“UNDER-RATED! Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap”
If you bet sports, you know that’s a chant you’ll never hear in the bleachers of an MLB stadium. The big names – especially the overrated ones – draw all the heckles, while the underrated guys go unnoticed and underappreciated.
How do you classify an underrated player in MLB betting? Usually, they fall under three categories: guys who make you say “Who?”; guys you’ve heard of but just didn’t realize were good because they play in obscure markets; guys who are lost in the shuffle on star-studded teams. Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia both fit the third category a year ago and have since shed their underrated labels. In fact, they may be overrated now. Anyway, let’s look at the 10 most underrated players in MLB betting – guys who boost your chances at the sportsbook more than you think.
10. Randy Winn, outfielder, San Francisco Giants
A tall lankster with a droopy face, Winn just looks boring. While he doesn’t wow anyone in the field, he gives consistent production from the top of the order every year. Winn has seven straight seasons with 150 or more hits, 11 or more home runs, 70-plus runs and 10 or more steals. He also hit below .275 just one during that span. He’s a consistent table setter who gets no love from MLB betting fans.
9. Ted Lilly, starting pitcher, Chicago Cubs
If he didn’t seem like such a douche, he’d probably be more appreciated in MLB odds. He would deserve it; Lilly, who racks up strikeouts with a great curveball, is 32-17 as a Cub and has 10 or more wins in six straight seasons. He’s a useful, above-average innings eater.
8. Jason Bay, outfielder, Boston Red Sox
He’s a household name for Canadian online betting players, but spending so many years in Pittsburgh kept him hidden from true stardom. Now a stalwart in the middle of Boston’s order, his power and patience will make him a mini-Manny.
7. Matt Kemp, outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers
.315, 93 runs, 11 homers, 80 RBI, 50 steals
.290, 93 runs, 18 homers, 76 RBI, 35 steals
The first set of numbers: Carl Crawford’s 2007 season. The second: Matt Kemp’s 2008 numbers. Somehow, the five-tool future star hasn’t been noticed yet. That will change this year.
6. Adrian Gonzalez, first baseman, San Diego Padres
Is it fair for those who bet MLB to call A-Gonz underrated? He’s already an All-Star caliber slugger who plays superb defense. But this is a guy who never misses a game and has back to back 30-homer, 100 RBI seasons playing in baseball’s worst hitter’s park. What would he do if he was still a Texas Ranger?
5. Derek Lowe, starting pitcher, Atlanta Braves
Five years ago, Lowe was hardly underrated as a hot-shot hurler with the World Champion Red Sox. Yet he somehow faded into obscurity as a Dodger despite churning out solid No. 2 starter numbers for several years. In MLB betting, there are few guys more reliable – and underrated – than the sinkerballer Lowe.
4. Chris Young, starting pitcher, San Diego Padres
How can a 6’10” flamethrower be a face in the crowd? Somehow, it’s happened for Chris Young, a.k.a. Randy Johnson Lite. He’s spent last few years in Jake Peavy’s shadow while posting All-star worthy numbers. He’s still in his 20s until May, so there’s time for him to earn the respect he deserves at the sportsbook…especially if the Padres deal Peavy.
3. Raul Ibanez, outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies
Ibanez is an oxymoron – he’s famously underrated. Everyone knows this guy is a professional hitter, yet he still gets left out of the discussion when MLB betting fans gab about the game’s most dangerous sluggers. How do you hit between .280 and .304 eight straight years, with 89 or more RBI in seven of those years and 100-plus the last three years, and not get mentioned with the big names? Great signing for the Phillies.
2. Carlos Lee, outfielder, Houston Astros
Lee’s case is similar to Ibanez’s, but perhaps more extreme – the guy jacks 30 bombs and drives in 100 seven years in a row (oh, wait, six – he had 99 RBI one year) but never gets MVP consideration. Is it because he’s fat?
1. Joakim Soria, relief pitcher, Kansas City Royals
Have you heard of him? If yes, then congrats – you probably do well when you bet on MLB. Considered an afterthought when the Royals gave him a chance to close in 2007, Soria’s numbers have been Mariano Rivera-esque. Last year, he had a 1.60 ERA, absurd 0.86 WHIP, held opponents to a .169 average and saved 42 games for the last place Royals. If (when?) Kansas City rises to prominence, Soria will get the spotlight.