Everyone has a different definition of “underrated.” According to the dictionary, it is defined as “rated or valued too low.”
This definition is something we also can all take to mean something differently.
This is why when it comes to talking about the most underrated Met, we all tend to have different answers.
This is why I posed the question to the MMO team, to see who they had to say:
Violeta
As far as underrated players go, my pick would be José Valentín circa 2006. On a squad with a ton of great talent I think Valentín gets a bit lost, despite his versatility.
Even though Valentín played most games at second base, he was also able to man pretty much any other position.
This ability to play anywhere was coupled with a solid glove — in 94 games at second, Valentín committed only 6 errors and finished ‘06 with a .988 fielding percentage.
Offensively, the switch hitter (another skill that spoke to his versatility, by the way) batted .271/.330/.490 in 432 PA.
I think another aspect of Valentín’s game that went under the radar was his leadership. It was clear that the then 36-year-old took young shortstop José Reyes under his wing, honing his raw talent on the field.
All in all, I’d say a switch-hitting, solid defender who was able to quietly lead like Valentín did definitely deserved more props than was given.
Ryan
If we are talking about the current roster, I would say that Jeff McNeil is the most underrated Met on the team.
While he did make the All-Star team, McNeil’s standout season came in Pete Alonso‘s shadow. Yet their identical wRC+ indicates they had the same impact on the lineup.
Of players I have watched in my lifetime, I’d say Cliff Floyd is a player that often gets forgotten.
Across four seasons, Floyd has a very solid .268/.354/.478 slash line. He also had an excellent season in 2005, mashing 34 home runs and 98 RBIs.
Mojo
For most underrated Met, I’ll go with John Franco. He posted a 3.10 ERA and racked up 276 saves over 14 seasons with the Mets, but he doesn’t always get mentioned among the great closers of his time.
Honorable mention to Lucas Duda, who was a legitimately great first baseman over a two-year stretch in 2014 and 2015.
For current Mets, I stand by that a lot of fans still severely underrate Brandon Nimmo, choosing to view him as a gimmick and putting too much weight on his stats while he was injured, while forgetting that he was one of the best hitters in baseball in 2018.
To a lesser extent, I think Michael Conforto is very underrated as well.
Jack H.
Having recently watched the entirety of Game 7 of the 1986 World Series and looked up his stats, I definitely feel like Sid Fernandez deserves more appreciation for his contribution to some really solid clubs.
He spent ten years in New York managing a 3.14 ERA, and never had a season above 3.81. Those pitching rotations always had someone else’s name on them, be it Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, or David Cone.
His 27.7 bWAR is the ninth-best in franchise history, and let’s face it: if he doesn’t have the performance he does in relief of Darling, the Mets probably never complete their comeback against the Red Sox in that fateful seventh game.
Sal
If we are talking underrated Mets, the one player who jumps to the front of my mind is Curtis Granderson.
The Mets signed him to be a middle of the order bat, but in 2015 Granderson graciously transitioned to the leadoff spot and absolutely flourished.
Daniel Murphy gets all the attention from the postseason that year, but Granderson quietly was the Mets best hitter and got on base at a rapid clip that propelled the Amazin’s to the World Series.
His defensive versatility in 2016 (moving back to CF at an advanced age) was just another example of a selfless player who only wanted to do what was best for the team to succeed.
He should be much more appreciated by the Mets faithful, both as a great player and person.
Michelle
I will agree with Sal that Granderson was underrated as a player, but man was he loved by the Mets fanbase. One that I will go with is Lucas Duda.
He was great at first base and he was an asset at the plate, but unfortunately, we he was in a slump, he was in QUITE the slump.
Let’s also not forget that during Johan Santana‘s no hitter, Duda played the outfield. In 8 years with the Mets, Duda hit .246/.457/.343.
We’ve already had a fan shot about the best of Duda so I won’t get into much more.
In terms of current Mets, I do have to go with Michael Conforto. There is so much Conforto hate out there, and I will never fully understand it.
