MLB's underground kings: Players who need their due

It has been two years since his MVP star turn in the 2016 NLCS, but Baez still stands somewhat in the shadow of his more famous infield mates. The dynamic jack of all trades is amid` a substantial breakout season, standing among the NL leaders in RBI, triples and OPS. Meanwhile, he has continued to log innings at all four infield positions.

While the reputations of Buster Posey and Yadier Molina behind the plate outdo his own, Barnhart has been baseball’s top defensive catcher over the past two years. He committed only one error in 926.1 innings last year, while throwing out 44 percent of would-be base stealers. His 3.4 2017 WAR led all MLB catchers, and he's at it again this year.

A year ago, Bradley made a miraculous conversion from struggling starting pitching prospect to ace middle reliever. What a difference a role change can make. Bradley’s ERA in relief is two and half runs lower, while batters are struggling to hit .200 against him. He is a future closer in the making.

Although Carrasco’s name would likely be overlooked when discussing the top arms in the game today, he certainly stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a great many of them. The 31-year-old tied his Cy Young-winning teammate Corey Kluber with an AL-best 18 wins last year, while joining him in the top five in strikeouts as well. Overall, he owns a .742 winning percentage since the start of 2017 (23-8).

Amid the deconstruction of the Tigers’ roster over the last year, Castellanos has stepped up as one of the AL’s top overall offensive threats. His 72 extra-base hits were sixth best in the league in 2017, while he also finished in the top 10 in RBI (101), total bases (301) and led the league in triples (10). Thus far in 2018, the 26-year-old has raised his batting average over 50 points as well.

Long before Zack Greinke or Robbie Ray headed to the desert, Corbin was the future leader of the D-backs' rotation. After a few years of battling injury, he has re-inherited the role. The southpaw sits in the NL top 10 in ERA, WHIP, wins, complete games and shutouts thus far in 2018, in an audition year as he heads toward free agency this winter.

Since 2015, the A’s slugger has out-homered Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson and even Giancarlo Stanton. His 124 home runs over the past four seasons have included back-to-back 40-homer campaigns, an outcome that would gain much more fanfare if it was coming in New York or Los Angeles, as opposed to Oakland, who often resides at the bottom of the AL West.

Diaz has been a closer since nearly the onset of his career and has become a dominant presence lurking in the Seattle bullpen. He has converted 90 percent of his save opportunities over the past two years, averaging over 13 strikeouts per nine innings. Considering the ever-changing nature of the Mariners’ rotation, he is a highly important part of the Seattle staff.

Despite making his first All-Star appearance last year and hitting 51 homers over his two-year stint in Tampa, Dickerson was surprisingly cut loose by the Rays over the winter. The Pirates jumped quick to add the talented left-handed bat to their lineup, and he has rewarded their investment in short order. Dickerson leads the club in batting average, doubles and RBI thus far on the year.

Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and Carlos Correa get most of the buzz, but Gregorius has managed to somehow pull off the trick of flying somewhat under the radar among the game’s elite shortstops despite playing for the Yankees. Only Lindor has connected for more homers than Gregorius has over the past two years at the position. Since heading to the Bronx four years ago as Derek Jeter’s replacement, Didi has accounted for 10 wins above replacement.

Aside from Andrew Miller, no left-handed reliever has been more productive over the past two years and change than Hand. The 28-year-old has excelled as both a setup man and in the ninth inning, accumulating 32 saves and 37 holds since joining the Padres in 2016.

Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager have provided the star power for the Mariners in years past, but the future could belong to Haniger. The powerful outfielder has made even the spacious confines of Safeco Field look easily conquerable. Haniger is also sneaky good with the glove as well with his underrated athleticism, making him a model right fielder.

While Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and Yu Darvish have made most of the headlines in the Cubs' rotation over the past few years, Hendricks has been its most consistent member. The crafty right-hander burst onto the scene in 2016, leading the National League in ERA at 2.13 and winning 16 games. In 32 starts since, he owns an ERA just north of 3.00, while remaining one of the game’s top control pitchers.

Hernandez was an unexpected breakout performer for the up-and-coming Phils two years ago and has quickly morphed into one of the club's most indispensable parts. He is a "do whatever is needed" type, capable of making an impact in all aspects of the game seemingly on demand. Hernandez has seen his on-base percentage grow steadily over the last three seasons, while he has developed into a borderline All-Star at second base.

While the last few years have been an up-and-down affair at times, it all seems to be coming together finally for the athletic Philadelphia center fielder. He has led the NL hitting on various occasions in the early going and has reached base in 42 straight games to start the year. As he continues to add more power to his game, Herrera is becoming a more dangerous bat in real time, currently leading the league in batting and on-base percentage.

Lowrie is one of those guys who perhaps got the "solid vet" tag a bit early, which made it easy to overlook how well he has played of late. In his second stint with the A’s, the 34-year-old has been one of the most productive second basemen in the AL. After connecting for 49 doubles a year ago and a 4.0 WAR, he has been even better thus far in 2018, hitting well over .300 as he sits among the league leaders in RBI. Perhaps he is getting better with age.

With both the Orioles and Braves, Markakis has spent much of his career as the ultimate role player. Despite having over 2,100 hits in his career and a pair of Gold Gloves to his credit, Markakis is still yet to make his first All-Star appearance. In this instance, perhaps 13 will the lucky number for veteran outfielder, who is in line to make his All-Star Game debut in his 13^th season. He is having a career year at the plate and has already accounted for a 2.1 WAR for the first time since 2011.

Morton’s emergence in the Houston rotation has continued to be an impressive sight to behold. He has reinvented himself as a power pitcher, averaging over 10 strikeouts per nine innings after never topping more than 7.2 in any season with 20 or more starts in his career before 2017. He is now more than holding his weight with his more famous rotation mates made up of a pair of former Cy Young winners and a No. 1 overall pick.

While it seemed that the addition of Jake Arrieta would finally give the Phillies a surefire frontline arm, it appears they already had one in waiting all along. Nola has taken the next step in his development this year, racing out to six victories, including four outings of six or more innings while allowing one or fewer earned runs.

Paxton has not been afraid to make a statement in the young season with a 16-strikeout outing to his credit, along with a no-hitter against the Blue Jays serving as an encore. Staying in good health is the only obstacle between Paxton becoming one of the top arms in the AL. In 2017, he opened 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA over his first seven starts before injuries kept him from cashing in on his full potential.

Pham has made good on last year’s show-and-prove performance by taking his game to another level yet again. While taking over as the full-time center fielder in St. Louis, Pham has remained one of the game’s top speed/power threats, currently in line for a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign this time around. Only Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Mookie Betts have made a bigger dent on the WAR leaderboard over the past two seasons than Pham.

Pillar’s exploits as a dynamic fielder are well-documented, but he has also taken his athletic exploits to the plate. Pillar is the among AL leaders in doubles and also on pace to reach 20 stolen bases again.

Perhaps no one has had more bad luck than Pollock, who currently is out for over two months with a fractured thumb. It is the fourth time in the last five seasons that he has suffered an injury that could cost him upward of 50 games. Before this latest brush with disaster, Pollock’s buffet of talents had him on an MVP pace of 40 homers, 40 doubles and 35 stolen bases.

One of the last standing survivors of the great purge in Miami this past winter, Realmuto runs the risk of no longer being underrated simply due to how hotly he'll be chased throughout the summer. For the time being, Realmuto remains a lesser-known dual threat behind the dish, capable of calling both a top-flight game and being a legitimate offensive threat at the position as well.

Rendon has been the silent assassin among a star-studded Nationals roster. Although twice finishing in the top six in NL MVP voting, he is yet to make his All-Star debut. Despite the regular snubs, he has three years of 20 home runs, 80 RBI, 35+ doubles and 80+ runs scored. 

Although he has a hit title to his credit and has not batted below .300 in three years, Segura's consistent presence at the plate flies well under the radar. His lone All-Star appearance came way back in 2013 when he was a young shortstop with the Brewers, but he's produced nearly 10 wins above replacement since 2016 in just over 300 games.

A year removed from being the key part of the deal that sent Wade Davis to the Cubs, the former highly touted prospect is beginning to live up to his potential. Soler has been a standout among the so-so K.C. offense, cutting down his strikeout rate and driving the ball much better due to seeing better pitches. While his bloom has been a slow one, it could be a blessing for a Royals team in desperate need of projectable production.

Despite manning the same position as top prospect Nick Senzel, the Reds still did not hesitate to give Suarez a seven-year, $66 million extension this spring. This commitment came on the heels of back-to-back 20-homer seasons for the 26-year-old third baseman, who possesses a stroke that fits in well with the generous confines of Great American Ballpark.

No top-tier performer in the game is more consistently overlooked than the fire-bearded third baseman for the Dodgers. Although he has nearly 19 wins above replacement and twice finished in the top 10 for NL MVP honors, he has only one All-Star appearance to his credit — which came via the fan Final Vote ballot, no less. After the tragically slow start the Dodgers have gotten off to as he mended a fractured wrist, his return could be a turning point in the year.

Despite owning both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger and being a .290 hitter in his five-year career, Yelich is still surprisingly without his first All-Star selection. That along with the fact the Marlins were willing the deal the talented (and affordable) young outfielder signal that he's still among the most underappreciated talents in the game.