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As the 2022 MLB season gets ready to take off, we take a look at some of the players who move into this season under the "Underrated Players" tag. Many of them have been overlooked or overshadowed by their All-Star teammates. Here is a list of the 5 most underrated players going into the 2022 Major League Baseball season.
Most underrated MLB players entering 2022 season
#5 Julio Urias - Los Angeles Dodgers
Julio Urias won 20 MLB games in his first full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021. Urias started 32 games, lost 3, had 9 no decisions and delivered 129 strikeouts. With these numbers, he should be one of the Dodgers' household names. If he puts up another similar season, then he is bound to become one of the most talked about players in the Dodgers lineup.
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Since Julio Urias started in the MLB in 2016, he has been pushing for a regular starting spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation. Due to the Dodgers' star pitchers, Urias wasn't able to reach his full potential...until the 2021 season. When you think of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers -- Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler are the first ones that come to mind.
Urias has been overlooked by fans of the MLB for years, because he hasn't had a shot to make the full rotation. If he continues to put up the same numbers as last season, Urias could possibly be the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise.
#4 Ty France - Seattle Mariners
Ty France, in the 2021 MLB season with the Seattle Mariners, had 32 doubles, 18 home runs and a batting average of .291. France's batting average could have easily been over .300, but he suffered an injury to his wrist earlier in the year. Unlike most players, France focused on getting on base versus hitting home runs, which showed in his home run stats.
Ty France took the 1st baseman position from Gold Glove winner Evan White. With Fance being compared to Edgar Martinez, it is odd that he didn't receive as much recognition. If Ty France can have a healthy 2022 MLB season, his numbers should be better.
#3 Bryan Reynolds - Pittsburgh Pirates
Bryan Reynolds had a batting average of .302, 90 RBIs, and 24 home runs in his 2021 MLB season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds stayed healthy for the entirety of last year's season with the Pirates, however his name is mentioned a majority of the time in trade rumors rather than recognition of his skill with the Pirates.
Even with a rebuilding team, Bryan Rynolds was able to produce amazing numbers. Imagine him on a team that can also produce winning numbers? Reynolds' RBI numbers would be up there with those at the top of the league.
#2 Chris Flexen - Seattle Mariners
Chris Flexen came up with the New York Mets in 2017 as a starting pitcher for 3 seasons, until he made an international move to the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). Flexen had 2 successful seasons in the KBO, which caught the eye of the Seattle Mariners. Flexen's first year back in the MLB was as fruitful as he could have hoped.
Chris Flexen isn't a strike-out pitcher, however, he knows how to catch the batters out. Owing to his consistency in his pitching, Flexen was able to assist a rebuilding team on a playoff run. Flexen needs the Seattle Mariners’ 2022 players to be consistent in order for his numbers to exceed his 2021 season stats.
#1 Austin Riley - Atlanta Braves
Austin Riley is a 30/30 player. In his 2021 breakout season with the Atlanta Braves, Riley had a batting average of .303, 107 RBIs and 33 home runs. There are a lot of Braves players like Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr., who are MLB superstars, so Austin Riley, who is around the same age, does get overshadowed a little.
In Austin Riley's 2021 season, he put up better numbers than Albies, with the former consistently hitting .300 and Ablies hitting around .250. The next step for Riley will be to get his name mentioned right alongside the other big-name players of the Atlanta Braves.
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