MLB: The 10 Most Underrated Players in Baseball

6- Ryan Ludwick, LF, Cincinnati Reds

2012 Stats: .275 AVG, 26 HRS, 53 RS, 80 RBI

Oct 7, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds left fielder Ryan Ludwick (48) runs in front of the San Francisco Giants dugout after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of game two of the 2012 NLDS at AT

I play fantasy baseball every year, and every year Ryan Ludwick is always sitting on the waiver wire when a guy goes down and still passed up well into June.

I don’t know if it’s because he’s always played in small markets or because he’s always getting overshadowed by some of the league’s best first basemen. He has been teammates with Albert Pujols, Joey Votto, and Adrian Gonzalez, but he’s always discounted.

Except for when he played his home games with the Padres, Ryan has been good for full season averages of around a .270 AVG, 20 HRS, and 80 RBI. He knows how to give a team a professional at bat and was the only Red not to fall apart against the Giants in the NLDS last season once the series returned to Cincinnati.

Yes, he is a ballpark dependent guy, as his decline in San Diego and rebound with the Reds shows, but still in the right spot he’s a good hitter who can do great things and never backs down.

5- Neil Walker, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates

2012 Stats: .280 AVG, 14 HRS, 62 RS, 69 RBI, 7 SB

For a while I considered pushing Walker higher up this list because if he played for the Yankees, Red Sox, or Dodgers, his name would be known by every baseball fan in the nation.

Walker has above average power for a second baseman, a .280 career average and has never been an all star. He is in every meaning of the word

Apr. 17, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Neil Walker at bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

underrated; one of the best kept baseball secrets than just needs to get the exposure he deserves in the playoffs to become a star.

In fact, the only knock against Walker is that last season the injury bug found him and he was only able to play in 129 games.

It’s not a bad number but a healthy Walker might have been the difference between the Pirates winning 79 games and Pittsburgh getting at least 82 in the “W” column.

If you are a real baseball fan, at some point this season, go to a sports bar and watch the Pirates. They are one of the most fun but unfortuantly buried teams in the sport because of Walker, Andrew McCutchen, and…