Every year, there are fantasy players who reach for a player based on potential or one great season they had three years ago. And every year a good number of those people get stung by taking that player who was vastly overrated while there were plenty of underrated players available deeper in drafts who could provide the same, if not better, numbers at a much cheaper cost.
It’s time for Roto Files’ Second Annual Overrated/Underrated Team. Here’s this year’s roster:
First base
Overrated: Prince Fielder, Rangers — Nothing says durability like a 31-year-old guy coming off spinal fusion surgery.
Underrated: Adam LaRoche, White Sox — From 2005-14, LaRoche hit .263 while averaging 23 homers, 79 RBIs and a .811 OPS (these numbers would likely be higher if he had played more than 43 games in 2011). He’s as consistent as you get.
Second base
Overrated: Dee Gordon, Marlins — A one-trick pony who has had one solid big-league season. Let’s see him do it again, then we’ll talk.
Underrated: Neil Walker, Pirates — Walker’s numbers continue to get better. He is coming off a season when he hit .271 with 23 homers and 76 RBIs with a .809 OPS. He was a bargain with a 136.7 average draft position (ADP).
Third base
Overrated: Kris Bryant, Cubs — Yes, he hit .425 with nine homers and 15 RBIs this spring, raising his ADP to astronomical levels despite NEVER PLAYING A GAME IN THE BIGS. Roto Files believes Bryant will be a stud, but let the guy play one game before crowning him the next Mike Schmidt or something bigger.
Underrated: Chase Headley, Yankees — In 58 games with the Yankees last year, he hit .262 with six homers and 17 RBIs. A full season in Yankee Stadium will help bring back the guy who hit .286 with 31 homers and 115 RBIs in 2012.
Shortstop
Overrated: Ben Zobrist, Athletics — Zobrist could be eligible to play every position and he’d still be a 34-year-old with declining numbers moving to a pitcher-friendly park.
Underrated: Jhonny Peralta, Cardinals — Since 2005, he has averaged 146 games per season, 17 homers and 75 RBIs to go along with a .269 average. Will gladly take those numbers with his 201.7 ADP.
Catcher
Overrated: Salvador Perez, Royals — He plays a lot, we get it. That’s why he hit .283 in the first half and .229 in the second half when you needed him most.
Underrated: Russell Martin, Blue Jays — He was solid offensively in 2014 (.290, 11 HR, 67 RBI) and moves to the Rogers Centre where offense is easy to come by.
Outfielder
Overrated: Bryce Harper, Nationals — Doesn’t a player need to play a certain amount of games per season to qualify as the 11th best outfielder?
Underrated: Marlon Byrd, Reds — Over the last two years, Byrd has hit .277 with a .800 OPS while averaging 24 homers, 86 RBIs and 150 games per year. Yet, he had a 237.7 ADP. Keep overlooking him, and he’ll keep producing.
Starting pitcher
Overrated: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals – Wainwright’s 47.5 ADP comes with many concerns, including: declining strikeout rate, declining velocity, offseason elbow surgery on a pitching arm that already has logged a ton of miles and a spring ERA higher than 4.50. Hope he’s not your ace.
Underrated: Jesse Hahn, A’s — As a starter with the Padres last season, Hahn had a 2.96 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a .199 opponents batting average while going 7-3. Now, he’s Oakland’s No. 2 starter.
Relief pitcher
Overrated: Trevor Rosenthal, Cardinals — If walks were a positive statistic, he’d be the best closer in the game.
Underrated: Joaquin Benoit, Padres — Benoit converted 11 of his 12 save opportunities last year en route to a 1.49 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. As long as the revamped Padres remain competitive, he will get save chances and you likely didn’t have to pay too much for him at the draft (163.8 ADP).
Team name of the week: Big League Choo
