We know about the MVP candidates. Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber; Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh. We know about the future Cy Young winners, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. But as the MLB season draws to a close, we ought to spotlight the players who just aren't discussed enough on the national stage.
This MLB All-Underrated team is not determined based on any hard and fast "rules." There are underrated All-Stars. There are Gold Glove candidates we tend to gloss over. Anyone and everyone is fair game, so long as that player is, for one reason or another, under-appreciated or unfairly disrespected. It is a subjective exercise, because sports are subjective.
We aren't going for the big, splashy names, of course. These players put up big numbers and receive little praise in return. Let's dive in.
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Catcher: Shea Langeliers, Athletics
It has been a disappointing season overall for the Athletics, but it's hard not to feel optimistic about what's to come. This is a young group just coming into its own with a ton of natural talent. Nick Kurtz has stolen the spotlight with a historically productive rookie season at first base, but equally critical to the A's long-term hopes and dreams is Shea Langeliers, who continues to produce across the board.
At a position where quality hitting is hard to come by, Langeliers sits at 30 home runs and 68 RBI with an .847 OPS and 127 wRC+. He also has a pop time in the 91st percentile behind home plate, with solid speed on the base paths and a penchant for smart swing decisions. Cal Raleigh is the AL's show-stopper at catcher right now, but Langeliers has put up monster numbers for a sleeping giant in Sacramento.
First Base: Ben Rice, New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are the most frustrating "good" team in MLB. Clearly Aaron Boone's squad has what it takes to contend, even to win a World Series, but too often the mistakes pile up and the offense goes dormant. It's easy to get caught up the narrative that New York's offense is essentially Aaron Judge and then everybody else, but that does a disservice to the likes of Ben Rice, who continues to put up lofty numbers at the plate.
Rice has 23 home runs and an .806 OPS this season, with incredible batted-ball metrics to boot — 98th percentile in hard-hit rate, 94th in barrel rate, 96th in expected slugging (.573), which suggests that he should probably have even better numbers, if not for bad luck. Rice isn't anything special on defense, but he can play catcher or first base, and he's just getting started at 26 years old. The Yankees have found themselves a keeper, and role will only grow as the Yankees learn to trust him more.
Second Base: Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies
Don't look now, but Bryson Stott has the fifth-highest WAR among second basemen in 2025. After a slow start, the Philadelphia Phillies' infielder has turned in his best individual season, providing Gold Glove-level services defensively while rendering smart swing decisions on offense and applying pressure on the base paths, with 23 stolen bags to date.
Stott doesn't ratchet up the power often, but the talented lefty has become quite adept at shooting hits into the gap and turning on the jets. He has a .715 OPS and 11 home runs on the season with a 99 wRC+, but has elevated his performance over the last couple months with .935 OPS since Aug. 1. There aren't many players impacting all areas of the game like Stott at the moment, and he still has room to grow more consistent at 27 years old.
Shortstop: Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona Diamondbacks
Geraldo Perdomo has taken his game to another level this season while the Arizona Diamondbacks crumble around him. It's easy enough to overlook the D'Backs, but few teams are better positioned for a lengthy run of contention in the years ahead. A large reason why is Perdomo, a five-tool star who has unlocked new elements of his skill set in 2025.
With an .841 OPS, 19 home runs and 96 RBI on the season, Perdomo plays above-average defense at a premium position and is on track for 30-plus stolen bases if he finishes the campaign strong. He's also 25, which means this is just the beginning of what should be a decorated career for Perdomo, who has quietly established himself among the very best at one of baseball's most crowded positions, right behind the likes of Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson and Trea Turner.
Third Base: Zach McKinstry, Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are both a frontrunner and an underdog, with a classic small-market roster comprised of young players on their first contracts and cheapish, short-term veterans. Zach McKinstry, 30, still has two years of arbitration left on his current deal. The Tigers paid him $1.65 million this season. He rewarded them with an All-Star appearance, helping all over the place. Even with awards recognition, McKinstry feels like a deserving member of this team. He just does not register in national conversations like he should.
McKinstry has spent a lot of time at shortstop lately, but he's comfortable stepping over to the hot corner and even manning the outfield. Detroit can move him around based on matchups while expecting steadfast results from the lefty at the plate. He has a .786 OPS with 11 home runs and 19 stolen bases, with a rocket-like arm on the left side of the infield. He does a little bit of everything and consistently puts Detroit in a better position to win games.
Outfield: Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
Wyatt Langford continues to leave a huge impression in his second MLB season, quietly putting up big numbers across the board for a feisty Texas Rangers team. It has been an uneven campaign for the 23-year-old, but sky-high expectations have, at times, overshadowed what is still incredible production for such a young player.
Langford boasts a .775 OPS, 21 home runs and 18 stolen bases, producing consistent hard contact while putting up elite defensive metrics. He's currently in the 97th percentile with 11 outs above average in left field. Langford is still coming into his own, but he's already among the most impactful players on a potential postseason party-crasher in Arlington.
Outfield: Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays
There are several factors behind the Toronto Blue Jays' ascent this season, but one who doesn't get the credit he deserves is Daulton Varsho. Injuries have limited his reps this season, but when healthy and available, Varsho has put up career-best numbers. He boats an .852 OPS and 18 home runs in just 207 at-bats, with an impressive 16.6 barrel rate that speaks to his consistently solid contact.
Varsho does a little bit of everything for the Blue Jays, producing stellar power numbers in the heart of the lineup, along with 10 outs above average in centerfield — again, despite injuries, which have limited him to just 60 games so far. Varsho is a nuisance on the base paths, a vacuum-cleaner in the left- and right-center gaps, and a bopper whose importance should not get lost in the shadows of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. If Toronto goes on a deep run this October, you can bet Varsho will be a significant contributor.
Outfield: Austin Hays, Cincinnati Reds
After an injury-plagued 2024 campaign that saw him flame out with the Phillies after relocating at the trade deadline, Austin Hays is back in the swing of things with the Cincinnati Reds. The 30-year-old has a .776 OPS and 104 wRC+ with 15 home runs and 64 RBI, giving the Reds consistent power in the cleanup spot. While Hays has never quite ascended to All-Star heights, last season was an aberration in what is otherwise a career full of quality production.
Most folks were ready to write off Hays after his side quest in South Philly — I know most Phillies fans were, at least — but he's a long-ball threat across matchups and a rock-solid defender in left field, making up for limited range with his rocket-like arm. Hays won't put up mind-bending numbers, but he's an annual 20-plus home run, 60-plus RBI threat, with the occasional hot streak that elevates him into a unique realm of value.
Starting Pitcher: Nick Pivetta, San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres' rotation is an unmitigated disaster right now, and it could cost them in the postseason. But amidst all the hand-wringing over the inconsistency of Dylan Cease or Yu Darvish, folks tend to overlook the steadfast brilliance of Nick Pivetta, whose numbers are on par with the very best pitchers in MLB. The Padres will have at least one ace when the postseason rolls around.
Pivetta can stretch his pitch arsenal six deep, headlined by a mid-90s fastball that evades bats with a sharp tail. He boasts a healthy strikeout rate and keeps walks to a minimum. He's a slight beneficiary of luck (3.74 expected ERA), but Pivetta's poise and consistency is evident on tape. His 2.73 real ERA and 0.95 WHIP would put him in the Cy Young conversation most years, but Paul Skenes is Paul Skenes, and the Padres are the Padres.
Relief Pitcher: Dennis Santana, Pittsburgh Pirates
His name popped up in trade rumors around the deadline, but Dennis Santana has mostly spent this season producing steadfast results under the radar for a frustratingly mediocre Pittsburgh Pirates team. The front office in Pittsburgh has done remarkably few good things of late, but plucking Santana out of an unhappy marriage in New York and transforming him into a lights-out bullpen anchor certainly qualifies as one of Ben Cherington's rare crowning achievements.
Santana's numbers are sensational: 2.25 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 53 strikeouts in 64.0 innings as of this writing. He's not a high strikeout guy, but the righty paints the edges of the zone and induces a chase rate in the 95th percentile, which leads to soft contact and easy outs. Working primarily between a slider and a fastball, Santana can go toe-to-toe with any reliever in baseball right now. We'd be talking about him a lot more if he was on a better team.