Top 10 Most Underrated MLB Players of the 2024 Season

“Underrated” is a subjective term in sports. It suggests that you aren’t properly appreciated, whether it’s because you’re early in your career, play for a struggling team or have previously been put in a box you no longer fit in.

So, it’s worth pointing out that there isn’t really a right answer to who the most underrated players in baseball are. For example, if you follow the Cleveland Guardians, you may believe that a certain player either deserves more national attention or is performing so well that it’s insulting to put them in this category. It is what it is.

With all that acknowledged, here is our best attempt to identify the 10 most underrated players of the 2024 season, each of whom has a slightly different reason for falling into that category.

10 Most Underrated Position Players of the 2024 Season

10. Michael Busch: 1B, Chicago Cubs

It’s been a disappointing campaign for the Cubs, but Busch’s emergence has been one of the few silver linings.

As he was blocked by Freddie Freeman in Los Angeles, the Cubs struck a deal to acquire Busch from the Dodgers in January. In his rookie season, Busch has shined on both sides of the ball, with 16 home runs, 45 RBIs and an .806 OPS.

Defensively, Busch should be a Gold Glove candidate, as he’s posted nine defensive runs saved and four outs above average.

The Cubs have long been rumored to have interest in New York Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso, who we recently ranked as the No. 3 potential free agent this upcoming offseason. But with Busch, 26, under team control through 2029, will the Cubs actually be players for another first baseman this winter?

9. Willi Castro: IF/OF, Minnesota Twins

The Detroit Tigers non-tendered Castro following the 2022 season, which proved to be a massive gain for their AL Central-rival Twins, who scooped him up and now have him under team control through the 2025 campaign.

Castro was a first-time All-Star this season for the Twins, posting a .774 OPS in the first half of the season and seeing time at second base, shortstop, third base, left field, center field and even pitcher.

With his tremendous defensive flexibility, Castro has proven to be a valuable chess piece for manager Rocco Baldelli, with 5.5 fWAR over parts of two seasons with the Twins.

8. Kyle Schwarber: DH, Philadelphia Phillies

Schwarber wasn’t an All-Star this year, both because the Phillies had eight others and he was blocked at DH in the NL by Shohei Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna.

Still, his third season in red pinstripes has been by far the best, which is saying something considering he launched 93 homers across his first two campaigns for the Phillies.

The massive power production that Schwarber showed over his first two seasons with the Phillies has continued, as the 31-year-old has 28 home runs and 78 RBIs this season.

He also leads the senior circuit with 87 walks. Plus he’s hitting .253, a noteworthy spike from the .207 he hit between 2022 and 2023.

Schwarber’s overall value has increased as he’s become a full-time DH, after spending large chunks of his first two seasons with the Phillies playing in left field. That’s evident when looking at the 3.0 fWAR Schwarber has in 2024, as opposed to 3.0 combined from 2022 through 2023.

7. Josh Smith: IF/OF, Texas Rangers

The 2024 campaign has largely turned into a lost cause for the defending World Series champion Rangers, but Smith is one of the more positive developments for manager Bruce Bochy’s team.

Acquired in the July 2021 trade that sent Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees, Smith has emerged as a super-utility player for the Rangers in 2024. Not only does he have 12 home runs and 51 RBIs, but he’s seen extended time at third base and shortstop, with cups of coffee in left field and at second base.

As general manager Chris Young tries to retool in the offseason, he’ll be able to lean on the fact that wherever the Rangers might have a hole in their starting lineup, Smith is capable of filling it.

6. Zach Neto: SS, Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are a long way from contending, and Mike Trout’s physical decline has made the first post-Shohei Ohtani season an especially painful one for the Halos.

With that said, Neto is one of the young players on the Angels who offers a glimmer of hope for what the future could look like in Anaheim.

Just two years after the Angels selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft, Neto has 17 home runs, 61 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He’s also stood out in the field to the tune of seven defensive runs saved.

The Angels almost certainly missed their opportunity to win with Trout as a major piece of their club, but general manager Perry Minasian might have the makings of the organization’s next core with Neto, catcher Logan O’Hoppe and first baseman Nolan Schanuel.

5. Rafael Devers: 3B, Boston Red Sox

Like Schwarber, no one is suggesting that Devers is an unknown. But the 27-year-old has had a Hall of Fame-caliber start to his career at the plate, and it feels like he gets lost in the shuffle sometimes when discussing the elite players in the game.

Devers is hitting as well as he ever has this season, slashing .296/.377/.579 with 25 home runs, 31 doubles and 72 RBIs. Breakout seasons from center fielder Jarren Duran and RHP Tanner Houck have gotten the bulk of the attention, but Devers unquestionably remains the straw that stirs the drink in Boston.

Now a three-time All-Star, Devers might have a chance to play in the postseason for the first time since 2021 if he’s able to help the Red Sox claim one of the three Wild Card spots in the AL.

4. JJ Bleday: CF, Oakland Athletics

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft, Bleday was dealt to the Athletics in the February of 2023 trade that sent reliever A.J. Puk to the Miami Marlins. While Puk is currently pitching very well for the Arizona Diamondbacks, it’s safe to say the A’s are happy with their half of the deal.

The aforementioned Duran is the only player in the AL with more doubles than the 33 Bleday has posted for Oakland this season. Bleday also has 15 home runs and 45 RBIs.

Bleday is better suited to play a corner outfield spot than center field, where he has -5 defensive runs saved this season. But it’s good to be comfortable playing all three outfield spots, particularly when you have a bat that assures you’re going to be making the trek to Sacramento with the A’s next season.

3. Brenton Doyle: CF, Colorado Rockies

Considering he won a Gold Glove Award as a rookie with a staggering 19 defensive runs saved, Doyle was probably underrated coming into the season. But given that he finished his rookie season with just a .203 batting average, that was probably understandable.

Well, Doyle has continued to play elite center field defense for the Rockies in his second season, while taking quite the step forward offensively.

In 2024, Doyle is hitting .266 with 20 home runs, 60 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and a .791 OPS. Mind you, he finished his rookie season with a .593 OPS.

It’s true, Doyle has pretty drastic home/road splits, as he’s hitting .332 at Coors Field, as opposed to .210 on the road. But there’s a lot of value in a player who is a strong offensive performer 81 games a year and plays elite defense in all 162 contests.

2. Luis García Jr.: 2B, Washington Nationals

Rightfully so, quite a bit of attention has been given to the breakout season that Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams has had. But his double-play partner has taken a major step forward himself that has been overlooked nationally (pun not intended).

In his age-24 season, García is hitting .290 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs. At least one key metric suggests García has taken a step forward in the field as well, with five outs above average, as opposed to -15 at the position over parts of four prior seasons.

In total, García has posted a career-high 2.8 fWAR after posting a 0.7 total between 2022 and 2023.

Quietly, the Nationals have a pretty exciting young core with García, Abrams and James Wood. With Dylan Crews — the No. 11 prospect in the sport, according to Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton — looming at Triple-A, the Nationals could be a sneaky contender in 2025.

1. Steven Kwan: LF, Cleveland Guardians

Given that he won Gold Glove Awards in each of his first two MLB seasons, Kwan was probably already underrated entering the season. And that was before what’s been an offensive explosion for the 26-year-old.

Over his first two MLB seasons, Kwan was a nice table-setter, hitting .282 with a .739 OPS. But Kwan has taken a major step forward in his third season, as he’s hitting .325 with an .863 OPS. He also has 13 home runs, after hitting just 11 combined between 2022 and 2023.

Additionally, Kwan has continued to grade out well in left field, with seven defensive runs saved and four outs above average. He’ll be in the race to win his third consecutive Gold Glove, on top of finishing in the top five in batting average among AL hitters.