Dodgers: Five Overlooked and Undervalued Players

Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger are the names that come to mind when thinking of the Dodgers. But they aren’t the only ones on this remarkable team. There are plenty of players that are overlooked or undervalued.

The Dodgers are having the greatest season in franchise history. They have already reached their win total from last year before the final month of the season has come upon us. This season has them in some elite company.

They are in this position because of a total team effort. It is not just Seager and Bellinger winning games by themselves. So many different players have contributed in a big way. Aside from the main names that were mentioned at the top, some other players are getting attention, just not the same as them.

Players like Chris Taylor, Alex Wood and Austin Barnes have seen plenty of coverage because of their great play. It may have taken the media a while to take notice but, now they are finally getting the coverage they deserve for their breakout season. Rich Hill came in with a fat new contract, so he doesn’t qualify as overlooked and Kenley Jansen is certainly not undervalued.

The following five players are the ones who even some Dodger fans think are no good. In some cases, fans want them off the team. But they are underrated pieces that are necessary for the team’s success.

Enrique Hernandez

All Dodger fans should know this player. He is a favorite amongst them. But he is not a fan-favorite because of his play on the field. Fans love him because of his outgoing personality and charming good looks. If he’s in the lineup, you will hear a flurry of loud screams from the ladies in the crowd.

Hernandez is an overlooked player of outside of Los Angeles. Even in LA, some fans don’t see him as a contributor. But that is not the case at all. Not only is he helping this team off the bench but he does it all while having a smile on his face which is exactly what makes him a fan favorite here.

Hernandez helps this team in many different ways. He was injured most of last season and was one of the reasons why the Dodgers struggled mightily against left-handed pitching. In 2015 Hernandez hit .423 against lefties. This season he has an elite .984 OPS off them and is tied with Cody Bellinger for the team lead in home-runs against southpaws.

Hernandez fits the mold of what the front office is looking for in a bench player. He can play virtually every position on the field. This year he has played everywhere pitcher and catcher. That’s where his value comes from. Not only can he play the position, but does it at a near elite level.  Kiké is overlooked on this team, but his versatility is needed.

Pedro Baez

Some fans absolutely despise Pedro Baez. The fans that feel this way are stuck in the past. If we are this far into his dominant season and you still think Baez is unreliable, then you haven’t been watching enough Dodger baseball.

Yes, in past seasons fans had good reason not to want the Dominican right-hander in the game. He was a disaster waiting to happen every time he was put in. Anytime he came in with a small lead, fans expected him to blow the lead and our offense to try and clean up the mess that Baez made.

This season has been completely different. Baez is a brand new player. During the offseason, Rick Honeycutt and Co. had Baez speed up his pace. Before this year he was, as the great Vin Scully called him, “the human rain delay.” He would take ages in between pitches and that caused a plethora of problems.

This long break would make fielders become disengaged and would also throw off his own timing causing him to miss spots and get hit hard.

This season he has sped up significantly and has improved overall. He boasts a 1.83 ERA which is second only to Kenley Jansen. Those two at the back end could form a deadly end to a game come this postseason. The small adjustment he made to the way he pitches has produced an enormous outcome. He has been as reliable as they come.

Yasmani Grandal

The switch-hitting catcher has had a hot and cold relationship with the fan base. For how productive and reliable he has been, you hardly ever see people wearing his number 9 jersey around Chavez Ravine. You also hardly ever hear anybody talk about him. The fans and media overlook his production and value.

Grandal is about to complete his 3^rd season with the team. I am not sure why fans just seem to ignore him. Maybe it’s because he was traded for a fan-favorite Matt Kemp. Or maybe because he stole the spot from another favorite in AJ Ellis. He has been productive in his time with the Dodgers. He even tied for the team lead in homers last season.

He has been a staple in the middle of the order. When Grandal is swinging a hot stick, he is one of the most dangerous forces in the lineup. This year the 28-year-old has improved his AVG as he is hitting .256 and has quietly hit 18 home-runs. Yaz is a very streaky player but has minimized that this season and become a bit more consistent.

But perhaps the most impressive facet of his game is defense. He is among the league’s best defensive catchers. Grandal is a top pitch-framer and pitch-caller. This season he has even been overshadowed at his own position on his own team. Austin Barnes has had a breakout season causing some fans to call for Grandal’s benching.

Brandon Morrow

Morrow was selected two picks before Clayton Kershaw in the 2006 MLB draft. His career is not comparable at all to that of the dominance Clayton, but he has had himself a great first season in Dodger blue. He has been a key piece in the dominant bullpen that the Dodgers have.

Brandon started his career as a starter but never panned out in that role as many scouts thought he would. But he has found new life in the bullpen. The move to the pen has rejuvenated his career. Last season, while in San Diego, was when he shifted to the bullpen full-time. He flourished in that role having a 1.69 ERA in 18 appearances.

He has brought in that momentum to his time with the Dodgers. He currently has a 2.18 ERA with the club. Roberts often counts on him in high leverage situations which will be plenty in the playoffs. He has great stuff that is effective against both right and left-handed batters. Expect him to come into the game during the playoffs in that same role.

Morrow has exactly what you want in October. Electric stuff. He can often sit at 100 MPH on the radar with his fastball. The reason he isn’t getting as much love is that he hasn’t been a late-inning guy consistently. Jansen steals the attention away from most of this bullpen.