These 30 MLB stars were way better than you remember

Story by

Story by
These 30 MLB stars were way better than you remember

MLB — Imagn Images | Photo Illustration by Michael Castillo

Jordan Campbell · FanSided

Tue, Oct 13, 2026 ·

20 min read

About Our Ads

The best part about baseball is that over the course of time, there simply are players you forget about. Over the course of yearly 162-game seasons, some dominant years fall through the crack. It creates the perfect "that guy" moment for fans: These are the names that come up around the water cooler and make someone say, "Oh yeah, Kenny Lofton was that guy."

Here are 30 MLB stars whose numbers deserve a second look, even if you think you remember how good they were.

30. Kenny Lofton, OF, 1991-2007

Kenny Lofton has become criminally under-appreciated since his retirement . He wasn't just that outfielder with the baggy sleeves running the bases, he was a six-time All-Star, and four-time Gold Glove winner.

With a bWAR of 68.4, Lofton is one of the 100 best players to step foot on a baseball field. The fact he isn't in the Hall of Fame is one of the greatest injustices that none is talking about. He didn't have the home runs, 130, but he had just about everything else, including a slash line of .299/.372/.423, as well as 622 steals.

29. Jim Abbott, SP, 1989-1999

Jim Abbott is one of the greatest inspirations in all of professional sports, considering he was born without a right hand. It's incredible in itself that Abbott reached the majors. While Abbott certainly is known, fans may not be aware of just how good he was.

He finished top-5 in voting for the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1989, and was a Cy Young Award finalist in 1991. He also passed 100 strikeouts in each of his first four seasons in the majors. Abbott in an inspiration, there's no doubt about that, but in his prime, he was one of the better pitchers of his time.

28. Bobby Bonds, RF, 1968-1981

What's working against Bobby Bonds is the fact that is son, Barry, was one of the greatest players in the history of baseball and is the current home run leader. Barry Bonds is a topic for another day, but there have been few players like Bobby Bonds.

The elder Bonds totaled 332 home runs over the course of his 14-year career, and secured 461 stolen bases. Not to mention, he also was a three-time All-Star, and three-time Gold Glove winner. He's one of the best players that no one talks about, and he has his son to blame for that.

27. Rich Harden, SP, 2003-2011

Rich Harden is one of those selections where you just had to watch him pitch when he was in his prime. Part of the problem is that if you blinked, you likely not only missed Harden's appearance in a game, you might have missed his career.

The knock on Harden is that he could never stay healthy, and it feels like that is what robbed him of truly being one of the greatest pitchers of the 2000s. The lack of innings, and career longevity also skew his numbers, but look no further than his 2008 season. He posted an ERA of 2.07 through 148 innings pitched, striking out over 30% of the hitters he faced.

26. Magglio Ordnez, RF, 1997-2011

Magglio Ordez split his career with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. While nothing against those two American League Central times, that likely is one of the biggest reasons why he's not recognized as one of the greatest hitters of his time.

He finished his career six home runs short of 300, but slashed .294/.369/.502. He won a batting title in 2007, a six-time All-Star, and three-time Louisville Silver Slugger. Magglio just rocked, and there's no other way to put it.

25. Miguel Tejada, SS, 1997-2013

You know how I know Miguel Tejada was a lot better than people remember, because when they made Moneyball, loosely based on the 2002 Athletics, Tejada was barely mentioned. The whole film painted the Athletics as this overwhelming underdog, when in reality, they had the American League MVP on their roster.

It's also kind of wild that Tejada isn't in the Hall of Fame, considering the MVP under his belt, along with being a six-time All-Star, and two-time Silver Slugger. He bounced around in his later years, stops with the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Kansas City Royals, and that is likely why most forget that Tejada was one of the best shortstops of the early 2000s.

24. Chuck Finley, SP, 1986-2002

90s pitching is often defined by the success that the likes of Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz, but as the case now, there's a handful of pitchers that may not have been regularly mentioned as the top arms of their time, but deserve recognition.

Chuck Finley is one of those pitchers. He was a workhorse when baseball didn't really know what it looked like. Nine different seasons where he eclipsed 200 innings pitched in a season, a career ERA of 3.85, and a five-time All-Star. Finley is one of those pitchers that gets lost over the course of time, but in his truest form, he was one of the most consistent pitchers of the 90s.

23. Carlos Zambrano, SP, 2001-2012

When Carlos Zambrano first is mention, what instantly comes to mind is a Gatorade Cooler. If not, then his dugout fight with his own teammate, Michael Barrett. If not, then his dugout fight with another teammate, Derrek Lee. You get the picture, Zambrano was a hot-head and that reputation drowns out the reality that he was one of the best starting pitchers of his time.

A three-time All-Star, with a career ERA of 3.66, Zambrano was regularly the best pitcher on a Cubs' staff that once included Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, and Greg Maddux at the same time. He also was ahead of his time, in terms of hitting ability, belting out 24 home runs over the course of his career. In a time when two-way players weren't a thing, Zambrano stood out.

22. Marquis Grissom, CF, 1989-2005

Home runs were king during the 90s. If a player wasn't hitting home runs to the level that the likes of Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire were, they didn't get treated with the same fanfare. There were a handful of players that if they were playing in this current iteration of baseball, there would be newfound appreciation for their skill-set.

Put Marquis Grissom in that category. Through his first eight seasons, he would regularly place in MVP voting, and earned two All-Star selections. Not to mention, two consecutive seasons with 75+ stolen bases. When all was said and done, he finished his career with 429 stolen bases and a respectable batting average of .272.

21. Mark Langston, SP, 1984-1999

Gone are the days in baseball where a pitcher took the ball every five days and you know they weren't going to give it up. Health, rightfully so, has taken priority when it comes to how teams handling pitching nowadays, but in the 80s and 90s, the true sight to see was a starting pitcher just being dominant.

Mark Langston was that guy. In five of his first six seasons pitched, he struck out over 200 hitters. In his 16-year career, he pitched over 200 innings in a season 10 different times. In fact, in four of those seasons, he pitched over 250 innings. You simply don't see that in baseball in this day and age, and that is why there needs to be an appreciation for pitchers like Langston.

20. Aramis Ramirez, 3B, 1998-2015

There are certain players who simply age better with time. They may not have been appreciated while they were playing, but some time passes and you look back at their playing career, there's a realization of just how good they actually were.

Aramis Ramirez is one of those players. He finished his 18-year career with 386 home runs, to go along with a slash line of .283/.341/.492. A three-time All-Star with a lone Silver Slugger award, Ramirez was one of the best bats of him time. Simple as that.

19. Orel Hershiser, SP, 1983-2000

For this one, we need to give a shoutout to MLB The Show. The best part of the video game is that they include historical players, and allows gamers to realize just how great players were back in the day. In this case, Orel Hershiser was far more than simply being a familiar voice on ESPN and Los Angeles Dodgers' broadcasts in recent years.

His career spanned 18 years, he posted a 3.48 ERA. He had the strikeouts, totaling 2,014 Ks over his career, and he regularly placed near the top of Cy Young voting over the first seven seasons of his career. He also won the award in 1988.

18. Larry Bowa, SS, 1970-1985

Those asked who Larry Bowa was would probably tell you about his run as the Philadelphia Phillies' manager from 2001 through 2004. Back in time when managerial ejections were a thing, Bowa took the cake. He had 23 ejections over the course of his tenure with the Phillies, and six during his two-year run as the Padres' manager in the 80s.

All that ignores that Bowa was one of the best shortstops of his time. It was a different time, in terms of how offense was valued, so his .260/.300/.320 slash line likely won't stand out to anyone in this day-and-age, but he was a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover. He also had 318 steals, and 99 triples over the course of his career.

17. Carlos Delgado, 1B, 1993-2009

There are certain players you can't quite explain how they are not in the Hall of Fame. It happens in every sport, voters get these decisions wrong, and because of that, it feels like there's an appreciation lost for said player.

Anyone who watched Carlos Delgado knows just how good he was. The slugging first baseman finished his career with 473 home runs, including multiple seasons where he finished with an OPS over 1.000.

16. Barry Zito, SP, 2000-2015

Circling back to the whole Moneyball bit, Barry Zito also won the American League Cy Young for the 2002 Athletics, and like Miguel Tejada, was a mere afterthought during the movie. But, here's why Barry Zito deserves his recognition , when a pitch is mentioned, he is one the first pitchers who come to mind.

The Barry Zito curveball was majestic. If you were playing little league in the early 2000s, and at the point where a curveball was being added to your arsenal, your parents would just show videos of Zito. That is why he's here because for an entire generation, he defined a pitch.

Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia Phillies — Philadelphia Phillies vs Los Angeles Dodgers | Jon Soohoo/GettyImages

15. Bobby Abreu, RF, 1996-2014

Back when the Home Run Derby was actually a spectacle , Bobby Abreu had one of the greatest performances anyone has ever seen. Abreu won the Home Run Derby in 2005, and at the time, set the record for the most homers in the event with 41. It was one of those sports moments where time stopped and everyone was watching.

His 2005 Home Run Derby performance is now what Abreu is best known for, but he was an all-around gem of a baseball player. Abreu finished his career just 12 home runs short of 300, but notched 400 steals and slash line of .291/.395/.475.

14. Bernie Williams, CF, 1991-2006

Another example of you just don't know how the Hall of Fame voter missed this one. Perhaps there's such a thing as Yankee exhaustion, and Bernie Williams simply was overlooked. It's possible, because nothing else seems to explain how he's not in the Hall of Fame.

Despite that slight, Williams was center field excellence. He spent his entire 16-year career with the Yankees, and along the way, he picked five All-Star selections, four Gold Gloves, a batting title, a silver slugger, and four World Series titles. One of those players where you know it when you see it, and anyone who watched Williams play certainly knew it.

13. Derrek Lee, 1B, 1997-2011

One of the biggest things going against Derrek Lee is that he shared the same division with Albert Pujols in the 2000s. Pujols was a machine with the St. Louis Cardinals, and what Lee was doing with the Chicago Cubs may have been overlooked.

Lee flirted with the triple crown in 2005, hitting 46 home runs while batting .335 and had Chicago been closer to contention that season, perhaps he would have been the actual NL MVP. Instead he finished third in voting. For his career, he was a two-time All-Star with three Gold Glove, and won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003. When all was said and done, he finished with 331 home runs, and while defense at first base has always been under-appreciated, he was one of a kind.

12. David Cone, SP, 1986-2003

Part of the problem with pitching is that great ones stand out and are remembered throughout time. Certainly deserved, but given the nature of the role, there are many pitchers throughout the history of baseball that were good, but because they weren't household name, there's not always the career recognition that should follow.

Enter David Cone. First and foremost, Cone is a five-time World Series winner. Beyond that, he was a five-time All-Star while posting an ERA of 3.46 across 450 career appearances. In a time when starting pitching has become watered down, Cone was the workhorse that fans of a different generation long for, routinely crossing over 200 innings pitched in a season and capable of taking the mound every five days.

11. Juan Pierre, OF, 2000-2013

The best part about baseball is that each era represents a different type of player. Who was recognized in the early 90s and 2000s may not have been noticed in this current era, and that's largely tied to what is valued nowadays. The definition of a leadoff hitter has shifted over the years, teams now appear to be learning toward power, but when getting on base and speed was the key, there were few better than Juan Pierre.

If Pierre reached first base, it essentially was an automatic double. He finished his career with 614 steals, 18th most in the history of baseball. He didn't have the power but Pierre perfected the role of being a slap-hitter at the top of a lineup. Back when speed was a true threat in baseball, watching Pierre fly around the bases just hit different.

10. Jim Edmonds, CF, 1993-2010

We've all done it. Drifted back on a fly ball hit in our backyard, making a leaping effort at the fence and bringing the ball back in. Credit to Jim Edmonds. Certain generations have the basket catch as what was constantly being imitated, for anyone born in the 90s and beyond, it was imitating Edmond's defensive efforts in center field.

Even if he was a bit of a showman from time to time, Edmonds put on a defensive clinic over the course of his career , totaling eight Gold Gloves. What's been forgotten is that Edmonds was more than capable of holding his own offensively. Edmonds belted out 393 career home runs, and finished with an OPS+ of 132.

9. Brian Giles, OF, 1995-2009

What's become a lost art over the the years in baseball are the players who may not have been great anything, but were very good at several things. They may not have the accolades, or even the All-Star selections, but when you look back at their career, they simply just have the numbers.

Brian Giles was one of the those players. Over the course of his 15-year career, Giles struck out more than 75 times only twice. He also finished with a career on-base percentage of .400, and 287 home runs. Was he great? No, but Giles is the type of player that just exists in any era of baseball, good at a lot of things, and that makes his career production hold up with time.

8. Troy Percival, RP, 1995-2009

Relief pitchers are volatile. Anyone who has followed baseball knows that a closer can be the lock-down ace of the bullpen one year, and then far from the trust tree the following year. That is why it's not nothing when a closer has success for nearly a decade straight.

In his first eight seasons with the Angels, Percival has four All-Star selections while receiving rookie of the year votes in 1995, and MVP votes in 2002. Despite struggles with the Tigers, Cardinals, and Rays at the end of his career, Percival still finished with an ERA of 3.17. He was one of the most dominant closers of his time, and the extended run of brilliance he had at the start of his career is worthy of appreciation.

7. Kevin Brown, SP, 1986-2005

There needs to be a respect for the pitchers who throw strikes, get outs, and simply keeps their team in a game. If you're thinking of modern example, someone like Kyle Hendricks. Someone who may not be the most dominant pitcher of his time, but simply knew how to pitch.

Kevin Brown was one of those pitchers. A two-time ERA title winner, only one season with 90+ walks in a season, and multiple years with a WHIP under 1.000; Brown just knew how to take the ball every five days and outwit his opponent.

6. Mark Grace, 1B, 1988-2003

If Immaculate Grid ever asked you who had the most hits during the 90s, there's good chance you would get the guess wrong. It wasn't Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn, or any of the sluggers that defined the decade, it was Mark Grace. The first baseman had 1,754 hits in the 90s, and yet, he's not in the Hall of Fame.

Baseball doesn't often pay much attention to first baseman who don't have power, and that is likely why Grace is overlooked. While he did have less than 200 home runs in his career, he finished his playing days with a batting average .303. He also had four Gold Gloves. He may not have had the long ball, but that shouldn't matter, considering he simply was one of the best at getting hits.

5. Lance Berkman, 1B/OF, 1999-2013

The Killer B's. If you were fan of a National League Central team in the early 2000s, you hated hearing that. Back before it became cool to hate the Houston Astros because of the sign-stealing scandal, the Astros were feared because their lineup featured some of the most fearsome hitters in baseball, and oddly enough, three of them had a last name that started with B.

Two of three were Hall of Famers in Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, but the last one, Lance Berkman easily once of the most productive hitters of his time. He posted a bWAR of 52 over the course of his career, to go along with 366 home runs with an OPS+ of 144.

4. Steve Finley, CF, 1989-2007

Going back to the hitters with the most hits in 90s, Steve Finley is high up on their list. He had 1,532 hits during the 1990s, and that's the 13th most during that timespan. Finely spent a bulk of his career in the National League West with the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, and that is probably why he's often forgotten over the course of time.

Finley had 124 triple over the course of his career while tallying 320 steals. A World Series champion in 2001, he also was a two-time All-Star, and five-time Gold Glover.

3. Reggie Smith, 1B/OF, 1966-1982

Reggie Smith simply passes the vibe check. The afro popping out from the sides of his hat, the sideburns, Smith just looked like a a baseball player in the 1970s. But, he had the talent to go with it. He may have never won a MVP award, but he accomplished just about everything else there is to do in baseball.

He finished his career with a 64.6 bWAR while being named a seven-time All-Star, and a Gold Glove honor in 1968. He had 314 home runs, and 363 doubles. He was more than just vibes, he was a stud and honestly, there's never a bad day to talk about Reggie Smith.

2. Moiss Alou, OF, 1990-2008

Moiss Alou had one of the most unique, and bizarre pregame rituals of all time. Don't just take our word for it, google it, and well, probably wash your hands once you do. But pregame rituals aisde, Alou was one of the best hitters over the course of his career.

Honestly, what also clouds the assessment of Alou's career is that he was the left fielder involved with the Bartman incident at Wrigley Field 2003. In fact, he's probably most known for that as opposed to anything he did on the field. But here's the thing, he had 332 career home runs along with being a six-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger. He feasted on opposing pitching, it'st just all the other stuff surrounding his career that he might be known for.

1. Tommy John, SP, 1963-1989

Tommy John is always going to be a named that's referenced in baseball. But it's because the elbow surgery that has become synonymous with his name has become a rite of passage for pitchers. Tommy John surgery was once a feared procedure for pitchers, but in recent years, there's an expectation that most pitchers are going to have the surgery before too long. In some cases, it's exactly encouraged if they had it before reaching the majors.

It was John's surgery in 1975 that triggered all of that, but here's the thing, he was actually a stud of a pitcher. He started 700 games over the course of his career, posting an ERA of 3.34. A four-time All-Star, John truly was a remarkable pitcher and that's not talked about enough. Yes, the surgery was revolutionary for baseball, but as a pitcher, he was excellent.

More MLB news and analysis:

This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as These 30 MLB stars were way better than you remember .

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: