1991-2016 All-Underrated Team: Second 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.

I have written about this season once before.  1993 produced a number of under-the-radar seasons for the Red Sox.  A lot of players were having their first real success (Mo Vaughn and John Valentin), and several older players were having one last gasp.  Scott Fletcher falls into the latter category.  The 34-year-old second baseman signed with Boston as a free agent prior to the season to fill in the hole left after Jody Reed was selected by the Rockies in the expansion draft.

Fletcher presented a lot of the same strengths as Reed.  He was a very good defender, even better than Reed in fact, and he put the ball in play.  Fletcher finished fourth in the league in at-bats per strikeout (13.7).  Fletcher was among the league leaders in a number of defensive categories and was fourth in fielding percentage.  His year was one of those that has become more impressive as defensive stats have been improved.  

He was also a pretty good hitter.  For the season, Fletcher hit .285/.341/.402.  He hit a career high five home runs and drove in 45 runs, mostly from the number two spot in the lineup.  He scored 81 runs and led the team with 16 stolen bases, while only getting caught three times. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Jody Reed (1991)

Luis Alicea (1995)

Jeff Frye (1997)
Rey Sanchez (2002)

Todd Walker (2003)

Mark Bellhorn (2004)