Over 20,000 people have put on a uniform in order to participate as a baseball player in a Major League Baseball game. Most of them played a few games at the highest level but never put together a long and successful career. Their names are mostly forgotten by even the most hardcore baseball fans. However, there are a select few other Major League players who went on to become absolute superstars with names that are instantly recognizable to nearly any baseball fan. Many of these legends went on be immortalized in the Hall of Fame. Then, somewhere in the middle is a group of players who did excel at the game for a long period of time, while helping their team win games like few others could, but for whatever reason, they never got the credit they deserved – these are players who were snubbed for awards and All Star Games. They were oftentimes as good or even better than the big stars, but their names never received that type of recognition from the fans. You probably won’t find any of these guys on the cover of a baseball video game, but they were all outstanding players who deserved much more recognition than they received. These are my Top 25 underrated MLB players of the modern era. There are also dozens of under-rated players from the early days of baseball such as Art Fletcher and Ross Barnes, but I’ll save them for another video. This list will include players who made their debuts in 1950 or later. Keep in mind this is not a ranking from worst player to best player, it is a ranking that compares how good the player was to how much appreciation they have received in terms of awards, All Star selections, Hall of fame support and hype with the fans. For instance, Andruw Jones was better than many players on this list, but although he is a major Hall of Fame snub, he did earn 10 Gold Gloves and 5 All Star selections, so he didn’t quite make the list. So, with that said, let’s get into it.

#25 Bobby Bonds

Bobby Bonds was one of the greatest power-speed combo players in the history of the game and is one of only 8 players in the 300-300 club – 300 careers homers and 300 career steals. Although he did strike out a lot, he could also work a walk and retired with a .355 on-base-percentage. He hit 30 homers and stole 30 bases in a season 5 times and is the only player to do it in each league. He also played elite defense, but spent many years in the shadow of the great Willie Mays. Bonds made only 3 All Star Games, and receives even less credit for his great career now because of his son Barry who was somehow even better.

#24 Steve Finley

As a San Francisco Giants fan, when I think of Steven Finley, I think of the 2004 walk off grand slam to clinch the division for the Dodgers and the 2006 season when he would constantly pop out to kill a rally for the Giants. In other words, I don’t have too many fond memories of the man, but I was surprised to see his name as one of the 8 on the 300-300 club list along with not only Bobby Bonds, but also Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, A-Rod, Carlos Beltran, Andre Dawson and Reggie Sanders. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s, he was an absolute machine, crushing home runs and stealing bases while playing elite defense. He retired with over 2,500 hits and 300 home runs yet only made two All Star Teams and received .7% of the vote on the Hall of Fame ballot.

#23 Doug DeCinces

A lot of current baseball fans have likely never even heard of Doug DeCinces, but for about a decade, he was a reliable power hitter for the Orioles and Angels, hitting between 16-30 home runs nearly every year. In 1982 he finished 3rd for the MVP after smashing 30 homers with 97 RBIs and a .301 average but was left off the All Star Team. He also hit one of the most dramatic home runs in Baltimore Oriole history in 1982, officially kicking off “Oriole Magic.” DeCinces only made one All Star Team and although he certainly did not have a Hall of Fame career, he did come close to 250 home runs and had a much better career that most fans remember.

#22 Ron Fairly

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Ron Fairly call Giants games on the radio in the late 80’s and early 90’s, but looking at his playing career, he may have been a better player than broadcaster. Fairly played for 21 years and did just about everything – no pun intended – fairly well. He got worked walks, kept a decent batting average, hit about 13-19 homers a year, while playing excellent defense. In the ‘65 World Series, he hit .379 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs, helping the Dodgers win it all. In his career, he had 1,913 hits and over 1,000 walks with 215 homers and 3 World Series rings. Unfortunately, he only made 2 All Star Teams and his name doesn’t really jump off the page as a great MLB player.

#21 Frank White

Another player who might be remembered more for his broadcasting career than his playing career – Frank White had an incredible glove and could fly on the basepaths while swinging a solid bat. He did win 8 Gold Gloves and made five All Star Games but has received little Hall of Fame support and feels underappreciated. By the mid-80’s, White had developed some pop as well, crushing 22 home runs in back to back seasons and was also clutch in the big moments, winning the 1980 ALCS MVP, crushing a home run in the ‘85 World Series and even hitting a deciding home run in the 1986 All Star Game. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1995 but received just 3.8% of the vote in his only year on the National Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot.

#20 Steve Rogers

Although he did make 5 All Star Teams, Steve Rogers is name largely forgotten since his retirement after 1985, possibly due to a relatively short 13 year career and a mediocre 158-152 record. However, many of those losses came in stellar starts where Rogers received almost no run support as a pitcher for the Expos in the mid-70’s. For example, in 1976, he went 7-17, leading the league in losses despite a 3.21 ERA. His team had the lowest batting average, fewest hits and fewest runs in the league. When the offense improved as the 1980’s approached, his record improved and in 1982, he went 19-8 with a league-leading 2.4 ERA and would’ve won the Cy Young if not for the incredible 23-win season by Steve Carlton. He has the most wins in Montreal Expos history and catcher Gary Carter once said Rogers has the best stuff he’d ever seen.

#19 Kenny Lofton

Kenny Lofton comes in somewhat low on this list because he was a popular player who made 6 All Star Teams and won 4 Gold Gloves. However, he only received 3.2% of the vote on the Hall of Fame ballot, falling off in his first year despite having over 2,400 career hits and 600 stolen bases. On the JAWS ranking for center-fielders which measures Hall-of-Fame worthiness, Lofton is 10th All-Time and ranked above several Hall of Famers. He simply helped his teams win ballgames by getting on base and wreaking havoc on the basepaths while playing elite defense for 17 years. Even in his final MLB season in 2007, he hit .296 with 23 steals and a .367 on-base-percentage. His career on-base-percentage of .372 is better than George Brett and Paul Molitor. Yet he never really gets credit for how good he was.

#18 Jose Cardenal

A member of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, Jose Cardenal collected over 1,900 hits, 300 steals and hit over .290 in 6 separate full seasons, retiring with a .333 on-base-percentage and a 20.7 WAR. Yet, he never won a single award or made a single All Star Team. In 1973, he was hitting .318 with 104 hits, and 53 RBIs at the break, but was not selected to the All Star Team. He tied with Pete Rose with a .317 batting average in 1975 but was snubbed that year as well. Although he was a fan favorite in Chicago, Cardenal was never really recognized for how good he was, possibly because he was overhyped as the next Willie Mays after hitting .312 with 36 bombs with the Giants Double-A team in 1963. He never worked out in San Francisco but still went on to have a great career and although he may not be Hall of Fame worthy, Cardenal was a lot better than he gets credit for.

#17 Brian Giles

During the late 90’s and early 2000’s when Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and others were putting up video game numbers, another player was quietly smashing well over 30 home runs every year with an average over .300 – his name was Brian Giles and from 1999 to 2002 he averaged 37 homers a year. He also knew how to work walks and routinely had an on-base-percentage well above .400 every year. If a player had that four year stretch today, he would become one of the games biggest superstars. Instead, Giles went practically unnoticed. In 1999, for instance, he smashed 39 home runs with a .315 average and 115 RBIs. There are many seasons in which that would make him the frontrunner for the MVP. In 1999, however, he finished 19th in the MVP voting. An even crazier fact is that Mark McGwire smashed 65 home runs that year – and finished 5th. Giles played for 15 years and retired with a .400 on-base-percentage and 287 home runs. He made just 2 All Star teams.

#16 Tim Salmon

There was no way I could leave the biggest All Star snub in MLB history off this under-rated list. Tim Salmon was a name known by most MLB fans and did carry some star power, but somehow never made an All Star team. Salmon was a Rookie of the Year who had a 14-year career which included 5 30+ home run seasons and 8 years with a batting average over .280. In 1995, he hit .330 with 34 homers and 105 RBIs. His .884 career OPS puts him in excellent company and he is surrounded by Hall of Famers on the all-time list. The only reason he is this low on the under-rated list is because I believe the general baseball fandom appreciated his worth and he is an All-time Angels legend, but since he was never given the chance to shine at the mid-summer classic, I have to include him on this list.

#15 Jimmy Wynn

During the 60’s and 70’s, there were few players who could steal bases, hit for power and get on base like Jimmy Wynn, the Toy Cannon. He brought a ton of power to his 5’10” frame and smashed 291 career homers including 37 in 1967 and one of the most famous tape-measure shots of all time with this bomb that he sent out of Crosley Field onto the freeway. However, he could also work a walk like no one else and held the MLB record for walks in a season until Barry Bonds came along. He set that record in 1969 and also smashed 33 homers but was left off the All Star Team. His career 55.7 WAR puts him above Hank Greenberg, David Ortiz and Fred McGriff. Yet, on the Hall of Fame Ballot, Jimmy Wynn unbelievably received zero votes. As the voters usually do, they simply looked at the name and left his box unchecked instead of doing the slightest bit of research.

#14 Bobby Grich

Coming up next is a vastly underrated player who is only ranked this low because he did make 6 All Star Teams and won 4 Gold Gloves. However, when comparing Grich to other second basemen, he appears to be one of the greatest of all time and gets nowhere close to that type of respect. On The JAWS list for second baseman, he comes in at #8, above Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg, Jackie Robinson and Craig Biggio. How is that possible? Two reasons – his ability to work a walk and his elite defense. Although he did have power, Grich only hit more than 20 home runs twice, which prevented him from entering into superstardom. However, he worked at least 75 walks 9 times in his career and retired with a .371 on-base percentage. On defense, he was probably the best in the game for a 5 year period. If you believe Jeff Kent should be in the Hall, Bobby Grich is certainly deserving as well as he had an even better OPS+ and was certainly better defensively. Grich had a 71 career WAR compared to Kent’s 55. While I believe both should be in the Hall, Kent seems to get much more support. Therefore, Bobby Grich makes today’s list as one of the most underrated MLB players of the modern era.

#13 Graig Nettles

While the outspoken and charismatic Reggie Jackson got most of the credit for being the power-hitter of the late 1970’s New York Yankees, the quiet and unassuming Graig Nettles was also smashing quite a few home runs while playing elite defense. In fact, he led the league with 32 bombs in 1976. Without him, the Yankees likely would not have made it to 3 World Series in the late 70’s and early 80’s, especially in ‘81 when he hit .500 in the ALCS, taking home MVP honors. He hit at least 20 home runs 11 times during his 22-year big league career. As a big fan of underappreciated players like Nettles, even I was shocked to see that he finished his career just 10 home runs short of 400. Also, if it weren’t for Buddy Bell and Brooks Robinson, Nettles would have won much more than 2 Gold Gloves. He fell off the Hall of Fame ballot after receiving less than 5% of the vote.

#12 Carlos Delgado

Coming up next is another massive powerhitter completely swallowed by the steroid era. It is easy to forget how good Delgado was – he came just 27 home runs short of the magic 500. In the year 2000, he somehow smashed 57 home runs with a .334 batting average and 1.134 OPS yet finished 4th for the MVP. Somehow, he only made two All Star Teams during his career. In 1998, he had 17 homers with a .308 average at the break and was left off the All Star roster. Despite the lack of All Star appearances, Delgado had a clear cut Hall of Fame career in my opinion yet received a mere 3.8% of the vote due partially to the ridiculous 10-player maximum that the writers are allowed to vote for. This rule means by definition if 11 deserving players happen to be eligible for the ballot during the same year, as a voter you are forced to leave one off. Even today, Delgado doesn’t get much Hall of Fame support and is one of the most underrated players of all time.

#11 Tommy Herr

Up next is a player who has never received full appreciation for his abilities, even going back to the draft when his name was never called. He ended up signing as an undrafted free agent with the Cardinals and became one of their most consistent players. His best season came in 1985 when he drove in 110 runs with a .302 average. He also stole 31 bases, being thrown out only 3 times. Herr retired with the best fielding percentage in the history of MLB for second basemen, yet he never won a single Gold Glove. He retired with over 1,400 hits, a .347 on-base percentage and just one All Star selection.

#10 Bobby Abreu

Another player better than most remember is Bobby Abreu, who may have not had the appearance of a superstar but did all the little things right – and some big things, as he smashed 288 career homers including 31 in 2001. Other than the long ball, Abreu compiled 2,470 hits and 1,476 walks. He had an incredibly impressive career .395 on-base-percentage, better than many Hall of Famers including Honus Wagner and Vlad Guerrero. The closer Abreu’s career is studied, the more he looks like he belongs in the Hall of Fame – he could do it all including steal bases, which he did 400 times in his career. He also played elite defense despite winning just one Gold Glove. He was underappreciated during his career, making only two All Star Teams, and so far has been underappreciated on the Hall of Fame ballot, receiving just 15.4% of the vote in 2023, although to be fair the voters from 15 years ago likely would not have voted for some one like Abreu at all.

#9 Rusty Staub

Although he made 6 All Star Teams, Rusty Staub still makes the Top 10 as he has never gotten the appreciation he deserves, except perhaps in Montreal and New York where he was a fan favorite. Staub was one of the hardest working players of all time and despite not being the most naturally talented player, he learned to work the count like few others, get on base consistently and help his team win games. His power came along in his 7th year in the big leagues when he smashed 29 home runs in ‘69 then 30 in 1970. Although he crushed 292 career bombs, his most impressive number might be the number of times he reached base in his career – an insane 4,050 times, more than even Tony Gwynn. Despite this incredible career, he fell off the Hall of Fame ballot for not reaching the 5% minimum after 7 years on the ballot.

#8 Toby Harrah

A mostly forgotten player of the 70’s and 80’s, Toby Harrah could do it all – at least at certain points in his career. He came up as a player without much power who could work a walk like no one else, but eventually decided to start going for the fences and smashed 27 bombs in 1977 while still leading the league with 109 walks. He was also good for around 20 stolen bases a year for most of his career until he slowed down in the 80’s. He did lots of the little things right to help his team win ballgames but was never really recognized as a big time superstar. Still, he retired with an 51.4 WAR, much better than most fans would expect out of Toby Harrah, if they had even heard of him in the first place. He retired with less than 50 hits shy of 2,000 and had 195 career bombs.

#7 Brett Butler

Coming in at #7 is one of my favorite players during the late 80’s, the speedy Brett Butler. He is so underrated than when I google his name, all I get is this girl. (Oh yeah yeah yea yea, the actress). Although he wasn’t a power hitter and never close to a big star, Butler is the guy who gets rallies started and the guy who scores the run when you need it. He had a great eye at the plate, could work a walk or even bunt for a hit in order to get on base. Once on base, he was an instant threat to run and retired with 558 steals, 25th on the all-time list. He covered a ton of ground in centerfield, making all the routine plays and many spectacular ones as well. He hit at least .300 5 times in his career yet made only a single All Star Game and has never been appreciated for how good he was. He retired with an impressive 2,375 hits in his career but received only two votes on the Hall of Fame ballot.

#6 John Olerud

Whenever I think of John Olerud, I remember the one defensive player who always wore a helmet on the field. I had no idea why at that time, but it turns out he had surgery in college for a brain aneurysm, which explains the helmet. Aside from the helmet, however, Olerud was quietly a fantastic player for about 15 years. He ended his career with over 2,200 hits, 500 doubles and 255 homers. He was an elite defensive first baseman and also got on base like nearly no one else, finishing his career with an on-base-percentage just under .400. Because he was not a huge power hitter, he was even more overshadowed than Carlos Delgado during the steroid era. However, he did hit at least 20 homers 5 times and retired with an impressive 58.2 WAR, better than many Hall of Famers including Willie Stargell. Most baseball fans may have had no idea just how good Olerud was and before doing the research, I was one of them, despite being a fan during his era.

#5 Willie Davis

Moving into the top 5, we have Willie Davis, a long-time Los Angeles Dodger whose prime came right in the middle of the pitcher’s era of the 60’s. He was so under-rated after retirement that despite collecting over 2,500 hits over a 17 year career, he was not deemed good enough to even appear on the a Hall of Fame Ballot. Imagine having almost 3,000 career hits in the Major Leagues and not even getting your name on the ballot. Aside from the hits, Davis was an elite defender and one of the fastest runners in the game, leading the league in triples twice and stealing 398 career bases. He took home three gold gloves, helped the Dodgers win two World Series and stayed healthy throughout most of his career, nearly always playing in at least 140 games. Despite all of that, Davis got zero Hall of Fame support, not even appearing on the ballot and to this day, is underappreciated.

#4 Jose Cruz

Up next is a man named Jose Cruz, who had to hit for years at the pitcher friendly Astrodome. He was underrated even during his playing days, possibly because he was a late bloomer who had a few sub-par years in St. Louis. However, by the 80’s, Cruz was a tough out, especially on the road, and did it for many years. In 1983, he led the league in hits. Cruz hit at least .300 6 times and hit so well for so long that he accumulated 2,251 hits in his career with a .284 batting average and .354 on-base-percentage. He was also a solid defender despite winning zero gold gloves. His 54.3 career WAR is higher than several Hall of Famers including Orlando Cepeda and Jim Rice. Had he played in a more hitter-friendly ballpark, there’s no telling what kind of numbers Cruz could have put up.

#3 Willie Randolph

Although he may not come to mind as one of the all-time Yankee greats, Willie Randolph comes in 10th on the All-Time WAR list for time spent with the New York Yankees, above A-Rod, Thurman Munson, Andy Pettite and Bernie Williams. All 9 above him are in the Hall of Fame. Randolph had an incredible knack for getting on base, combined with speed and elite defense. Among second basemen, he has the 5th highest defensive WAR of all time, but never won a Gold Glove – as Frank White and Lou Whitaker routinely won them during Randolph’s prime. In 1980, he drew a league-leading 119 walks and had an on-base-percentage of .427. Randolph retired with 2,210 hits and an incredibly impressive .373 on-base-percentage, one point higher than Kenny Lofton’s. Randolph’s career WAR is tied with Hall-of-Famer Duke Snider and better than Willie McCovey’s and Jackie Robinson’s. Yet, on the Hall of Fame ballot, Randolph got an incredibly disrespectful 1.1% of the vote.

#2 Tony Phillips

Is it possible to play 18 years in the big leagues, collect 2,000 hits, be one of the best defenders at your position and not win a single award? Tony Phillips proves that the answer is yes. One of the best players to never make an All Star Team, Tony Phillips was one of the most versatile players in the league, with the ability to play elite defense almost anywhere on the field. He also had speed and knew how to work a walk – a skillset that seems made for a list like this. He even hit 160 career home runs including 27 in 1995. Despite all he did to help his team win games, Phillips was underrated during and after his career, never receiving a single award of any kind. Since he never won a gold glove or even made an All Star Team, it’s no surprise that he got almost no support on the Hall of Fame Ballot – just one brave voter decided to check the box next to Tony Phillip’s name.

#1 Darrell Evans

Coming in as my #1 underrated player of all time is going to be Darrell Evans, who had an extraordinary 21-year career, bringing massive power and elite defense to the field every day. He won zero Gold Gloves – which can be attributed to playing in the same league at the same time as Mike Schmidt. And, no surprise, he also had a great eye and worked a ton of walks. The difference with Evans as opposed to some one of the players on this list is, he worked walks and hit for massive power, smashing 414 career homers. He has a 58.7 career WAR, a .361 on-base-percentage and averaged 25 homers and 20 doubles throughout his entire career. Somehow, despite all this, he made just two All Star Teams and got kicked off the Hall of Fame Ballot after one year. This makes no sense and in my mind, makes Darrell Evans the #1 underrated player in the history of the game.

And that does it for this week’s countdown; I hope you all enjoyed it; I put a lot of time, thought and effort into this one. I understand there are dozens of other criminally underrated players – I considered hundreds of other players, and even started this as a Top 10 but couldn’t bear to leave off some of these names so it ended up as a Top 25. Comment down below if you can think of other players who should have made or been considered for this list.

The Top 25 Most UNDER-RATED Players In Modern MLB HISTORY...

Erik Reyes