There’s always an incredible sense of accomplishment that goes along with drafting or picking up the big sleeper of the season, whether it be a rookie or resurgent veteran. The same cannot be said, however, for the young player you drafted based on his upside, or the veteran you selected hoping he has one more big season left in his aging bones. But this is what makes the game fun — finding out if the players you valued pay off better than those you undervalued.
It’s time for Roto Rage’s Fourth Annual Overrated/Underrated Team. Here’s this year’s squad:
First base
Overrated: Edwin Encarnacion, Indians
He’s 34 years old, coming off a career-year, has a rising strikeout rate and no longer calls hitter-friendly Rogers Centre home. All these factors may lead to a letdown.
Underrated: Brandon Belt, Giants
He’s a cheaper version of Eric Hosmer with a better OBP, slugging percentage, OPS and walk rate.
Dee GordonGetty ImagesSecond base
Overrated: Dee Gordon, Marlins
P.E.Dee is a one-trick pony who will get you steals and, well, that’s about it. He’s a career .289 hitter (aided by hitting. 333 in 2015) with a below average OPS (.689) and an average on-base percentage (.325). Congrats on chasing steals in the draft with this roster pariah.
Underrated: Jose Peraza, Reds
He’s fast (21 stolen bases in 72 big-league games last season, and 220 over six seasons in the minors), he can hit (batted .324 last season) and he should receive plenty of playing time since Brandon Phillips was shipped out of town.
Third base
Overrated: Todd Frazier, White Sox
Hitting for power and having the ability to reach double-digit steals means little when the rest of your game is starting to look like Adam Dunn’s career — big power, bigger strikeout totals and an even lower batting average.
Underrated: Mike Moustakas, Royals
He’s a mainstay in this underrated section, even moreso now after being overlooked while returning from a torn ACL. He will be one of the season’s best bargains.
Jean SeguraAPShortstop
Overrated: Jean Segura, Mariners
Safeco Field will make it tough, if not impossible, for Segura to duplicate his 2016 numbers, especially in the power department (20 homers), outside of stolen bases.
Underrated: Jose Reyes, Mets
Multiple-position eligibility, speed, the ability to hit and the opportunity to play with uncertainty surrounding David Wright equals fantasy gold.
Catcher
Overrated: Gary Sanchez, Yankees
He has had a solid spring to follow an incredible 52-game stretch (.305, 20 HRs, 42 RBIs, 1.052 OPS) to end last season, but do you really think those numbers are sustainable?
Underrated: Welington Castillo, Orioles
A power-hitting catcher who will play 50 percent of his games at Camden Yards and wasn’t taken in drafts until the 19th or 20th rounds? That’s like a guy coming up to you with a bag filled with $5 million and saying, “I know we don’t know one another, but can you do me a solid and take this bag filled with $5 million? It’s kinda heavy and I have to be somewhere in 15 minutes. Thanks.”
Outfielder
Overrated: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
You can’t hit home runs if you can’t stay on the field.
Jay BruceAPUnderrated: Jay Bruce, Mets
He shouldn’t be overlooked just because he struggled after arriving at Citi Field.
Starting pitcher
Overrated: Rick Porcello, Red Sox
A little skeptical 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA, 189 strikeouts and and 1.009 WHIP is the new norm for a pitcher who was 85-78 with a 4.39 ERA, a 1.359 WHIP and averaged 115 strikeouts per season from 2009-15. Congrats on the Cy Young, though.
Underrated: Robbie Ray, Diamondbacks
Some may focus on the fact he was 8-15 with a 4.90 ERA, but they’d likely be glossing over his FIP (3.76), extremely high BaBIP (.352) and 218 strikeouts (11.3 per nine innings), the fourth most in the
NL.
Relief pitcher
Overrated: Wade Davis, Cubs
Weird seeing a guy who went 19-4 with a 1.18 ERA, 234 strikeouts and 47 saves from 2014-16 as an overrated reliever, right? Well, when you hear forearm or elbow mentioned in the same sentence as the word “concern,” red flags start to fly.
Underrated: Hector Neris, Phillies
He’s not Philadelphia’s closer yet, but it’s only a matter of time until he unseats Jeanmar Gomez. It’s hard to ignore a guy with a 2.58 ERA who’s throwing a 94-mph four-seamer and striking out 31.1 percent of the batters he faces.


