15 MLB Players Who Are Not As Good As Everyone Thinks

By Nick Vorholt

Overrated Texas Rangers Starting Pitcher Cole Hamels

Overrated Texas Rangers Starting Pitcher Cole Hamels — Coming out of the winter meetings and heading into the another year is a great time to look back at players that the media and many fans overrated this season. I looked at players that most fans and front offices would place in the top 100 of MLB. I didn't worry too much about salaries, but just perception. You'll notice that there are quite a few relievers and several Texas Rangers in his group. 2016 may not be so nice to Rangers' fans...

15. Brad Ziegler, RP

Arizona Diamondbacks Closer Brad Ziegler

15. Brad Ziegler, RP

Arizona Diamondbacks Closer Brad Ziegler — Brad Ziegler had the season of his career for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015. His groundball rate went up, while all of his other metrics stayed the same. This made his WHIP and ERA plummet. Fans should expect regression in 2016. He almost didn't make the list, since he is a decent closer for a non-playoff team. Still, they may want to add a better closer to follow Zack Greinke.

14. Cole Hamels, SP

Texas Rangers Starting Pitcher Cole Hamels

14. Cole Hamels, SP

Texas Rangers Starting Pitcher Cole Hamels — Cole Hamels has either found a way to surrender fewer home runs or he is maintaining his elite status based on smoke and mirrors. His WHIP and BAA have slowly crept up, while he has also gotten more strikeouts. Is he a front of the rotation starter? Yes, but he isn't one of the elite. Once Yu Darvish comes back and people see Hamels as one of the top #2 starters in all of baseball, he can remove his name from this list.

13. J.D. Martinez, OF

Detroit Tigers Outfielder J.D. Martinez

13. J.D. Martinez, OF

Detroit Tigers Outfielder J.D. Martinez — With more strikeouts than hits, J.D. Martinez has every sign of regressing in 2016. He had 38 homeruns and the highest OPS of his career. He can't keep this up with his high swing and miss rate. I would love to see Martinez prove me wrong.

12. Johnny Cueto, SP

Kansas City Royals Starting Pitcher Johnny Cueto

12. Johnny Cueto, SP

Kansas City Royals Starting Pitcher Johnny Cueto — Johnny Cueto has some of the best skills in baseball. Aside from his health, he is one of the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball. That places him on the fringe of the top ten starters and outside the elite level of Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke. A return to the National League and potentially a No. 2 role in a rotation and Cueto looks like a top notch starter again.

11. Justin Wilson, RP

Detroit Tigers Relief Pitcher Justin Wilson

11. Justin Wilson, RP

Detroit Tigers Relief Pitcher Justin Wilson — Justin Wilson was just part of a large deal between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers. The joke here is that Wilson isn't anything special. He's a lefty specialist with a 3.00 ERA. He just was placed into a hold situation for the first time in his career. That he is this low on the list is a nod to how good he is at his job.

10. Mark Teixeira, 1B

New York Yankees First Baseman Mark Teixeira

10. Mark Teixeira, 1B

New York Yankees First Baseman Mark Teixeira — Mark Teixeira has never been as good as the media has made him out to be. He wasn't the savior in Atlanta, Los Angeles or New York. When he was with the Texas Rangers, he was an above average slugger and elite defender. Nothing has changed throughout his career. If can replicate his 2015 season a few more times and stay above average on defense, he may be the most overrated player to deserve Hall of Fame consideration.

9. Miguel Sano, 3B

Minnesota Twins Third Baseman Miguel Sano

9. Miguel Sano, 3B

Minnesota Twins Third Baseman Miguel Sano — This one is a little bit tougher. Miguel Sano is not as good as the hype. He may not even be able to play a major league third base. If people weren't comparing him to Miguel Cabrera, Sano wouldn't be on this list.

8. Prince Fielder, DH

Texas Rangers DH Prince Fielder

8. Prince Fielder, DH

Texas Rangers DH Prince Fielder — Prince Fielder had a great 2015, but not as great as people are crediting him with. His OBP and SLG are both down from his career norms. Since he went to the Texas Rangers, he has gone from bad to awful in the field. The Rangers should be thanking the stars that they have Mitch Moreland to play first.

7. Robinson Cano, 2B

Seattle Mariners Second Baseman Robinson Cano

7. Robinson Cano, 2B

Seattle Mariners Second Baseman Robinson Cano — Robinson Cano had an awful 2014. He bounced back in 2015, but not to his New York Yankee level. His OBP and SLG sank in 2015. He is living on reputation and position scarcity at this point.

6. Seth Maness, RP

Saint Louis Cardinals Pitcher Seth Maness

6. Seth Maness, RP

Saint Louis Cardinals Pitcher Seth Maness — There's talk around baseball that if Trevor Rosenthal goes down, Seth Maness will step in. In 2015, Maness had an ERA of over four and only 46 strikeouts over 63 innings, with as many saves as blown saves in 2015. The Saint Louis Cardinals support that he's over valued by trading for and then re-signing Jonathan Broxton.

5. Shawn Tolleson, RP

Texas Rangers Closer Shawn Tolleson

5. Shawn Tolleson, RP

Texas Rangers Closer Shawn Tolleson — It's called regression. None of Shawn Tolleson's secondary statistics were different than in his past experience. This year, the Rangers just inserted him as a closer. He's decent, but he's also a reliever with a 3.00 ERA -- not elite.

4. Shin-soo Choo, OF

Texas Rangers Outfielder Shin-soo Choo

4. Shin-soo Choo, OF

Texas Rangers Outfielder Shin-soo Choo — Since moving to Texas, Shin-soo Choo's strikeouts have gone up while his OBP has gone down. When he was a low strikeout outfielder with an OBP above .400, he was an All-Star. Now he is merely a good outfielder and the media hasn't caught up. To top it off Choo is playing out of position in right. He is well below average in right and doesn't have the arm strength. Put him in a neutral ballpark in left field and see what he really is.

3. Starling Marte

Pittsburgh Pirates Outfielder Starling Marte

3. Starling Marte

Pittsburgh Pirates Outfielder Starling Marte — I'm not sure why people think Starling Marte is a future MVP candidate. 2016 will be his age 28 season. He will bat .280, hit 20 homeruns and steal 20 bases. That's darn good, but that's not MVP level. He's the Reggie Sanders of the 2010s.

2. Tony Watson

Pittsburgh Pirates Relief PItcher Tony Watson

2. Tony Watson

Pittsburgh Pirates Relief PItcher Tony Watson — Tony Watson has been a very good reliever for the Pittsburgh Pirates for several years now. He is not, however, the third most important Pirate after Mark Melancon and Andrew McCutchen, as some have suggested. He is due for a regression and as his strikeout rate continues to decline, a drop in talent.

1. Yunel Escobar

Los Angeles Angels Third Baseman Yunel Escobar

1. Yunel Escobar

Los Angeles Angels Third Baseman Yunel Escobar — Yunel Escobar is nothing special at all. He's an average defender with a lifetime .350 OBP and 78 home runs in eight years. He's not the Los Angeles Angels' answer at third that their front office would have you believe. He was also not the best player on the Washington Nationals in 2015. He didn't carry the Tampa Bay Rays or the Toronto Blue Jays to the playoffs. He's a decent MLB player, not a superstar.

Nick Vorholt is a writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Cincinnati Reds and all things MLB.

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