1991-2016 All-Underrated Team: First Base

I have been watching baseball for 26 years now. In that time, I have been obsessed with under-the-radar players. These are my picks for an All-Underrated Team. I have picked one player for each position and their best season.

The 27 year old rookie in 1999 pretty much came out of nowhere.  His only prior Major League experience was a ten game stint with the Marlins the previous season.  He was released after the season and signed by the Red Sox as a free agent and quickly proved to be an offensive weapon for Boston, filling in at first base for the departed Mo Vaughn and actually produced a higher slugging percentage than Vaughn.

Daubach hit .294/.360/.562 with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs.  He also produced 33 doubles and finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year vote.  Daubach was a streaky hitter and went on a tear down the stretch, putting himself into the Rookie of the Year conversation after a slow start to the season.  He was the Player of the Week in mid-August.

Daubach played in the postseason in 1999 and hit a home run in each of the two rounds that Boston played.  He drove in six runs and hit three doubles as well.

For coming out of nowhere as a 27 year old rookie, Daubach takes the first base position on this team.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Carlos Quintana 1991