It has been 10 years since I filed my first All-Underrated Team column, and what a journey it has been. What began as a simple, innocent endeavor to simply salute some guys who perhaps did not get adequate recognition led to a lot of arguments over what it means to be “underrated.” The result is that I have formulated the industry’s absolute strictest qualifications for inclusion.
These are the requirements for the All-Underrated Team (for now, at least):
Frankly, I might have overcorrected and made this TOO stringent (I didn’t leave myself much of a player pool to work with). But as long as I can file a list of players who have contributed to their clubs without receiving wide acclaim, I can feel I’ve done my small part to contribute to this important conversation.
So here it is, folks: The 2024 All-Underrated Team!
A year ago, the Twins signed veteran catcher Christian Vázquez, because Jeffers, who had an encouraging debut in 2020 but struggled offensively in ’21 and ’22, had not proved himself ready for the starting role.
But after adjusting his swing, the 26-year-old Jeffers blossomed in 2023 with a .276/.369/.490 slash line in 96 games to seize the starting duties by season’s end. His 134 OPS+ was tied with Mitch Garver for tops among catchers with at least 300 plate appearances.
Hardcore observers of fake award presentations know that Naylor was recently named to the 2023 All-Awardless Team. He qualifies here, too, having been snubbed in last year’s All-Star selections.
Naylor, who goes all out all the time, came back from a gruesome ankle injury to post a .282/.336/.471 slash line with 37 homers and 59 doubles over the past two seasons. The only first basemen with at least 500 plate appearances in that span who had a higher OPS+ than Naylor’s 127 mark were Freddie Freeman (158), Yandy Díaz (151), Paul Goldschmidt (147), Matt Olson (141) and Pete Alonso (134).
An extremely difficult position to fill, given our ultra-strict parameters. So let’s just use it to give a nod of appreciation for a guy who has provided the Angels with better-than-average offense (a .751 OPS, 107 OPS+, 33 homers, 37 doubles) over the past two seasons while playing six different positions (with the bulk of his time coming at second).
Actually, if the season were somehow made entirely of the second half, Rengifo’s .829 OPS after the All-Star break over the past two years would earn him more acclaim.
Once again, with so many shortstops having been saluted elsewhere, let’s throw a spotlight on a super-utility type. You might be surprised to learn MLB Network’s “Shredder” system had the 34-year-old Berti ranked 13th among shortstops. He plays six positions on the diamond but played short more than anywhere else last season and is currently at the top of the Marlins’ depth chart there for 2024.
Berti led the Majors in steals in 2022, with 41. Though his steals output curiously dipped in the new rules environment, he’s nevertheless 91-for-his-last-111 in that department. Berti had career-bests in hits (114) and homers (seven) in 2023 and provides good defense at the position.
McMahon was our All-Underrated third baseman a year ago, and absolutely nothing has changed. In 2023, McMahon had his third straight season with 20 homers and his second season in the past three years with 30 doubles.
More importantly, McMahon once again rated as one of the best hot-corner defenders in MLB. Over the past four years, the only third basemen with more Outs Above Average than McMahon’s 30 are the Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes (50) and former Rockies star Nolan Arenado (35).
In 2023, Ward set out to prove that his age-28 breakout (.281/.360/.473 slash) was not an aberration. He didn’t get to complete the task, because a fastball to the face on July 29 prematurely ended a season in which he slashed a decidedly less-exciting .253/.335/.421.
So why is he our left fielder here? Well, for one, Ward moved over to left field…
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