the Pirates on September 25th.
Suarez wrapped up 2021 with 5.8 bWAR, a 1.36 ERA and a miniscule 0.3 HR/9 rate. He allowed just one home run across his 11 starts and 65 innings.
Honorable mention: INF Jean Segura 131 G, 14 HR, .290 AVG, 111 OPS+, 3.7 bWAR in 2021
Chicago Cubs: 1B Frank Schwindel
Frank Schwindel had slowly lost his shine from when he was a Kansas City Royals prospect with a ton of hype surrounding him. His truly dominant showings in the Royals’ minor league system in both 2017 and 2018 had him looking like the real deal.
After some poor showings in the Royals, Tigers, and Athletics’ systems, Schwindel found himself in a Chicago Cubs uniform and cemented his place in the “National League’s most underrated players” list.
Schwindel, 29, played in just 56 games for the Cubbies but lit the world on fire during his brief tenure. He quickly became the Cubs’ everyday first baseman and finished his season with 13 home runs, 40 RBI, a .342 batting average and a ludicrous 1.002 OPS and 165 OPS+. Schwindel’s excellent run in the second half of the season earned him a sixth place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
Honorable mention: OF Rafael Ortega 103 G, 11 HR, 12 SB, 120 wRC+, 1.6 fWAR in 2021
Cincinnati Reds: 1B Joey Votto
There’s no way to easily explain how exactly Joey Votto is underrated. The guy has done nothing but perform since he debuted all the way back in 2007 for the Cincinnati Reds. The longtime face of the Reds franchise didn’t look himself in 2019 and 2020 was another down year for him. He appeared to be reaching the end of his storied career.
Votto, now 38, had an incredible comeback season last year, ultimately finishing with his best year since 2017. Votto hit 36 home runs, drove in 99 and posted a batting-line of .266/.375/.563. His 136 OPS+ and 3.5 bWAR were also up after his two consecutive so-so seasons.
Somehow, someway, Joey Votto has managed to defy the odds and return to stardom after his age began to show. He will be firmly in the middle of an exciting Reds lineup featuring reigning National League ROTY Jonathan India and the resurgent Jesse Winker in 2022.
Honorable mention: OF Jesse Winker 110 G, 24 HR, 71 RBI, 148 wRC+, 3.2 fWAR in 2021
Milwaukee Brewers: 2B Kolten Wong
Kolten Wong has always possessed double-digit home run and stolen base potential paired with top-of-the-line defense at second base. For some reason, he has still always seemed to skate by without receiving the national attention he deserves.
Wong, 31, joined the Milwaukee Brewers on a two-year free agent deal in February of last season. He immediately made his presence known in the lineup and won over the hearts of all Milwaukeeans.
In 116 games for the Crew in 2021, Wong hit 14 home runs, drove in 50, stole 12 bases and hit a career-high 32 doubles. He remained one of the better defensive second basemen in the game as well; finishing in the 74th percentile in outs above average amongst second basemen.
Honorable mention: LHP Eric Lauer 24 G, 20 GS, 3.19 ERA, 2.3 bWAR, 134 ERA+ in 2021
St. Louis Cardinals: OF Harrison Bader
While St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader has always been regarded as an elite-level defender, he was able to bring his bat around in 2021 as well.
Bader, posted career-highs in nearly every offensive category last year; including home runs (16), RBI (50), batting average (.267), oWAR (2.4) and OPS+ (116). He remained near the very top of the major leagues in defense as well, winning his first career Gold Glove Award and finishing in the 98th percentile in outs above average last year.
Bader has and most likely will continue to be hidden behind sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado with Tyler O’Neill adding himself to that list as well. You can count on him continuing to be amongst the very best in the majors on defense as well as a still-developing bat.
Honorable mention: INF/OF Tommy Edman 159 G, 41 2B, 30 SB, 3.7 bWAR in 2021
Pittsburgh Pirates: RHP David Bednar
The Pittsburgh Pirates seem to have struck gold in their acquisition of relief pitcher David Bednar. In his first season as a Pirate, Bednar put up a 2.23 ERA in 61 games, allowing home runs at just a 0.7 per nine-inning rate, and posting a jaw-dropping 190 ERA+ in 60+ innings.
Looking past surface-level stats, Bednar’s FIP was in the 2.60 range, suggesting that even when you remove fielding factors behind him, he remained a shut-down reliever. On his three main pitches; four-seam fastball, curveball, and splitter, Bednar posted elite-level PLUS% on each one. PLUS% is best described as the amount of times a specific pitch resulted in a positive result for a pitcher i.e strikeouts, foul ball outs, or ball-in-play outs.
Roster Resource projections has Bednar penciled in as the Pirates closer in 2022, a role that he will surely thrive in if he is able to replicate his numbers from this past season.
Honorable mention: 1B/OF Yoshi Tsutsugo 43 G, .535 SLG%, .883 OPS, 136 OPS+ in 2021
Arizona Diamondbacks: C/OF Daulton Varsho
Daulton Varsho possesses the ultra-rare ability to play catcher and all three outfield spots at an above-average clip. In recent years there have been catchers who played corner outfield (Christian Bethancourt, Evan Gattis, Garrett Stubbs, Chris Herrmann to name a few) but none have the sharp instincts and speed that Varsho does to play center.
Varsho, 25, got his first extended look in the major leagues last season with the Dbacks, playing in 95 games; hitting 11 home runs, driving in 38 RBI and posting an OPS+ of 102. On defense, the lefty spent considerable time at all three outfield positions and behind the plate. Notably, he was the catcher for the improbable no-hitter thrown by rookie southpaw Tyler Gilbert in his first career start.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are full of players who are underrated but Varsho tops the list. He has the ability to hit double-digit home run totals and stolen bases all while having positional versatility that all GM’s crave in today’s game.
Honorable mention: RHP Zac Gallen 23 GS, 10.3 SO/9, 2.3 bWAR, 70th percentile in K% in 2021
Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP Blake Treinen
Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers used Blake Treinen in an oft-used setup man role and he thrived. Across 72 games and 72 innings, Treinen posted a sparkling 1.99 ERA and gave up just five home runs.
Treinen also managed to finish the season with a 206 ERA+, a number that puts him above most pitchers in the National League. Shockingly, his standout season in 2021 wasn’t even the best one of his career. In 2018, he finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting after posting a miniscule 0.78 ERA and an unfathomable 513 ERA+, striking out 100 in just 80 innings.
Blake Treinen has never quite gotten the attention he deserves. That trend may well continue as he goes on in his Dodgers career; as he plays on the team with the best lineup and starting rotation in the big leagues.
Honorable mention: OF A.J. Pollock 117 G, 21 HR, 69 RBI, 137 OPS+, 3.1 bWAR in 2021
San Diego Padres: RHP Craig Stammen
37-year old reliever Craig Stammen has proven himself to be one of the more reliable relief options in the big leagues during his tenure with the San Diego Padres.
Stammen, a veteran of 12 seasons, has appeared in 60+ games for the Padres in each (full) season he’s been with the club. He came over to the Friars on a minor-league contract back in 2016 and has since signed two separate two-year contract extensions with the team.
In 2021, Stammen made 67 appearances and threw 88 innings, striking out 83 (good for an 8.5 SO/9 rate) while continuing to limit walks very well – just 3.7% of the time.
Craig Stammen has shown that he can be counted on to pitch in 60 or more games for a team, a trait in a pitcher that has steadily been going away in modern-day baseball.
Honorable mention: INF Jake Cronenworth 152 G, 7 3B, 21 HR, 122 OPS+, 4.8 bWAR in 2021
San Francisco Giants: RHP Alex Cobb
Alex Cobb was an extremely exciting pitcher coming up in the Rays’ system from 2011-2017. After joining the Baltimore Orioles, the shine began to rapidly fade and he suddenly was viewed as one of the worst starters in the bigs. He wrapped up his Orioles career with a 5.10 ERA and an ERA+ of just 86.
Last season, the 34-year old Cobb was a member of the Los Angeles Angels and his stock appears to be on the rise once again. Across 93+ innings in 18 starts, Cobb went 8-3 with a 3.76 ERA and an even more impressive 2.92 FIP. Cobb’s ERA+ at the end of the season was 119, his highest since 2014, and his strikeout numbers improved as well – he struck out just under 25% of the hitters he faced.
Fast forward to the 2021-2022 offseason, Cobb was able to land a two-year contract (with an option for a third season) with the San Francisco Giants shortly before the lockout began. He will join Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood in a new-look rotation as he attempts to further repair his damaged reputation.
Honorable mention: RHP Tyler Rogers 80 G, 13 SV, 2.22 ERA, 0.6 HR/9, 184 ERA+ in 2021
Colorado Rockies: OF Sam Hilliard
Don’t get me wrong, Colorado Rockies outfielder Sam Hilliard has a long list of mechanical adjustments to make before he is to be considered an above-average player. To his credit, though, there were some encouraging signs out of him in 2021.
Hilliard, 28, played in just 81 games for the Rockies last season; hitting 14 home runs and playing slightly above-average defense at all three outfield spots. FanGraphs’ Roster Resource projections have him penciled in as the right-handed side of a platoon in center field in the upcoming season.
Last year during his relatively short tenure in the big leagues, Hilliard ranked near the very top of the major leagues in maximum exit velocity. He is an extreme-pull hitter, pulling the vast majority of his home runs at Coors last year into the right field seats, and has shown that he is capable of hitting the ball as hard as anybody.
Honorable mention: INF Ryan McMahon 151 G, 23 HR, 86 RBI, 4.0 bWAR, 95 wRC+ in 2021
Next. Most underrated player on each American League team heading into 2022. dark
The National League features its fair share of underrated players. From former MVPs to former top prospects who have lost their shine, it will be interesting to keep an eye on each of these players to see if they start to get the recognition they deserve.