Baseball's best kept secrets

[unfinished_business]

I just wondered who are Baseball's best kept secrets.

I mean guys most of us Baseball-Fevered do not know. And then we look up to his stats and say "Boy, this guy's good!"

my picks would probably these:

Chase Utley (2b Phillies) 20HR 100+Rbi

and the guy he replaced

Placido Polanco (2b Tigers) .331 in 501AB

who else is out there??

[Astro]

Placido Polanco consistently bats around .300, can play multiple positions and rarely strikes out

Ryan Freel plays many positions, walks often, posts high OBP and a pretty good average while stealing 30 bases

Jason Bay also puts up great numbers but doesnt get the publicity others get that do the same, or even worse

[GiambiJuice]

Roy Halliday is one of the top 3 starting pitchers in the game right now, but you don't hear too much about him...

[bhss89]

Placido Polanco consistently bats around .300, can play multiple positions and rarely strikes out

Ryan Freel plays many positions, walks often, posts high OBP and a pretty good average while stealing 30 bases

Jason Bay also puts up great numbers but doesnt get the publicity others get that do the same, or even worse

What is even worse than not getting the publicity that others get?

[Shoeless]

Travis Hafner, for sure. Totals a bit low because he only got into 130+ games, but it's been two years now with huge numbers, and I never hear him mentioned as a top fantasy pick, and he wasn't on the 60-man WBC roster (although there seems to be a lot of reasons people didn't get picked).

[efin98]

Roy Halliday is one of the top 3 starting pitchers in the game right now, but you don't hear too much about him...

The Cy Young in 2003 or being a three time All-Star selectionnot enough recognition yet? He's feared yet lacks the team around him to be a superstar.

He reminds me of Curt Schilling when he was with the Phillies and Mike Mussina when he was with the Orioles though...probably will take him leaving Toronto before he can get the recognition he rightfully deserves.

[otis89]

probably will take him leaving Toronto before he can get the recognition he rightfully deserves.

Not necessarily, Toronto looks like a pretty improved team this year.

[unfinished_business]

unfortuneately no surprises for me yet. (am i too knowledgeable?)

i m a Bucs-Fan so i did of course knew of Bay but he is also rated Top5 outfielder in most fantasy-leagues

Hafner is a DH so he does not feature prominently in some Fantasy leagues but you are right he may be just as good as David Ortiz.

Halladay is a Cy Young Winner but because of injuries was not able to repeat his 2003 perfomance. When healthy though he is for me the best pitcher in the game (only consider that he pitches in the toughest divison for pitchers).

Freel is number ONE among those mentioned. He is an outfielder who because of Dunn/Griffey/Kearns/Pena had to play all over place. He is a great leadoff-hitter and there aren't too many out there any more (but that may be another thread).

[Dasperp]

Jonny Gomes: The guy put up a .282/.371/.504 line last year. He would've have been tenth in the AL in OPS, but didn't have enough AB's to qualify, and he should have finished above Cano in ROY voting.

Jhonny Peralta: Though Hafner is great and underrated, Peralta was the real MVP of the tribe last year, and its unbelievable that he didn't place in the MVP voting. He put up a line of .292/.366/.520 while playing a good shortstop, and he's only 23. If last year wasn't a fluke then he's the best SS in the majors.

[Astro]

Carlos Guillen puts up better numbers than most SS's, yet when we had a ranking thread most did not even put him in the top 10 and many had Cesar Izrutis, who couldn't hit his way out of a soggy paper bag, ahead of him

[Gamingboy]

Best kept secrets, huh?

Well... let's see.

How about Twins reliever Jesse Crain? He's good enough to be a closer on most teams (he isn't on the twins due to Joe Nathan), he had the 5th best win/loss percentage last year, and appeared in 75 games. Truly one of the better middle-to-setup relievers. Of course, middle relievers and setup guys are usually ignored anyway.


Also, how about just about every player on Milwaukee with the possible exception of Carlos Lee. If Prince Fielder or Rickie Weeks were the upcoming stars of a team on either coast, their name would be on the lips of every person in America who even casually follows Baseball. But in Milwaukee, they are only known to the types of people who watch Baseball Tonight every night, I mean, seriously, mention Prince Fielder to 10 people wearing Ballcaps in New York or Boston or LA and 7 or 8 of them would know nothing other then that he was Cecil Fielder's son.

[bhss89]

unfortuneately no surprises for me yet. (am i too knowledgeable?)

i m a Bucs-Fan so i did of course knew of Bay but he is also rated Top5 outfielder in most fantasy-leagues

Hafner is a DH so he does not feature prominently in some Fantasy leagues but you are right he may be just as good as David Ortiz.

Halladay is a Cy Young Winner but because of injuries was not able to repeat his 2003 perfomance. When healthy though he is for me the best pitcher in the game (only consider that he pitches in the toughest divison for pitchers).

Freel is number ONE among those mentioned. He is an outfielder who because of Dunn/Griffey/Kearns/Pena had to play all over place. He is a great leadoff-hitter and there aren't too many out there any more (but that may be another thread).

You could possibly be too knowledgeable.

[KingJ]

Ryan Freel. Plays OF, SS, 2B, and 3B while post an OBP in the high 300s with an average of 30-40 SB a season mostly off the bench starting just 89 games last year.

Oddly enough, Tony Womack and Rich Aurilla are higher than him on the Reds depth chart (this is why the Reds lose).

[Astro]

Best kept secrets, huh?

Well... let's see.

How about Twins reliever Jesse Crain? He's good enough to be a closer on most teams (he isn't on the twins due to Joe Nathan), he had the 5th best win/loss percentage last year, and appeared in 75 games. Truly one of the better middle-to-setup relievers. Of course, middle relievers and setup guys are usually ignored anyway.


Also, how about just about every player on Milwaukee with the possible exception of Carlos Lee. If Prince Fielder or Rickie Weeks were the upcoming stars of a team on either coast, their name would be on the lips of every person in America who even casually follows Baseball. But in Milwaukee, they are only known to the types of people who watch Baseball Tonight every night, I mean, seriously, mention Prince Fielder to 10 people wearing Ballcaps in New York or Boston or LA and 7 or 8 of them would know nothing other then that he was Cecil Fielder's son.

Crain... more walks than Ks (29 to 25) ... he can throw extremly hard, but he better get that under control or that era wont be so pretty next season...

[Imapotato]

That's for reminding me of no longer having Polanco on my team....a great #2 hitter

Oh how I wish

CF-Rowland
3b-Polanco
RF-Abreu
1b-Howard
2b-Utley
LF-Burrell
SS-Rollins
C-Lieberthal


As for others

Benji Molina...I considered him the best C in the league today
Jake Peavy--This kid will be fantastic
Oliver Perez-Him too
Craig A Wilson-former C...can play anywhere and has a good bat