By Grant Brisbee, Rustin Dodd and Stephen Nesbitt
Four months down, two to go until the regular season wraps.
As we wait out this trade deadline frenzy, turn the calendar to August and pump out another round of power rankings, it’s time to talk about some unsung heroes. These guys aren’t in the headlines every day. They aren’t getting dealt for a package of premium prospects. They aren’t even players, necessarily. We’re talking about any person in each organization who has played a significant part in helping the whole succeed this season.
Only one rule this week: No 2023 All-Stars. You might believe with all your heart Geraldo Perdomo is Arizona’s unsung hero. But once you’ve walked that All-Star red carpet with a diamond-encrusted necklace of your jersey number, you’re a sung hero. Sorry. Thems the rules.
All stats are through Saturday’s games unless otherwise noted.
Record: 67-36
Last Power Ranking: 1
Unsung hero: Michael Harris II
Ruling all 2023 All-Stars ineligible for unsung-hero status really limits the options here, wiping out most of the Braves lineup. But will I let that bait me into taking a reliever? No way. The Braves would be in first place even if Orlando Arcia was the only guy out in their bullpen. Shoot. They’d be in first place even if Rob Manfred ruled that they — and only they — had to bat a pitcher ninth.
Instead, they get to bat Harris ninth. GMs around the game would do terrible things to have Harris bat ninth and play a premium center field for them. Since bottoming out post-injury with a .163 batting average and .490 OPS in early June, Harris has hit .367 with a .999 OPS in the past 42 games. His strikeout rate is down, and his walk rate is up. He’s back to looking like the 25-25 threat we expected coming into the season. Atlanta has spun its tires since the Fourth of July, so thank heavens for Harris’ return to form. About time something went right for the Braves. — Stephen Nesbitt
Record: 64-41
Last Power Ranking: 2
Unsung hero: Ryan O’Hearn
There are two fan bases who understand exactly how good O’Hearn has been at the plate. Orioles fans … and Royals fans. The former because O’Hearn is slashing .301/.344/.523 with nine homers in 192 plate appearances. The latter because O’Hearn, after a solid rookie debut, posted a .633 OPS for the Royals from 2019 to 2022, becoming a regular whipping boy for a fan base frustrated by a slow rebuild. Well, the Royals finally cut bait with O’Hearn this past offseason, pleasing fans. Then he joined the Orioles and became perhaps the most surprising player on an emerging World Series contender. It’s possible the left-handed-hitting O’Hearn has been helped by the new rules limiting the shift. But the Orioles should get credit for designing a platoon role that’s maximized his talent. — Rustin Dodd
Record: 64-44
Last Power Ranking: 3
Unsung hero: Harold Ramírez
In a lineup of above-average hitters, Ramírez can be overshadowed. But he absolutely feasts on left-handed pitching. He’s now played around 200 games for the Rays in the last two seasons and posted an OPS+ of 116. Not bad for a guy who was a part of five different organizations — the Pirates, Blue Jays, Marlins, Guardians and Cubs — before finding a home in Tampa Bay. Score another victory for the Rays’ front office. — RD
Record: 60-46
Last Power Ranking: 5
Unsung hero: Chris Young
Look at how the Rangers are thriving. Yes, it’s in large part because Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and other free agents are living up to their contracts, but it doesn’t take a genius to point at talented free agents and say “Gimme” when you have ownership that’s willing to pay. But it’s a team that’s chugging along because of what the role players are doing. The Rangers have received 109 at-bats from objectively unhelpful players and 3,489 at-bats from generally helpful players this season. That’s not just the stars being stars, but hitting on a massively successful parlay with role players. Ezequiel Durán has been one of the best lefty-mashing hitters in baseball, Mitch Garver and Brad Miller are giving the Rangers veteran depth, et cetera, et cetera.
It’s simply a well-constructed team, and it’s done in a way where you don’t even feel bad about missing on the Rangers in your preseason predictions. It takes a solid group of 26 to overcome the loss of Jacob deGrom, but the Rangers have it. Turning this roster into a contender was a tall task, and Texas GM Young was up for it.
Note: Since this blurb was first written, the team has added Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton. The new Moneyball is getting extremely tall Ivy Leaguers to make decisions for your team. — Grant Brisbee
GO DEEPER
Mets trade Max Scherzer to Rangers
Record: 59-45
Last Power Ranking: 4
Unsung hero: Evan Phillips
When was the last time you took a spin around the Dodgers’ FanGraphs or Baseball-Reference page? If it’s been a while, I encourage you to do so. That’s because, for the first time in a decade, the Dodgers’ team pages are filled with weirdness, especially on the pitching side. There are rookies who’ve struggled, veterans who’ve disappointed, free agents who’ve flopped … by gum, it’s almost like a normal team. That’s a description that never applies to the Dodgers. They have one really good starter, and he’s on the IL right now. That’s why you can get excited about Lance Lynn and his large ERA.
Throughout all of this, Phillips has been quiet, steady and effective. The High Leverage Honey Bun comes into a game, strikes one or two batters out, doesn’t allow a run, then leaves, usually with the save. The Dodgers’ pitchers have looked oddly vulnerable this season. Just imagine how weird things would be if they had a closer blowing saves all over the place. — GB
Record: 59-47
Last Power Ranking: 6
Unsung hero: Hunter Brown
Even the name sounds like an unsung hero. It’s a fake name that a high school kid gives when he’s trying to avoid detention, and it’s said with a question mark. Hunter … Brown?
Brown is that rarest of creatures, though — a reliable, steady rookie starting pitcher. He won’t get ROY votes. He won’t get down-ballot Cy Young votes. He’ll take the ball and get the Astros into the sixth inning with a chance to win, more often than not, like a pitcher from the ’90s that you constantly use in Immaculate Grid. Why he’s a modern-day Dave Mlicki, albeit with the potential to be even more.
That has a ton of value for a contending team like the Astros. If Brown stunk, as rookie starters are wont to do, they’d scramble to find another starter. As is, they can focus on the lineup at the deadline and feel good about it. — GB
7. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 59-47
Last Power Ranking: T-10
Unsung hero: Yusei Kikuchi
Kikuchi’s most valuable skill in three seasons with the Mariners was his ability to take the ball and soak up innings. When he signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays before last season, it was more of the same: he posted a 5.19 ERA while splitting time in the rotation and bullpen. But as the Blue Jays try to return to the postseason for the second straight year, Kikuchi has done an admirable job holding down a rotation spot, limiting his walks and striking out more than nine batters per nine. He may have earned an opportunity to start for the rest of the year. — RD
Record: 57-49
Last Power Ranking: 7
Unsung hero: Joel Payamps
Payamps has been a perfectly capable reliever for a few years now, even as he’s pinballed wildly between organizations the past three years:
Nov. 25, 2020: Waiver claim, Diamondbacks to Red Sox
Feb. 10, 2021: Waiver claim, Red Sox to Blue Jays
Feb. 22, 2021: Waiver claim, Blue Jays to Red Sox
March 6, 2021: Waiver claim, Red Sox to Blue Jays
July 21, 2021: Traded for cash, Blue Jays to Royals
Aug. 20, 2022: Waiver claim, Royals to Athletics
Dec. 12, 2022: Traded, Athletics to Brewers, in a three-team deal
Since landing in Milwaukee, Payamps has used his devastating slider to great effect, graduating from middle-innings work to set-up man ahead of closer Devin Williams. He has a 1.68 ERA, a minuscule 0.869 WHIP, and no runs allowed in his last 18 innings since June 10. Give this guy his flowers — and stop subjecting him to waivers. — SN
Record: 58-48
Last Power Ranking: 8
Unsung hero: Mike Yastrzemski
In about a week, Yastrzemski will move into the top 50 for games played in a San Francisco Giants uniform. This might come as a surprise to you, considering that Yastrzemski didn’t debut until 2019, but he should pass Kevin Mitchell and Joe Panik around this time next season.
Yastrzemski keeps racking up plate appearances and games played because he baseballs well. Runs well, fields well, throws well, hits some well-timed dingers … he does everything well. His OBP is .312 as of this writing, but he’s on track to be a two- or three-win player, just like he’s been for his entire career. He baseballs better than most people baseball, even if nobody really notices, and the Giants are better because of it. — GB
Record: 56-49
Last Power Ranking: 12
Unsung hero: Bryson Stott
Doing my part here to repay Stott’s All-Star snub. This is a middle infielder batting .306, stealing 19 bags, playing elite defense at second base and leading the Phillies with 2.7 fWAR. You might ask: Is this level of production sustainable when you’re looking at a 4.1 percent barrel rate, 5.8 percent walk rate and a .346 BABIP? Sure it is. Have you no love for the ol’ contact hitter? The guy who always watches that first pitch, lulls that pitcher to sleep, then starts swinging away. Suddenly he’s spraying fastballs back up the box, peppering the outfield grass with ground balls and line drives. A few of these guys still exist. And if you can get in the ballpark of a .300 batting average, 15 homers and 30 steals, well, that’s a great ballplayer in my book. — SN
Record: 58-49
Last Power Ranking: T-10
Unsung hero: Andrew Abbott
The Reds have a number of worthy candidates — from Will Benson to Jake Fraley to TJ Friedl to the bullpen to, well, the entire rookie class — but it’s time I sing Abbott’s praises. That’s partially because he absolutely carried a rotation missing its top two arms this summer, with a 1.90 ERA in 10 starts. And it’s mostly because I joked last week that the average non-Reds fan can’t give me the first name of a current Reds starting pitcher. I got buried … and deserved it! Abbott has the attention of the baseball world. He’ll have a hard time maintaining a sub-2 ERA with that home ballpark, but that’s not the expectation anyway. Abbott has shown he can shut down good lineups, and if the Reds make the playoffs they’ll find a way to deploy him. — SN
T-11. Boston Red Sox
Record: 56-49
Last Power Ranking: 14
Unsung hero: Josh Winckowski
Winckowski, 25, went from the Mets to the Red Sox before the 2021 season in the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Royals and Franchy Cordero to the Red Sox. He struggled in his debut season last year but he’s been a quiet pillar of the bullpen in 2023, with a 2.88 ERA in 56 1/3 innings. His peripherals aren’t great, but he’s striking out more hitters and walking fewer. And he’s not eligible for arbitration until after the 2025 season. — RD
13. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 56-50
Last Power Ranking: 9
Unsung hero: Ketel Marte
Quite possibly the best baseball player that nobody outside of the Phoenix metropolitan area thinks about. The Diamondbacks are contending because Corbin Carroll is an unfathomably talented player and Zac Gallen had a Cy Young-worthy first half, but Marte is the quiet, purring engine of the lineup.
It’s time for you to do your part. It won’t take more than a few seconds, so be a sport. Text, “Say, Ketel Marte … that guy can play” to a friend right now. Don’t add any other context. Let’s see if your friend knows ball.
Your friend probably knows ball. Because Ketel Marte? That guy can play. — GB
Record: 57-49
Last Power Ranking: 13
(Jasen Vinlove / Miami Marlins / Getty Images)
Unsung hero: Jesús Luzardo
It’s been two years and a couple days since the Athletics swapped Luzardo for rental outfielder Starling Marte. He had a 6.87 ERA and couldn’t hold down a rotation spot. He was 23, and the A’s were moving on. The Marlins are better for it. Luzardo followed a 3.32 ERA in 2022 with a 3.38 ERA across 125 innings so far this season, including his start Sunday against the Tigers. He remains a remarkably uncomfortable at-bat, firing 97 mph fastballs and killer sliders from the left side, and his command continues to improve. As a 25-year-old just now putting it all together, his stock is still rising. — SN
Record: 55-50
Last Power Ranking: 16
Unsung hero: Wandy Peralta
All Peralta, 32, has done in three seasons with the Yankees is post a 2.67 ERA in 138 1/3 innings and contribute to a bullpen that leads the American League in ERA in 2023. Despite all that, he remains somewhat underappreciated. He will be a free agent this winter, a well-timed reward for a pitcher who has delivered solid value since being acquired for outfielder Mike Tauchman in April 2021 — one of the better trades that Brian Cashman has swung in recent years. — RD
Record: 55-51
Last Power Ranking: 18
Unsung hero: Perry Minasian
It’s easy to trade a pending free agent for shiny prospects. It’s the expected path, especially for a franchise like the Angels that hasn’t done anything noteworthy as a team since the iPod debuted.
Which means that it’s somehow more controversial to keep one of the greatest baseball talents who has ever lived. Shohei Ohtani is on pace for something like 59.769902913 home runs this year, and there is real-world value in letting Angels fans watch that chase. There’s baseball goodwill to be had, and you have to balance it against the mere potential of baseball goodwill that even the best prospects can offer.
Angels GM Minasian (or maybe owner Arte Moreno, or both) has decided that the irreplaceable legend in the hand is worth more than the potential major leaguers in the bush leagues. They’re taking guff for it. They shouldn’t. Go Angels. Do something that resembles anything, for the good of the sport. — GB
GO DEEPER
Blum: The Angels made a rushed and risky decision to pull Shohei Ohtani off the market
Record: 53-52
Last Power Ranking: T-20
Unsung hero: Christopher Morel
No one knows what to make of Morel. I don’t. You don’t. Opposing pitchers don’t. The Cubs might not, either. He’s been called up, sent down, moved up and down the order, deployed all over the diamond. But his results? Holy crow! In just over a full season of plate appearances in the majors, Morel has 32 homers, 95 RBIs, 14 steals and a .796 OPS. His 16 home runs this season match his homer total from 2023, but he’s done it this time in about half the plate appearances — plus 11 more homers at Triple A. Morel is a free-swinger, ready to send the first pitch onto Waveland. He’s going to strike out a lot. His bat is going to go cold occasionally. But there just aren’t a lot of 24-year-old hitters punishing baseballs like he is. — SN
A moment this kid will never forget thanks to @christopmorel5! ❤️
📹: johnnytheg.123 on TikTok pic.twitter.com/kmOOyv3Bc8
— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2023
Record: 54-53
Last Power Ranking: 15
Unsung hero: Donovan Solano
Solano — a.k.a Donnie Barrels — signed for $2 million in late February and has been one of the club’s most consistent hitters, with a .367 OBP and 20 doubles. The Twins’ offensive struggles have been well-documented, and while the lack of production from Carlos Correa has drawn headlines, the offense has suffered from underperformance all throughout the lineup. Solano has plugged a hole, resembling the useful bat who first earned recognition during a stint as a part-timer for the Giants from 2019 to 2021. He’s hit well against lefties. He’s hit even better against righties. He’s slumped a little bit as of late, but he could help push the Twins back to the postseason. — RD
19. Seattle Mariners
Record: 54-51
Last Power Ranking: 17
Unsung hero: J.P. Crawford
If we’re talking about the unsung heroes in baseball writ large, take a moment to appreciate the competent, steady and productive shortstop. Crawford has never made an All-Star Game. He’s never appeared on the bottom of a local writer’s MVP ballot as a tiny reward for a helpful season. He just catches a little bit and hits a little bit, doing both better than the typical shortstop, which makes him exponentially better than the typical shortstop.
The Mariners are having a disappointing season. Crawford might be having his best season. Even if the team can’t get unstuck, don’t forget to appreciate a very good shortstop doing very good shortstop things. They’re easy to overlook when they’re not socking 30 dingers. They shouldn’t be. — GB
Record: 53-53
Last Power Ranking: 19
Unsung hero: Xzavion Curry
Curry, 25, has been a Swiss Army knife for the Guardians’ pitching staff after only making the Opening Day roster because of injury. He’s also been a lifeline for a team that’s survived a rash of injuries. He’s started, pitched in middle and long relief, and generally been effective at every role, logging a 2.98 ERA after his latest spot start on Friday. Originally a seventh-round pick in 2019, Curry debuted last season and made two appearances. But he’s managed to carve out a role this season as a jack-of-all-trades, relying heavily on a fastball and slider. — RD
Record: 52-54
Last Power Ranking: T-20
(Gary A. Vasquez / USA Tooday)
Unsung hero: Ha-Seong Kim
Kim is currently second in the world in position-player WAR, according to Baseball-Reference. He was leapfrogged this weekend by Ronald Acuña Jr., who might have baseball’s first 50-100 season. He’s ahead of Shohei Ohtani, who might hit 60 homers and is CHEATING by pitching at a very high level to pad his WAR totals. He’s ahead of four of the players who will finish in the top five of the NL MVP vote, and he’s ahead of all the players who will finish in the top five of the AL MVP vote. Except for Ohtani, who, again, is cheating by also being an excellent pitcher.
The Padres’ season has been a hot mess relative to offseason and preseason expectations, but Kim has been doing his best work on the diamond since joining the team. He’s playing all over the infield at a very, very high level, and he’s set a career-high in home runs, while cutting down his whiff rate, boosting his average and being an on-base asset. He’s a near-lock to go 20-20 this year and win a Gold Glove at second base, which should give you an idea of just how good he’s been. — GB
22. New York Mets
Record: 50-55
Last Power Ranking: 22
Unsung hero: Francisco Álvarez
No, I’m not giving this to Steve Cohen for eating an ungodly amount of salary to land an Acuña. This spot could just easily go to Tommy Pham, but he may be hours away from being some other team’s unsung hero, so instead I’ll fête Álvarez, the Mets’ 21-year-old rookie catcher. The Mets have been searching for an answer at catcher for a long time, and after cycling through free agents for years they’ve finally found their homegrown backstop. Álvarez has supreme pop, with 20 homers in less than a half-season of games this year. After ending June on a 1-for-19 skid, Alvarez has gone .275/.351/.623 with eight homers in July. He’s a low-average hitter, but his on-base numbers should improve in the coming years if his .238 BABIP normalizes and his 6.6 percent walk rate moves closer to his minor-league ones. Defensively, Álvarez has struggled to control the running game with his arm, but his blocking and framing both rate well. — SN
23. Detroit Tigers
Record: 47-59
Last Power Ranking: 23
Unsung hero: Tyler Holton
Claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks before the season, the lefty Holton has been a solid find, consistently taking the ball and putting up scoreless frames. The peripherals aren’t as good as the 1.69 ERA — he’s striking out 7.9 batters per nine — but you can’t quibble with the results, especially when you factor in the workload. Entering the weekend, only three relievers had logged at least 50 innings with an ERA below 2.00: Baltimore’s duo of Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano and Holton. — RD
Record: 47-60
Last Power Ranking: 24
Unsung hero: Nolan Gorman
For all that’s gone wrong — horribly, woefully, rapidly wrong — for the Cardinals this season, Gorman taking a significant step forward is a great sign for the future. Truthfully, while the pitching staff needs overhauling, the Cardinals’ position player group still looks promising for 2024, which is why trading Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado hasn’t come to pass. Gorman has an .820 OPS and is on track to eclipse 30 homers this season. That’s a heck of a sophomore season for a guy who hit some road bumps last year when his production didn’t match his prospect hype. He’s still a streaky hitter with a strikeout problem, but all the arrows are pointing in the right direction now. — SN
25. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 47-58
Last Power Ranking: 25
Unsung hero: Jack Suwinski
Suwinski has easily been the Buccos’ best position player this season. Unsung? Eh. Not in Pirates or fantasy baseball circles. But rather than go long on Jose Hernandez or Dauri Moreta ($$$) or Colin Holderman, I’m gonna wax poetic about Suwinski. This dude does it all. He smokes the ball. He has speed. He plays great defense in center field. And there’s reason to believe his already enticing stats — .229/.345/.504 slash line, 21 homers, seven steals — will get better as he evolves as a major leaguer. At the risk of oversimplifying, Suwinski is great because he’s selective. He walks a ton, and he detonates what he hits. But his selectiveness is also an issue. He swings 11 percent less than the average MLB hitter; 9 percent less than average on pitches in the strike zone; and 10 percent less on first pitches of at-bats. So despite an elite chase rate, he’s prone to falling behind in counts, which coupled with his legitimate swing-and-miss limitations explains why Suwinski runs one of the highest strikeout rates among MLB regulars. All of that to say, I think we’ll see a slightly more aggressive Suwinski down the road, a guy doing damage earlier in counts, and it’ll lead to even bigger offensive numbers. — SN
Record: 44-62
Last Power Ranking: 27
Unsung hero: CJ Abrams
You were sleeping on him, weren’t you?! If you checked out around the time he was batting .215 with a .624 OPS, six homers and six steals on June 17, I can’t blame you. It was bleak. But since then the Nats shortstop has hit .328 with four homers and 18 steals in 18 tries — including three more Sunday. That’s right! Everyone had a good laugh at my preposterous preseason prediction that Abrams would have 40 steals. But now, after barely running in the first half, he’s at 24 steals on the season, including 15 in his past 20 games. Forty is still in sight! — SN
From Nationals’ PR: With three stolen bases today, CJ Abrams has stolen 21 consecutive bases without being caught. He has matched Philadelphia’s Trea Turner for the longest active streak of stolen bases without being caught during the 2023 season.
— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) July 30, 2023
Record: 43-64
Last Power Ranking: 26
Unsung hero: Gregory Santos
It’s probably the case that Santos, a 23-year-old right-hander, has commanded plenty of attention from White Sox fans and fantasy baseball sickos. But he’s not quite a household name to the rest of the league. That could change if he continues performing like he has in 2023. He entered the weekend fifth in ERA among relievers with at least 50 innings pitched. And he has the kind of stuff that will regularly get you featured by Pitching Ninja. And after the White Sox’s busy trade deadline, it appears he’ll get more and more opportunities to close. — RD
Gregory Santos, Obscene Stuff. 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/etqY3cd1vD
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 29, 2023
Record: 41-64
Last Power Ranking: 28
Unsung hero: Ryan McMahon
Rockies Log, Day 705: Hit another dinger. Played some second base when they asked. Made a diving stop and used my strong arm to steal an out.
Rockies Log, Day 706: Hit a double. Made a good play at third base.
Rockies Log, Day 707: Took a couple walks. Drove in a couple runs. Made a good play at third base.
Rockies Log, Day 708: Hit another dinger. Played some second base. Stole a base. Made a good play at second base.
Rockies Log, Day 709: I’m starting to wonder if this team actually has a plan. Can’t worry about that now.
Rockies Log, Day 710: Hit a double. Made a good play at third base. — GB
29. Kansas City Royals
Record: 32-75
Last Power Ranking: 29
Unsung hero: Freddy Fermin
Pretty much everyone on a club 40-plus games under .500 is unsung — many for legitimate reasons. In the meantime, let’s take a moment to appreciate the rookie catcher Fermin, who has been worth 1.3 WAR in just a little more than a fourth of a season. Fermin, a 28-year-old from Venezuela, didn’t show too much at the plate in the low minors and projected as a possible backup at the major-league level. But he’s hit for average and power in a small sample while playing terrific defense behind the plate. If Fermin isn’t the Royals’ starting catcher of the future, he’s at least played like someone who could be a valuable part of a catching rotation. — RD
30. Oakland Athletics
Record: 30-77
Last Power Ranking: 30
Unsung hero: Stomper
The kids who come to the ballpark don’t grasp how graham-cracker fragile their baseball experience really is. They don’t know that they’re living under the thumb of a second-generation billionaire who made nothing, created nothing and doesn’t understand what the human experience is actually supposed to encompass.
No, the kids at the ballpark understand the sun, the cotton candy, the laughs, the informative asides from mom or dad when a baseball thing happens, the smell of it all, the vibe. And then here comes a giant plush elephant to caper around just for them.
Bless that Stomper. Bless what he’s giving these kids, who deserve much better. Vegas kids can go fart around at a magic show or something. Leave Stomper for the ones who got there first. — GB
(Top image: Kavin Mistry / Getty Images)
