On any given day during the regular season, there are about 780 active Major League Baseball players and only a handful are really big name superstars that the casual fan could name just by seeing his photo – Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Mike Trout, Ronald Acuna Jr. and pretty much the entire 1st half of the Dodgers starting lineup – are examples of some of these types of players. But today we’ll be talking about another group of players who the casual fan might not be able to name, but whose presence in a lineup or on a mound is almost just as important as the big-name superstars. These are players who are often overlooked for All-Star Teams and get very little media and fan attention when compared to the big names, but they put up amazing numbers and do almost just as much if not more to help their teams win games, so let’s get into my list of Top 25 most underrated active MLB players; and let me know your thoughts down below with some names you’d put on the list as well. Also keep in mind this list is not ranking players by how good they are, rather how underrated they are – so please don’t yell at me because a better player is ranked lower – the higher the ranking the more underappreciated I feel they are, but every one’s opinion will differ. So, let’s get into it.
#25 Lars Nootbar: OF – St. Louis Cardinals
During the St. Louis Cardinals atrocious 2023 meltdown of a season, there was one bright spot that got brighter & brighter as the season went along and that’s outfielder Lars Nootbar. Nootbar made his big league debut in 2021 and had some key hits, including a walk off. However, he really didn’t start to get hot until 2023 when he began to play every day and got hotter as the season went along. By July, he was on fire and for a 3-week stretch was one of the best hitting outfielders in the game. He ended the season with a .367 on-base-percentage and 14 home runs with a 3.3 WAR. He may not deserve superstar status, but does seem to be a bit underrated after such a solid season.
#24 Thairo Estrada: 2B – San Francisco Giants
In at #24 is second baseman Thairo Estrada, who was DFA’d by the Yankees after hitting just .167 in 48 at bats in 2020. The Giants grabbed him and stashed him in Triple-A, where he forced a call-up after hitting .333 with 9 homers and a .937 OPS. In San Francisco, he quickly earned the spot as the every day second baseman and has been consistently solid ever since, providing excellent defense with a dangerous bat. He hit 14 home runs in both 2022 and 2023 and has been one of the few Giants who is always a threat to steal a base. Estrada doesn’t do any one thing at an elite level but is a solid all-around guy who helps his team win as evidenced by his 5.1 WAR since coming to San Francisco.
#23 Zach Eflin: SP – Tampa Bay Rays
As a former first round pick who has been around the league several years and never made an All Star team or really been considered a front-tier starter, any hype that once surrounded Zach Eflin has since mostly gone away. He pitched alongside several more prominent starters for years in Philadelphia and then moved on to Tampa Bay, where after some major injuries to their rotation, he stepped up in 2023 to help the Rays win 99 games by going 16-8 with a 3.5 ERA, leading the American League in wins. Eflin had also been quietly effective for years before that, as the highest ERA he had from 2018 to 2023 was 4.36. Over his 9 year career, he has a solid 4.32 ERA with 7.9 per 9 strikeout ratio.
#22 Andrew Vaughn: 1B, Chicago White Sox
Vaughn was taken 3rd overall in the 2019 draft, but gets nowhere near the hype of the 2 picked ahead of him, Adley Rutchmann and Bobby Witt Jr. Of course, that’s because he hasn’t been as good as them so far, but Vaughn has gotten better every season and is coming off of a solid 2023 when he smashed 21 home runs with 80 runs driven in for a struggling White Sox team. He has soft hands and a solid glove at first base and perhaps most importantly, he stays on the field, playing in 152 games last season and at least 127 every year since his rookie season. Vaughn is one of the few bright spots on this year’s Chicago White Sox team. However, he doesn’t get much attention from the national media or much hype as one of the young future stars of the game.
#21 Braxton Garrett: SP – Miami Marlins
Another left-handed arm who has been extremely overlooked recently is Braxton Garrett of the Marlins. He was at one time a top prospect, but he took a long time to develop as a High School pick who had to have Tommy John early in his minor league career. He made a few appearances for the Marlins in 2020 and 2021, but didn’t really break out until 2022 when he had a 3.58 ERA in 17 starts. Last season, he was able to make 30 starts, turning in a 3.66 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP, limiting batters to a .250 average while striking out nearly a batter per inning. Had he not gotten lit up by the Braves during one rough start, his ERA would’ve been 3.12. He certainly isn’t a top-tier starter in baseball, but he has been more than solid and gets very little notice for what he’s doing in Miami.
#20 Wilmer Flores: IF – San Francisco Giants
If you asked a casual baseball fan what player on the San Francisco Giants hit .284 with 23 home runs last season, they might not be able to come up with the answer – Wilmer Flores. Despite never having made an All Star Team and never being considered a big superstar, Wilmer has been a consistent source of production since coming to San Francisco in 2020, and he’s also been absolutely clutch, coming up with several late inning RBI hits, including multiple walk-offs. He also has a rare talent this day in age – he rarely strikes out. In 2023, he struck out just 63 times all season long and so far in 2024, has just 5 strikeouts in 34 at bats. Defensively, Flores is very versatile and can play any position on the infield, although he is mostly used on the corners. He is considered by many to be nothing more than a utility player, he still led the 2023 San Francisco Giants in home runs, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+ and he was second in RBIs and on-base-percentage.
#19 Evan Phillips: RP – Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s easy to be underrated when you’re on a team stacked with All Stars and future Hall-of-Famers. When you think of those Dodger superstars, one of the last that comes to mind is reliever Evan Phillips, but despite never making an All-Star Team, he has been one of the most important players on their team, coming out of the bullpen as a lights out reliever. He performed well enough to earn the role as the closer and last season, Phillips had a 2.05 ERA with 24 saves. In 2022, he was even better with an incredible 1.13 ERA in 63 innings. He also has a career 10.4 per 9 strikeout ratio and so far this season, has a 1.37 ERA with 5 saves. Phillips should be, based on the numbers, considered one of the finest relievers in the game. If he continues to perform this season, there’s no reason he shouldn’t make his first All Star team in July.
#18 Michael Harris II: OF – Atlanta Braves
Another player on a team already stacked with insane superstar talent is Braves outfielder Michael Harris II, who like Evan Phillips, has never made an All-Star team. Harris made an incredible run through the minor leagues, making the big leagues very quickly for a High School draft pick; then had an incredible rookie season in 2022, hitting .297 with 19 bombs and an .853 OPS. There was no Sophomore slump coming for Harris, who also raked in 2023, hitting .293 with 18 homers. He is also an elite defender and always a threat to steal bases. Harris was a true 5-tool talent who actually developed into a 5-tool big leaguer; yet despite the Rookie of the Year, he still feels underrated, not getting near the hype other young players like Corbin Carroll and Adley Ruschman.
#17 Lane Thomas: OF – Washington Nationals
Thomas was a 5th round pick way back in 2014 and he spent many years in the minor leagues just hoping for a shot in the bigs. When he finally got it with the Cardinals, he impressed immediately in 2019, displaying his talent with a .319 average and 4 bombs in 38 at bats. However, his numbers dropped in 2020 and 2021 and the Cards traded him to the Nats for Jon Lester. He quickly became the starting center-fielder and crushed 3 home runs in a game in 2022. Last season, he broke out in a big way with 28 bombs, 20 steals, 86 RBIs and a .783 OPS. Still, he failed to make the All-Star team and doesn’t seem to be considered a cornerstone of the Nationals organization.
#16 Sean Murphy: C – Atlanta Braves
If a pitcher looks at the Braves lineup and thinks Sean Murphy might be a weak spot among superstars like Ozuna, Acuna Jr, and Olson, he may be in for a big surprise as Sean Murphy delivered an excellent offensive season last year, crushing 21 home runs in just 108 games with 68 runs driven in. He did all that while also being one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, helping the Atlanta Braves consistently solid pitching staff continue to dominate the opposition. Prior to his time in Atlanta, he was excellent in Oakland, crushing 35 home runs between 2021 and 2022. He won a Gold Glove in 2021 and got MVP votes in 2022, but didn’t make his first All Star Team until last year and although he definitely is considered a great player among baseball fans, Murphy does seem a bit underrated.
#15 Bryson Stott: IF – Philadelphia Phillies
Next up is a youngster who doesn’t get nearly the hype of some of the other recent rookies in the league, but Bryson Stott has been absolutely critical to the success of the Phillies lineup. He is one of the most consistent bats in the league, rarely going into slumps and constantly hitting and getting on base. He was willing to move to a new position when Trea Turner was signed and last year playing mostly second base, he hit .280 with 15 homers and a .329 on-base. He also learned his position quickly and became one of the better defensive second basemen in the league. Last season, he had the same 4.4 WAR as Cody Bellinger, Xander Boegarts, Matt Chapman, Zac Gallen and Bobby Witt Jr.
#14 George Kirby: SP – Seattle Mariners
Despite being a first round pick in 2019, most of the hype behind the Mariners rotation seems to focus around Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo. George Kirby, however, is doing things almost no other pitcher is able to do – pitch effectively and strike batters out while walking almost nobody. He averaged less than a single walk per game last year, walking just 19 batters all season long while striking out 172. No one else in modern MLB history has started their career with back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 3.5 and a walk rate under 5%. He might have the best command in the game and although he will have a rough start from time to time, no one is better at avoiding free passes and he still has a more than solid strikeout rate.
#13 Tanner Bibee: SP – Cleveland Guardians
Up next is a player who may only be underrated because he came out of nowhere in 2023 to go 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA, instantly becoming a key member of the Cleveland Guardians rotation. Bibee was drafted in the 5th round out of CSU Fullerton in 2021 and dominated the minor leagues in 2022. After 3 stellar Triple-A starts in 2023, the Guardians brought him up and he quickly proved he belonged. However, there wasn’t much hype for him as a Rookie of the Year possibility, although when it came time for the voting, he ended up finishing in 2nd place behind Gunnar Henderson. Bibee doesn’t get a lot of attention pitching in Cleveland, but he could be well on his way to become a huge superstar if he continues to pitch as well as he did last year.
#12 Cal Raleigh: C – Seattle Mariners
One of only 13 players in the American League to smash 30 home runs last season after smashing 27 in 2022, switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh doesn’t get much attention as an elite power hitter in Major League Baseball. He is also behind the dish for the majority of innings, catching the impressive Seattle Mariners pitching staff and doing a fantastic job at it. He doesn’t bring a high batting average, but can work a walk and managed an on-base-percentage over .300 despite a .232 average last year. When you add the solid defensive work, calling a great game every night and 30 home run power together, you get a catcher most teams would love to have, despite the fact his production often goes overlooked.
#11 Tarik Skuball: SP – Detroit Tigers
Tigers lefty Tarik Skuball has quietly gotten better every season since his debut in 2020 and last season, his ERA dropped to under 3 with an elite 11.4 strikeout per 9 ratio. He has had some elbow issues and two surgeries, but when he’s healthy, he’s been dominant and so far in 2024, Skuball is 2-0 after 3 starts with 2.08 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 innings. He still doesn’t get much attention as one of the top pitchers in the American League, but that could be changing very soon. For a player not picked until the 9th round, he has exceeded every expectations the Tigers ever had for him and if he stays healthy this year, he could easily be in the conversation for the Cy Young as he helps this extremely young and talented Tigers team rise up as a serious contender moving forward.
#10 Yainer Diaz: C – Houston Astros
Another amazing player surrounded by huge superstars in their lineup is catcher Yainer Diaz, who was tied for 3rd among catchers in all of baseball with 23 home runs. He also hit .282 with an .846 OPS, offensive production nearly any team would take at the catching position. He is also an elite blocker and has a strong and accurate arm, and is among the best in baseball at controlling the running game and throwing out would-be stealers. He has done all that after just one full season in the bigs and so far in 2024, he is hitting over .300 with 3 bombs already as of April 14th. Look for Yainer Diaz to rise up as one of the best catchers in the game in the coming months and years.
#9 Brandon Nimmo: CF – New York Mets
A 9 year veteran and 5-tool talent who has never made an All Star Team or been considered a huge star in the game is Mets centerfielder Brandon Nimmo. He is generally considered a good but not great player, but the Mets seemed to think he was worth an 8-year $162 million contract. The reason is that he brings consistent all-around production to the ballpark every night, resulting in a positive WAR every season. He is able to make dazzling plays in the outfield, get on base with consistency and at times bring some power, as he did last year with 24 home runs. He knows how to work a walk and has an extremely impressive .380 career on-base-percentage and .827 OPS. Despite all that, he is constantly undervalued in fantasy projections and All-Star and award voting.
#8 Nolan Jones: OF/1B – Colorado Rockies
When I did my Colorado Rockies preview earlier this year, I myself was blown away to see that Nolan Jones nearly hit .300 in 2023 with 20 home runs and a .931 OPS. And those 20 bombs came in just 367 at bats. Before you credit Coors Field, he had completely even splits with his bombs, hitting 10 at home and 10 on the road and actually had an even higher OPS of .935 on the road. Playing with the not very good Colorado Rockies definitely doesn’t help his exposure and he finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind another somewhat underrated player, James Outman. But Jones in my opinion had a better season than Outman, with a much higher average, OPS, and home run per at ratio.
#7 William Contreras: C – Milwaukee Brewers
William Contreras has somewhat quietly been one of the best hitting catchers in the game and he has recently made huge strides to improve his skills behind the dish, becoming one of the better defensive catchers as well. He made his first big mark on the league in 2022 when he crushed 20 home runs with Atlanta with a .278 average. Last year with the Brew Crew, he bumped that average to .289 and still crushed 17 big flies with a career high 78 RBIs. He got extremely hot towards the end of the season, resulting in .314 average and .878 OPS for the second half. Contreras did get some credit from the award voters by finishing 11th, higher than Bryce Harper, for the MVP.
#6 Chris Martin: RP – Boston Red Sox
A player with an incredible journey to a decade long MLB career is Chris Martin, who was originally drafted all the way back in 2004 by the Tigers and again in ‘05 by the Rockies. He suffered a shoulder injury before signing and ended up in the independent leagues before retiring from the game. Martin made a comeback in 2011, entering into the Red Sox minor league system and slowly worked his way up the big leagues, making his debut in 2014 with the team that drafted him, the Rockies. He now has a 9 year career along with a 2-year detour in Japan and is coming off 2 elite seasons with a 1.46 ERA with the Dodgers in 2022 and an absolutely sick 1.05 ERA last year with Boston in 55 appearances. He has a solid 3.42 career ERA with 316 career strikeouts in 308 innings. Despite all this, he’s never made an All Star Team and gets very little credit as recently being one of the best relievers in baseball.
#5 Chas McCormick: OF - Houston Astros
It’s tough to stand out when you’re in a lineup with guys like Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jose Abreu and Alex Bregman, but Chas McCormick has quietly been one of the most productive players for the Astros despite all the other big names. He is probably used to being underrated by now after he was drafted in the 21st round of the 2017 draft, a round that doesn’t even exist anymore, out of Division 2 Millersville. McCormick has become the only player picked from that round to become a productive big leaguer, and has arguably become the best offensive player in that entire draft. He hit a couple key postseason home runs during the Astros 2022 World Series run and last year crushed 22 home runs with an .842 OPS. His 2023 WAR was higher than Randy Arozarena, Matt Chapman and his teammate, Jeremy Pena. McCormick is also one of the best defenders in the game and made just one error all season long last year.
#4 Isaac Paredes: IF – Tampa Bay Rays
As a player who had been around the league a few years without doing much damage, it’s no surprise that some one like Isaac Paredes could fly under the radar last season while crushing 31 home runs with 98 RBIs. He was another hidden gem on the Rays roster that helped them in nearly 100 games. He keeps his strikeouts down and has a solid walk rate, resulting in a .352 on-base-percentage in 2023. The Rays appear to have completely won the trade that sent Austin Meadows to Detroit for Paredes. Meadows hit just .250 without a homer last season. Paredes has stats that should make him a household name, but he doesn’t seem to get near that type of attention.
#3 Andres Gimenez: IF – Cleveland Guardians
Another well-kept secret for the Guardians is infielder Andres Gimenez, whose name doesn’t jump off the page as a huge superstar. He was a light-hitting utility guy with the Mets until he ended up with the Guardians in 2021. By 2022, he was in the everyday lineup and quietly had a phenomenal season, hitting .297 with 69 RBIs while showing some sudden pop with 17 bombs. He knew how to get on base, leading the league in hit by pitches, finishing the year with a .371 on-base-percentage. He was 7th in WAR in all of baseball. The only players better were Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Sandy Alcantara, Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Gimenez is also one of the best defenders in the game and won back-to-back Gold Gloves. He’s off to a hot start in 2024 with a .326 average and .896 OPS as of mid-April.
#2 Ha Seong Kim: 2B – San Diego Padres
It’s no surprise a player like Ha-Seong Kim, who just came over from South Korea in 2021, is completely underrated, playing alongside guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Boegarts and until recently, Juan Soto. However, the numbers don’t lie and Ha-Seong Kim adds an incredible amount of value to his team as an elite defender at multiple positions - he is one of the best players in baseball in defensive runs saved, but he can also rake. Kim had a .351 on-base-percentage last season with 17 bombs, 23 doubles and 38 stolen bases. He was incredibly 13th in all of baseball in WAR, better than Juan Soto, Tatis Jr., Corbin Caroll, Julio Rodriguez and many other big-name superstars. In defensive WAR, he was 12th in all of MLB. In other words, Ha-Seong Kim should one of the biggest stars in the game, but I don’t think his name carries the type of weight his actual performance does.
#1 Yandy Diaz: 1B/3B – Tampa Bay Rays
Coming as my most underrated player in all of MLB is the amazing Yandy Diaz, who I feel has been overshadowed recently by Wander Franco – a situation that will obviously no longer exist. For several years, Yandy Diaz has quietly raked at the plate and played solid defense, with a strong and accurate arm. He may not be one of the greatest defensive players, but he makes the routine plays and some spectacular ones as well. Offensively, Diaz is one of the best in baseball and just led the league with an incredible .330 batting average in 2023. He also hit 22 home runs with a .410 on-base-percentage and he had an elite OPS of .932, 7th best in all of baseball and higher than Juan Soto. Every player with a higher OPS is certainly considered a bonafide MLB superstar – Shohei Ohtani, Corey Seager, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Diaz is not completely ignored and most fans know he is a solid player, but many would find it ridiculous to put him in the same company as guys like Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto, but statistically, he really is that valuable and to me, the most underrated player in the game.