Baseball's All-Underrated Team: 2013

Here are, in my opinion, the most underrated and underappreciated players of 2013. None of them made the All-Star team, received MVP votes or won any major award to my knowledge. Most of them were trapped on bad team, played in small markets, or both.

C Jonathan Lucroy
Lucroy put together another great season for the Brewers, batting .280/.340/.455 with 18 homers, 82 RBI and nine steals in ten tries--a performance that was worth about three wins above replacement. Unfortunately, all anybody could talk about in Milwaukee was Ryan Braun.

1B Brandon Moss
After smashing 21 home runs in just 84 games and 265 official at-bats in 2012, Moss was able to stay on the field and prove his power was legit in 2013--his second season with the A's. He blasted 30 home runs, slugged .522, and set career highs pretty much across the board. Another great find by Billy Beane.

2B Daniel Murphy
Murphy's been consistently solid since debuting with the Mets in 2008, a rock at second base and in the lineup. In 2013 he played 161 games and batted second for most of the season, which helped him log nearly 700 plate appearances. All those trips to the plate resulted in some very impressive (and career-best) counting numbers like 92 runs, 188 hits, 13 home runs, 78 RBI, 273 total bases and 23 steals in 26 attempts. He also smacked 38 doubles and batted .286, contributing to an offensive game that was worth 3.6 oWAR according to Baseball-Reference.

3B Kyle Seager
Nobody seems to talk about Seager, but I guess that's what happens when you play for a lousy team from the Pacific Northwest. After breaking out in 2012, the Seattle Mariner took another step forward in his third big league season, setting career highs in numerous categories such as home runs (22), walks (68), bWAR (3.9), total bases (262) and all three triple slash stats (.260/.338/.426. Most of the 2013 Mariners couldn't hit for beans, but Seager can.

SS Jed Lowrie
The perpetually injured Lowrie stayed healthy for the first time, playing 154 games, and delivered his finest season to date. The Oakland shortstop cranked out 175 hits, including 45 doubles (second most in the league) and 15 homers while batting .290/.344/.446 (122 OPS+). His offense was worth more than four wins for the division-winning A's.

LF Starling Marte
Marte was a big reason why the Pirates improved their record by 15 wins from 2012 to 2013. He saw limited action as a rookie on that disappointing 2012 squad, but was a regular in 2013 and emerged as an All-Star caliber player. The 24 year-old's well-rounded game was worth 5.4 bWAR, thanks in large part to his speed (41 steals) and defensive excellence. Although he only walked 25 times, he got on base at a good clip (.343 OBP) by hitting for a good average (.280) and getting hit by 24 pitches. He also showed decent power with 26 doubles, 10 triples and 12 home runs. Andrew McCutchen deserved his MVP award, but I'm kind of surprised Marte didn't pull any votes.

CF Brett Gardner
It would seem impossible that Gardner is both a Yankee and simultaneously underrated, but that's what happened throughout his whole career. When you get down to it, he's not that far from Jacoby Ellsbury, but yet Gardner has never been an All-Star or won any major award. That trend continued in 2013, as he took over for an injured Curtis Granderson in center field and produced another solid season at the plate with several career highs, such as hits (147), doubles (33), triples (10--most in the AL), home runs (8), RBI (52), slugging percentage (.416) and total bases (224). Those numbers would have looked even better had he not missed the final two weeks of the season with an oblique strain

RF Will Venable
Venable was one of baseball's best kept secrets in 2013, enjoying an unexpected power surge at age 30 that was responsible for 22 home runs, 233 total bases and a .484 slugging percentage--all career highs. He also had the highest batting average of his career (.268), topped 20 steals for the fourth straight year and was worth more than three wins to a punchless Padres outfit.

DH Kendrys Morales
Morales acquitted himself well in his Mariners debut, belting 34 doubles, 23 home runs, and hitting .277/.336/.449 (123 OPS+). He gave Seattle almost exactly what he game the Angels the year before, which in this case turned out to be closer to three wins than two.

SP Jhoulys Chacin
Chacin bounced back from an injury-marred 2012 to go 14-10 with a 3.47 ERA, which worked out to be a 127 ERA+. He threw a career-high 197.1 innings with the lowest WHIP (1.26) and walk rate (2.8 BB/9) of his career. The Venezuelan also navigated the always tricky Coors Field, actually holding opponents to a lower OPS there (.683) than on the road (.686). The Rockies are thin on quality starting pitching, so they need Chacin, who was worth almost six wins a year ago, to repeat his success in 2014, which may be tough seeing as how his strikeout rate has tumbled to 5.7 K/9.

CL Steve Cishek
Miami's closer in the wake of their failed Heath Bell signing, Cishek was nothing short of excellent in 2013. He finished 62 games, most in the NL, and did so with a 2.33 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. In addition, he saved 34 games, struck out more than a batter per inning, and maintained a very good 3.36 K/BB ratio.

Pagan, Scutaro Sparking San Francisco

Posey has overshadowed the torrid hitting of Angel Pagan (left) and Marco Scutaro 

Ask the average baseball fan who has been the most valuable player on the San Francisco Giants this season, and the vast majority of them would probably give Buster Posey as their response (a month ago you could have said Melky Cabrera; now I'd be shocked if the writers give him so much as a courtesy nod).  The 2010 NL Rookie of the Year is leading the team in almost every offensive category imaginable, ranks fourth in the league in bWAR and is tied with Andrew McCutchen for the top OPS+ in the majors. Since starting the All-Star Game (in which he caught for Matt Cain) he's done his best Ted Williams impression--circa 1941--by hitting an absurd .392/.466/.656 to push the Giants past the Los Angeles Dodgers in the standings and build a cushy eight game lead in the NL West.  Considering all that, some have already tabbed him as the frontrunner for National League MVP, I'm not convinced he's separated himself from the pack.  There are still several other candidates worthy of consideration; Ryan Braun has the best stats, David Wright's put together a heck of a year and McCutchen is heating up again after a brutal August slump. If 'Cutch can carry his Pittsburgh Pirates (2.5 games out of the second wild card spot) into the postseason for the first time since the Barry Bonds era ended there two decades ago, I think he's a shoe-in for the trophy.

So if Posey wants to become the first National League backstop to earn an MVP award since Johnny Bench in 1972, he will need to sustain his hot hitting for two more weeks.  In the meantime, San Francisco's cleanup hitter should continue to get plenty of opportunities to drive in runs given how productive the table-setters have been at the top of the lineup.  While Posey's gotten all the ink for his second half surge, veterans Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro have been the X-Factors fueling San Fran's success in August and September.

Pagan has quietly enjoyed a terrific campaign. Following a disappointing 2011 with the Mets in which he batted .262 and missed more than a month with a rib injury, the switch-hitting center-fielder was traded last offseason for Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres. Installed by Bruce Bochy as the Giants leadoff batter, the 31 year-old Pagan has flourished in his Giants debut.  The speedster leads the major leagues in triples, with 13, plays solid defense, and has played like an MVP over the past six weeks. Since August 3rd, Pagan is batting a Posey-like .331/.389/.554 with 14 doubles, eight triples and 42 runs scored (one run per game).   He's been a catalyst at the top of the lineup, a light version Michael Bourn or Jose Reyes.

Batting right behind him is the well-traveled Scutaro, playing for his fourth team in the past four years.  He began the season with the Rockies, only to be dealt to San Fran on July 27th in exchange for Charlie Culberson.  At the time the move hardly looked like a game-changer, for in his brief tenure with the Rockies Scoots produced 0.0 bWAR and compiled a 73 OPS+.  Since donning the Giants uniform, though, the 36 year-old second baseman has looked rejuvenated at the plate batted a blazing .349/.367/.451 with 31 RBI and just 13 strikeouts in 215 plate appearances.  Every time you check the box score it seems like he's gone 2-for-4 or 3-for-5 (he has ten multi-hit games in September).  At this point in his career most of his value is tied up in base hits, since he lacks power, doesn't steal bases, and rarely draws walks (reminds me of Michael Young).  But when one bats in front of Pablo Sandoval, Posey and Hunter Pence, getting to first base is usually enough.

It's impossible to overstate how important the contributions (5.8 oWAR) of these two players.  Last year, the Giants missed the postseason mainly because they couldn't muster enough offense to support their stellar pitching.  Posey's ankle injury and Carlos Beltran's DL stint played a part in this, but it also didn't help that their table-setters simply weren't doing their jobs.


2011
Batting first: .232/.292/.357
Batting second: .264/.308/.354

This season has been a completely different story.  Pagan and Scutaro have stabilized the top of the order and are getting on base for the big bats coming up behind them.

2012
Batting first: .265/.335/.426
Batting second: .290/.335/.369

That's a 112 point jump in OPS out of the lead-off spot and a 42 point spike from the two-hole.  Their success, combined with elite production from Posey, has helped transform San Francisco from the lowest scoring offense in the league  last year to one that rates seventh (out of 16 teams) in runs this season.  The pitching has held despite disappointing seasons from Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson, so the Giants are poised to make a run at their second World Series title in three years.

Pagan has never played in the postseason.  Scutaro has, albeit once and six years ago.  But with the postseason just around the corner, both have taken their games to another level.

They just have to keep doing what they're doing.  Perhaps people will finally start to take notice.  Maybe then they'll get the credit they deserve.

And maybe, just maybe, Buster Posey will win an MVP award because of it.

NBA All Underrated Team

To see my all overrated team, go here

PG Ty Lawson
Denver's speedy point guard does everything well and is a big reason why Denver is battling for a playoff spot.  After backing up Chauncey Billups for his first season and a half, he became the starter after "Big Shot" was dealt to the Knicks along with Carmelo Anthony last winter and (literally) hit the ground running.  For what he lacks in size (5'11, 195 pounds) he makes up for in agility, energy, and explosiveness.  Despite his diminuitive frame he rebounds well and is not afraid to attack the rim. He's an efficient shooter from the floor (47.5 percent) and the line (80.9 percent) who can knock down threes (1.1 per game) and play solid defense.  Lawson deserves a lot of credit for keeping the prolific offense humming at full capacity, especially after Danilo Gallinari went down with an injury.  His stats--15.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.8 rebounds are good but don't leap off the page because Denver has so many weapons in Gallinari, Al Harrington, Aaron Afflalo, Andre Miller, Rudy Fernandez, Wilson Chandler, and former teammate Nene Hilario (replaced by JaVale McGee.  He understands his role on that team and rarely tries to play outside his game, but showed what he was capable of when he earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors earlier in the month.  The Association's incredible depth at the position helps him fly under the radar as he emerges into one of the better point guards in the league. 

Honorable Mention: Mike Conley-very similar to Lawson statistically, and he's currently leading the league in steals

SG Marcus Thornton

Thornton has had the misfortune of playing in two small markets--New Orleans and Sacramento (the worst two teams in the Western Conference this season)--during his four year career.  In NOLA he was a bench player in the shadows of teammates Chris Paul and David West, but he took off after getting traded to the Kings for Carl Landry last winter.  He had been a productive player there, as his per 36 minutes numbers indicate, but before switching teams he simply wasn't getting the opportunity (0 starts and about 16 minutes per game last year).  Upon his arrival Sacramento immediately thrust him into a starting role, and he didn't disappoint, averaging 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and two triples in 38.1 minutes per game after the trade (27 games).  This year he's proved that strong finish wasn't a fluke by averaging 19 points, 2.1 treys, and hitting a career best 85.7 percent of his freebies.  He gambles too much on defense and isn't the most efficient or consistent shooter in the world, but the 24 year-old gunner has teamed with Tyreke Evans to form one of the more potent backcourt scoring tandems in the league.  Unless Jimmer Fredette suddenly enjoys a Jeremy Lin-esque breakout, Thornton's scoring average should continue to hover around the hallowed 20 point per game mark as he outscores bigger names like Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay and Danny Granger.

Honorable Mention: Arron Afflalo-Efficient scorer shot nearly 50 percent from the floor last year and drills threes at a 40.4 percent rate for his career

SF Ersan Ilyasova
The waiver wire savior of many a fantasy basketball team.  All of his percentages are well above average (over 48 from the field, 81 from the charity stripe and nearly 41 from downtown) and his rebounding figures--8.5 per game and 11.4 per 36 minutes--are off the charts for a small forward.  To put that number in perspective, he's outrebounding Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Kevin Garnett despite averaging fewer than 27 minutes per game!  He's finally getting his chance to shine this year, and he's seized the opportunity by averaging career highs across the board.  The Bucks have been lacking depth all season, especially with Andrew Bogut injured (suprise surprise), so they really needed somebody to pick up the slack.  He's only gotten better as the season's progressed, and has done his best to help keep Milwaukee within shouting distance of the Knicks for that hotly contested eight seed.  With offensive sparkplug Monta Ellis now on board to provide some serious firepower, don't be surprised if they make a run down the stretch and overtake New York, who just lost Amare Stoudemire for two to four weeks. Ilyasova and Drew Gooden need to keep their breakout campaigns rolling for that to happen, though.

Honorable Mention: Nicolas Batum-one of the rare players who averages at least one three pointer, a block and a steal per game.  Every now and then he'll have a big night, but for the most part he keeps a low profile in Rip City

PF Paul Millsap
He didn't become a full time starter until last season, so that probably explains why people haven't caught on to the fact that he's one of the best all-around power forwards in the game.  Over the past year and a half, all he's done is average 16.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and nearly a block while maintaining a 51.8 percent success rate from the floor and 77 percent free throw rate.  Everything in his statistical profile screams Chris Bosh:  an efficient shooter with some range, hits his free throws, and passes well.  Like Bosh, Millsap is not a shot blocker, but he compensates for that deficiency with lots of steals--1.8 per game this year, in fact, a figure that leads all power forwards.  And although his field goal perentage is below 50 percent for the first time in his career, he's made up for it by sinking more than 79 percent of his free throws, way above his 70.5 percent mark coming into the season.  For a big man he's remained incredibly durable, missing an average of just three games per season over his career and playing all 82 three times.  If he didn't have to share a frontcourt with Al Jefferson, he'd be meeting or exceeding Jefferson's rough averages--20 points and 10 rebounds--easily.  As it is, Big Al limits his statistical ceiling by gobbling up rebounds and shot attempts down low. If he ever misses an extended period of time, look for Millsap to explode.

Honorable Mention: Greg Monroe-Detroit's sophomore is only 21 years old, but he's already averaging 16 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 dimes with great percentages.  Got snubbed from the East's All-Star team this year, but should be a fixture in the game for years to come

C Marcin Gortat

Admit it; Gortat looks like an NBA center.
Now he's playing like one, too

On a thin Phoenix Suns roster, he's the force in the paint.  Your prototypical NBA center, the Polish Hammer is averaging a double double (16.4 points and ten rebounds per game), blocks shots (one and a half per game), doesn't stray too far from the rim on offense (56.1 field goal percentage) and has his troubles at the charity stripe (64.2 percent this year).  Trapped for years in Orlando behind Dwight Howard, he thrived after landing in Arizona along with Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus (the Magic received Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark in return).  He'd been very effective in limited playing time while with the Magic, so when his minutes per game doubled with the Suns he blossomed into a top notch center (playing alongside Steve Nash never hurts, either).  Gortat was rewarded with the starting gig this year, and so far he's picked up right where he left off.  He has to keep producing this way if Phoenix wants any shot at the postseason, but unfortunately I think they're just too short on talent to make a sustained run.


Honorable Mention: Zaza Pachulia-has been a double double machine in place of Al Horford this year