Underrated Player of the Year: 2025

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

I wrestled with this choice for a little while.  I was originally going to pick Carlos Narvaez, but I did discuss his year a little bit in the Season in Review post.  Ultimately, what clinched this for Romy was the fact that he had been placed on release waivers by the White Sox the previous year.  The WHITE SOX.  The team that finished 61-101 in 2023 and would go on to go 41-121 in 2024 after releasing Gonzalez.  That team thought he was not good enough to stay on their team.

Gonzalez had a nice 2024 season with the Red Sox, but he was really good in 2025.  The utility man split most of his time between first and second base, but also played some third and DH as well.  He made it into 96 games with 341 plate appearances and had the highest batting average on the team.  That still means something to me.  He hit .305/.343/.483, scoring 47 runs and knocking 23 doubles, three triples and nine home runs.  He also had 53 RBIs and stole six bases.  

When the Red Sox had to face left-handed pitching, they had a big advantage by plugging Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder into the lineup.  Gonzalez hit .331/.378/.600 with seven of his home runs against southpaws.  

Gonzalez is exactly the kind of player it is very helpful to have as a role player.  He can play a variety of positions and he is great against left-handed pitching.  He is a proven contact hitter and even has good speed.  He's not going to blow you away, but he does a lot of little things that help win ball games.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2024

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected. 

David Hamilton was one of the prospects acquired when the Red Sox sent Hunter Renfroe to the Brewers for Jackie Bradley Jr.  It was a widely criticized move at the time and it definitely seemed weird.  But, the prospects were the major draw to the deal.  Unfortunately, only Hamilton has developed into any sort of value.

Hamilton made his Major League debut in 2023, playing in 15 games and stealing a couple of bases, but his rookie season came in the 2024 season.  He originally started playing shortstop after Trevor Story went down with an injury, but his defense was inadequate there.  He eventually settled in at second base and started playing very well defensively.  His bat also came around.  Speed was never a problem for him.  Hamilton was second on the team with 33 stolen bases, just one behind Jarren Duran.  Had he not gone down with an injury late in the season, he likely could have challenged 40 stolen bases.  For the season, Hamilton hit .248/.303/.395.  He had a little bit of pop, knocking eight home runs with 17 doubles and a triple.  He scored 47 runs and drove in 28.  His 2.6 bWAR was seventh on the team, impressive for a player who only made it into 98 games.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2023

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Going back through my posts, I realized that I missed the 2023 season for this post.  It was probably due to the fact that I was holding out to do Chris Martin, because he is the best option for this post.  And he did not have a card in 2023.  For some stupid reason.

Martin has had a long career and pitched for a lot of teams.  This was actually his second stint with the Red Sox, though he did not pitch in the Majors during the first one.  Martin was originally signed by the Red Sox in 2011 from an independent league.  He was traded to the Rockies along with Franklin Morales for Jonathan Herrera after the 2013 season.  He was brought back to the Red Sox for the 2023 season and did not disappoint.

Martin was an excellent setup man, appearing in 55 games and throwing 51.1 innings.  He finished 12 games and even picked up three saves.  He had a record of 4-1 with an incredible 1.05 ERA with a 1.032 WHIP.  He struck out 46 and walked just eight.  Martin was so good that he finished 12th in the Cy Young vote.  Not bad for a middle reliever. 

Underrated Player of the Year: 2022

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

I will get to my normal series posts once I am completely caught up on showing off the cards I have been getting.  That is due to be later this month.  This is one of my normal series posts and a way to show off this new parallel of Rob Refnsyder.

Like I said yesterday, I wanted to talk more at-length about Refnsyder.  He came up through the Yankees system and was a very good contact hitter in the minors.  I distinctly remember getting into an argument with a forum member about whether or not he was going to be a huge star.  I did not think he would be.  Just because he showed elite contact hitting skills in the minors did not always translate in the Majors.  Brock Holt won the batting title in the minors one year.  Well, I was correct about that.  In parts of three seasons with the Yankees, Refsnyder hit just .241/.312/.332.  He then became a bit of a journeyman, appearing with the Rays, Blue Jays, Twins and Rangers, though never hitting much.  Incidentally, I came out the losing end of an argument with that same forum member about Blake Swihart, though I still maintain Boston screwed him up by changing his position.  They should have just let him grow into the position.

Anyway, back to Refnsyder.  The Red Sox picked him up as a free agent in December.  He started the year in the minors and was hitting well.  Boston needed some reinforcements in the outfield and so called him up.  And he never stopped hitting.  He played in just 57 games, but was a revelation at the plate, and in the field.  Refsnyder ended up hitting .307/.384/.497 with six home runs and 21 RBIs.  He also made one of the great defensive plays of the year for the team at one point, leaping to catch a ball headed for the outfield wall.  He played so well that Boston locked him up for the 2023 season very soon after the season ended.  He is not expected to be a starting outfielder, but when your bench player can hit over .300 and play terrific defense at all three outfield positions, you really have something.  

John Schreiber was also considered, but since he has not appeared on any cards yet, I chose to go with Refsnyder.  Sure, it's arbitrary and possibly wrong, but it's my blog.

COMC Order: Underrated Players of the Year

Last year I decided to go through and buy one new card of each player that I have named the Underrated Player of the Year, like yesterday's post.  I was not able to find a card I did not already have of two of those players.  I will get to that later.  I thought it would be kind of fun.

1.  Joe Hesketh (1991).  Hesketh was a jack-of-all-trades type pitcher in 1991.  He pitched in 39 games, starting 17 of them and had a record of 12-4.  He led the league in winning percentage.  He pitched to a 3.29 ERA in 153.1 innings pitched.   He struck out 104 batters while walking 53.

2.  Brandon Workman (2019).  Workman moved into the closer's role in 2019 rather surprisingly.  He pitched in 73 games, notching 16 saves.  But, his other numbers were truly impressive.  In 71.2 innings pitched, he had a record of 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA.  He struck out 104 batters while walking 45.  

3.  Stan Belinda (1995).  The longtime Pirates' reliever was the Red Sox primary setup man in 1995.  He had a 3.10 ERA, and a record of 8-1 in 63 games pitched.  Over 69.2 innings, he struck out 57 and walked 28.  He also picked up ten saves over the season, helping to bridge the gap until Boston acquired Rick Aguilera.

4.  Jeff Frye (1997).  Utility player Frye played in a career-high 127 games, playing every position position except pitcher and catcher.  Most of those games were at second base.  Frye hit .312/.352/.433.  Not gifted with a lot of power, he hit three home runs and two triples, but he did have 36 doubles.  Frye scored 56 runs, drove in 51 and stole a career-high 19 bases.

5.  Wily Mo Pena (2006).  Pena had huge power, but generally not much else.  In his first year in Boston though, he hit a career-high .301/.349/.489.  He hit 11 home runs in just 84 games played.  I saw him play in Kansas City that year and he hit a home run that almost left the stadium.  

6.  Reggie Jefferson (1996).  In Jefferson's second season in Boston, he played in 122 games with 418 plate appearances.  He split time between designated hitter and left field, with some first base thrown in.  His bat was always promising and he broke out with a line of .347/.388/.593 with a career-high 19 home runs and 74 RBIs, also contributing 30 doubles, four triples and 67 runs scored.

7.  Tom Brunansky (1992).  Bruno never really contributed the power numbers he was expected to in Boston, but he was easily the team's best hitter in 1992.  He hit .266/.354/.445 and led the team in OPS (.799), home runs (15) and RBIs (74).  It was not a great year for Red Sox hitters, but Brunansky was not the problem.

8.  Ken Ryan (1994).  Ryan looked like the Red Sox closer of the future after taking over for the ineffective Jeff Russell.  In 42 games, he had a 2-3 record with a 2.44 ERA and 13 saves.  He struck out 32 and walked 17 in 48 innings pitched.    

9.  Ryan Brasier (2018).  In the World Championship season of 2018, Brasier became one of the most reliable relievers on the team.  In his rookie season, he pitched in 30 games, 33.2 innings, and had a record of 2-0 with a 1.60 ERA.  He struck out 29 and walked just seven.  He had a WHIP of 0.772.

10.  Brock Holt (2014).  Holt's rookie year saw him finish eighth in the Rookie of the Year vote.  He played all over the field, except for pitcher and catcher and hit .281/.331/.381.  He hit four home runs, driving in 29 runs and stealing 12 bases.  He also had 23 doubles, five triples and 68 runs scored.  

11.  Casey Fossum (2002).  Fossum's second season in the Majors saw him pitch in a variety of roles.  He had a 5-4 record in 43 games, starting 12 and even picked up his first career save.  He had an ERA of 3.46 in 106.2 innings pitched, striking out 101 and walking 30.  

12.  Brian Daubach (1999).  Daubach finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year vote as a 27-year-old.  In 110 games, he hit .294/.360/.562.  He had 112 hits, 61 runs scored, 33 doubles, three triples and drove in 73 runs.  He also launched 21 home runs, while playing mostly first base and designated hitter.

13.  Joe Kelly (2017).  After several seasons of middling success as a starter, Kelly settled in as the Red Sox primary setup man.  He pitched in 58 innings over 54 games and had a 2.79 ERA and a record of 4-1.  Kelly struck out 52 batters while walking 27.  

14.  Daniel Nava (2013).  Nava mostly platooned in left field and right field, with some games at first base in 2013.  He had his finest offensive season, playing in 134 games and hitting .303/.385/.445.  He hit 29 doubles, 12 home runs and drove in 66 runs.  He scored 77 and had a career-high 139 hits.

15.  Alfredo Aceves (2011).  The Yankee cast-off threw 114 innings over 55 games pitched in 2011.  He started four but also picked up two saves.  He had a record of 10-2 with a 2.61 ERA, striking out 80 while walking 42.

16.  Tony Graffanino (2005).  Graffanino was Boston's primary trade deadline acquisition, picked up from the Royals.  He solidified second base for the team.  In 51 games, he hit .319/.355/.457 with four home runs, 12 doubles and 20 RBIs.  He also stole four bases and scored 39 runs.

17.  Enrique Hernandez (2021).  I just covered him yesterday.  Hernandez started out as a utility player but eventually became a great defensive center fielder.  He also hit .250/.337/.449 with 20 home runs, 35 doubles, three triples, 60 RBIs and 84 runs scored.

18.  Doug Mirabelli (2001).  After Jason Varitek's season-ending injury and Scott Hatteberg's inability to throw out runners, Boston acquired Mirabelli from the Rangers.  He played in 54 games, hitting .270/.360/.518 with nine home runs and 26 home runs and was adept at throwing out base runners.

19.  Justin Masterson (2008).  Masterson's rookie year saw him make it into 36 games, starting nine, and pitching 88.1 innings.  He had a 6-5 record with a 3.16 ERA.  Masterson struck out 68 while walking 40.  

20.  Rich Garces (2000).  El Guapo was a fan favorite in Boston.  2000 was the year he pitched the most, making in into 64 games and throwing 74.2 innings.  He had a record of 8-1 with a 3.25 ERA as the primary setup man.  Garces struck out 69 and walked 23.

21.  Mark Bellhorn (2004).  Bellhorn led the league in strikeouts with 177, setting a then team record, but he had a successful season.  He hit .264/.373/.444 with 17 home runs as the team's second-baseman.  He walked 88 times, scored 93 runs and drove in 82 while also knocking 37 doubles and three triples.  Curt Schilling appears on the card as well, and Schilling has another shot at Cooperstown in a few days.

22.  Kevin Plawecki (2020).  Backup catcher Plawecki had a terrific season at the plate in the pandemic-shortened season.  He hit .341/.393/.463 with one home run and 17 RBIs, also notching five doubles, a triple, a stolen base and eight runs in 24 games.

23.  Don Schwall.  Okay, this one doesn't fit in with the rest of the cards, but it is an oddball of a player who is not well-represented in my collection.  Schwall won the 1961 Rookie of the Year after finishing with a 15-7 record, 3.22 ERA and 91 strikeouts.  He was never as effective again.

24.  Sandy Leon (2016).  Leon came out of nowhere to solidify the catcher position.  In 78 games, he hit .310/.369/.476 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs.  He scored 36 runs and hit 17 doubles with two triples.  He was also effective behind the plate, catching 41% of attempted base stealers.

25.  Greg Harris (1993).  Harris set a then-team record by pitching in 80 games in 1993.  Primarily a setup man, Harris did pick up eight saves and had a record of 6-7 with a 3.77 ERA.  He pitched 112.1 innings, striking out 103 and walking 60.

26.  Travis Shaw (2015).  Shaw was never really a top prospect, but he emerged in 2015 as the team's first-baseman down the stretch.  His rookie season saw him play in 65 games, but hit 13 home runs with a line of .270/.327/.487.  He drove in 36 runs while scoring 31.  

27.  Bill Mueller (2003).  Mueller won the Silver Slugger in 2003 and won the batting title.  He still managed to be underrated.  In his best season, the third-baseman hit .326/.398/.540 with 19 home runs, 45 doubles, five triples, 85 runs scored and 85 RBIs.

28.  Manny Delcarmen (2007).  Boston native Delcarmen was one of the World Champion team's top relievers.  He pitched in 44 games with 44 innings pitched and notched a save.  He had a 0-0 record and struck out 41 batters while walking 17.  He had a 1.023 WHIP.

29.  Ramon Ramirez (2009).  Acquired in a trade for Coco Crisp prior to the season, Ramirez was one of the team's top relievers in 2009 with a record of 7-4.  He had an ERA of 2.84 in 69.2 innings pitched over 70 games pitched.  He struck out 52 and walked 32.  It was kind of cool finding a silk card of such an obscure player.

30.  Franklin Morales (2012).  Morales filled a variety of roles, starting nine games and saving one among his 37 games pitched.  He threw 76.1 innings with a 3-4 record and 3.77 ERA.  He struck out 76 and walked 30.

Notably missing from these cards are two players: Jim Corsi (1998) and Darnell McDonald (2010).  Both players have very few Red Sox cards.  

Underrated Player of the Year: 2021

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

This is an excuse to show off the Living Set card of Enrique Hernandez that released after his terrific performance in the 2021 postseason.  

Hernandez originally came up with the Astros before being traded to the Marlins, and then later, the Dodgers.  He developed a reputation with the Dodgers for being a great defensive player at a number of positions and playing well in the post-season.  Boston signed him to a two-year deal to capitalize on his defensive versatility.

He started the season slow, and played a variety of positions early on.  As the season wore on though, he settled into the leadoff slot in the batting order and became the primary center fielder.  Hernandez was one of the best defensive center fielders in the game and would end up winning the Fielding Bible award for utility players.  He was a year too early to win the new Gold Glove for utility players.  

His hitting number were also impressive.  In 134 games, Hernandez hit .250/.337/.449.  He contributed 35 doubles, three triples and 20 home runs.  Hernandez notched 127 hits, scored 84 runs and drove in 60 runs.

It was the postseason where Hernandez really shined.  He tied a team record with five home runs in a single postseason among his 20 hits.  He drove in nine runs, including the ALDS clinching run.  He had four doubles, a triple and scored eight runs.  Overall, it was an extremely impressive first season for Hernandez.  

Underrated Player of the Year: 2020

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

After a breakthrough season in 2019, Christian Vazquez was a lock to be the starting catcher in 2020.  The backup in 2019 was Sandy Leon, who was traded to the Indians prior to the season.  In order to make room for Leon, the Indians non-tendered their backup catcher, Kevin Plawecki.  Boston signed him to a deal to replace Leon.  It would have been cleaner had they been traded for each other, but it worked out and Boston ended up getting the better player.

Plawecki was previously known more for his defensive abilities, and he continued to play well behind the plate.  He made just a single error and had a 25% caught-stealing percentage, which was slightly below average.  What was surprising was that he ended up having easily his best season at the plate.  In 24 games in the shortened season, Plawecki hit .341/.393/.463 with five doubles, a triple, a home run, eight runs scored and 17 RBIs.  He had the highest average and on-base percentage of any Red Sox player with at least 80 plate appearances.

Plawecki is known for having a strong arm and that has led him to pitch several times in mop-up duty.  Prior to 2020, he had pitched in four games, twice each for the Indians and Mets.  He appeared in one game as a pitcher for Boston, throwing two-thirds of an inning, without giving up a run, while walking one batter.  

After his impressive season, Plawecki was brought back to Boston to serve as the backup catcher for 2021.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2019

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

This one was close.  I strongly considered going with Christian Vazquez.  He quickly became one of my favorite players of the year with his out-of-nowhere 23 home runs.  But Vazquez had a very good season in 2017.  Brandon Workman on the other hand shocked everyone.

Workman was a second-round draft pick by the Red Sox in the 2010 draft.  He kind of went unnoticed for much of his minor league career, never really achieving any sort of top prospect status but he had some solid numbers.  He made the jump to the Majors in 2013 and put together a decent season.  He even pitched in the postseason, appearing in seven games (including three in the World Series) without giving up a single run.  It was anticipated that he would be a big part of the 2014 staff.

Things did not work out for Workman in 2014 though.  He was in the starting rotation, but went just 1-10 with an unsightly 5.17 ERA.  His strikeout rate collapsed.  Then he was injured for the entire 2015 season.  Not much was expected from Workman from that point on, but he made it back to the Majors in the bullpen in 2017, becoming a reliable arm again.  2018 was more of the same, but no one could have predicted the year he would have in 2019.

The Red Sox did not do much to improve their bullpen prior to the 2019 season, even though the team lost both Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel to free agency.  Workman quickly became the most reliable arm in the bullpen and eventually worked his way into the closer role.  He only saved 16 games, but he did two rare things for a reliever: he won ten games without starting a single one and he struck out over 100 batters.  His final numbers were surprisingly great, one of the better relief seasons for the team in recent years.  Workman finished the year 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 104 strikeouts compared to 45 walks in 71.2 innings.  He will start the 2020 season as the favorite to be the team's closer.  

Underrated Player of the Year: 2018

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

I considered going with Steve Pearce here, but winning the World Series MVP kind of disqualified him.  There really is no one better than Ryan Brasier anyway.  

Brasier had a long, winding road to make it to the Majors this year.  He was originally drafted by the Angels in the sixth round of the 2007 Draft.  It took several years but he made it to the Majors in 2013 with the Angels.  He appeared in just seven games as a reliever.  He threw nine innings, striking out seven and walking four with a 2.00 ERA.  He then missed all of 2014.  

The Athletics grabbed him as a minor league free agent in 2015 and he spent the next two seasons in the minors.  In 2017 he went to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Carp.  He pitched well enough that the Red Sox took a flyer on him for the 2018 season.  He spent Spring Training mostly as a closer and was assigned to Pawtucket once the season started.  He pitched so well in Pawtucket (13 saves, 1.34 ERA) that he got the call-up to Boston.

The 30-year-old gradually built up enough trust that he started getting thrust into more and more important situations.  Brasier soon became a set-up man.  For the season, he pitched in 34 games with a 2-0 record and a 1.60 ERA.  He struck out 29 batters while walking just seven batters in 33.2 innings.  Surprisingly, he is still technically eligible as a rookie in 2019.  

The biggest sign of the trust he had gained from his manager was his inclusion on the post-season roster.  Brasier struggled a bit in his first appearance, but was able to adapt.  His barking at Gary Sanchez to get in the box and stop stalling endeared him even more to his teammates and fans.  He appeared in nine games in the postseason, with a 1.04 ERA and seven strikeouts.

There is no way to be sure what Brasier will become, but he had a terrific 2018 season, capped off by being on a World Championship team.  Hopefully he will get a Major League card made soon.  Maybe in 2019 Topps or Heritage.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2017

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

It seems like we have been waiting for a long time for Joe Kelly to harness his potential.  Originally coming up with the Cardinals, Kelly had a great year in 2013 and even appeared in the World Series against the Red Sox and pitched an impressive game.  The next season, he was part of the return when the Red Sox dealt John Lackey to St. Louis.  Neither Kelly nor Allen Craig made an immediate impact however.

Boston eventually gave up on Craig but they kept Kelly around, hoping that his talent would eventually come around and he could be a decent starting pitcher.  He was shuffled back and forth to the minors a couple of times to work on his command and eventually managed to win 10 games in 2015, albeit with a 4.82 ERA.  In 2016, Boston started using him more in the bullpen and things started to fall together.

The Red Sox gave up on trying to make Kelly a starter altogether in 2017 and Kelly responded with his best season since being traded to Boston.  Kelly was primarily a middle reliever though he finished 14 games out of his 54 appearances, though he did not pick up a save.  He did notch 13 holds.  Kelly finished the season 4-1 with a sparkling 2.79 ERA and struck out 52 while walking 27 in 58 innings.  

Joe Kelly helped to solidify the Boston pen in 2017 between the starters and Craig Kimbrel, who had a monster season.  Having a decent arm in the bullpen helps enormously and Boston had several good ones.  

Underrated Player of the Year: 2016

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Catching was supposed to be settled coming into 2016.  Blake Swihart had an impressive debut season and was supposed to be the starter.  Ryan Hanigan was supposed to be the backup.  But then, Swihart struggled and Hanigan got hurt.  They tried out Christian Vazquez, but he could not hit.  So it came down to Sandy Leon, who was a backup catcher in 2015.

Leon was on fire from the start.  He had five hits in his first five at-bats, with two doubles.  By the time the All Star Game came around, Leon was hitting .455.  Leon only had one Major League home run in parts of four seasons coming in 2016, but he blew that number out of the water.  He had never before been known as a hitter, he was always a defense-first catcher, but he had the best season of his career and a terrific season for any catcher.  Leon would eventually come back down to Earth, but he did continue to play very good defense. 

At the end of the season, Leon was hitting .310/.369/.476 with seven home runs, 35 RBIs, and 17 doubles.  He committed just one error and caught 41% of potential base-stealers.  He was fourth in double plays turned, third in caught-stealing percentage, and fifth in range factor.  All this despite the fact that he did not start the season until June.  Leon even hit a home run in the postseason, one of just three Red Sox players to do so.

Leon came into the season purely as an emergency option and was fourth on the depth chart.  He had not shown much in four previous seasons in the Majors.  But he blew away expectations in 2016.  Catchers sometimes develop late and Leon will be 28 next season.  Time will tell if this is purely a fluke season or a sign of things to come.  

Underrated Player of the Year: 2015

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Travis Shaw is the son of former closer Jeff Shaw.  He was a reasonably well-regarded draft pick when he was picked in the ninth round of the 2011 draft and there was a possibility that he would be a Major Leaguer.  But Shaw surprised everyone with just how well he played in 2015, his rookie season.

Shaw debuted in May and was bounced between Boston and Pawtucket a couple of times before being called up to stay in August.  At that point his bat ignited and he hit 13 home runs in the final two months of the season.  His final slash line was a fairly impressive .270/.327/.487 with the 13 home runs and 36 RBIs.

Defensively, Shaw could play a variety of positions including the corner infield and outfield positions and designated hitter.  It was that versatility and some impressive power that left him in a good position to win a full-time job in Boston for the 2016 season.   

Underrated Player of the Year: 2014

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Boston's acquisition of Joel Hanrahan for 2013 was one of those deals that just did not seem to work out well for the Red Sox.  They made a number of those trades, particularly for closers, over the years.  Mark Melancon turned into an All Star right away for Pittsburgh and Hanrahan went down for the rest of the year after just a handful of inconsistent games.  But there was a right spot as Brock Holt also came over in that deal.  

Holt had played in 24 games for Pittsburgh in 2012 and won the Triple A batting title before being traded to the Red Sox.  He made it into 26 more games in 2013, then broke out in 2014 as he played mostly regularly in the Majors for the first time.  Holt was officially a rookie in 2014 and even managed to finish eighth in the Rookie of the Year voting, though admittedly that was only one vote.

Versatility was the primary reason that Holt stuck around.  He played in 104 games for Boston, pretty much all over the field.  He played every position except pitcher and catcher, but spent most of his games at third base.  He really stepped up when Will Middlebrooks and Xander Bogaerts faltered at third.  He also made some impressive defensive plays.

On top of his defensive versatility, Holt actually could hit a little bit too.  He finished the season with a slash line of .281/.331/.381 with four home runs and 29 RBIs.  He lead the team in stolen bases with 12.  

Of course, the best was yet to come for Brockstar.  He would be named to the All Star team in 2015 while continuing to be a very versatile defender and good contact hitter.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2013

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Hey, I haven't done one of these in a long while.  Daniel Nava was always one of my favorite under-the-radar players, ever since making a huge splash by hitting a grand slam on the very first pitch he saw as a Major Leaguer.  He has such an interesting story, due to his size he was never really a highly sought-after player in high school, he walked on to his college team, then played in an independent league until Boston took notice and signed him for very little money.  He was always underestimated, yet he eventually proved that hard work pays off by making it to the Major Leagues.

In 2013, Nava had a terrific season, hitting .303/.385/.445 as a regular in the outfield and at first base.  His defense was very strong and he also contributed 12 home runs and 66 RBIs.  It was quietly a terrific season.  

Nava was never really a star on the team, and even had some trouble getting playing time over the likes of Jonny Gomes, who showed a flair for clutch hits, but when he was in the lineup, he produced.  He was an inspirational player who proved you did not have to be the most athletic person as long as you have a strong work ethic.  Daniel Nava will always be one of my favorite players for his brief time in Boston, and in particular for his contributions to the 2013 World Champion Red Sox.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2012

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Franklin Morales was acquired during the 2011 season from the Rockies to provide some depth to the pitching staff.  He was a valuable left-hander out of the pen down the stretch.  But as good as he was in 2011, he was even better in 2012 and was an incredibly valuable pitcher all year long.

Morales went 3-4 with a 3.77 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 76.1 innings with 30 walks.  His numbers were certainly good, but it was his versatility that was most valuable.  When injuries decimated the starting staff, Morales started several games (9) and performed fairly well.  Morales also finished five games notching one save.  More often than not Morales provided innings out of the bullpen.  He was not the typical LOOGY pitching against one left-hander at the time.  He was definitely tough on left-handed hitters, but he was at least decent against right-handers as well.

Morales returned to Boston in 2013 but has been on the disabled list all season so far.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2011

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

It is not very often that a player jumps from the Yankees to the Red Sox and have more success than they did with the Yankees.  It did happen with Alfredo Aceves though.  After a terrific 2009 season, Aceves was hurt most of the year in 2010.  He was non-tendered in December due to the injuries and some perceived behavioral problems.  He signed with the Red Sox as a free agent about two months later.

Aceves made the 25 man roster with a good Spring Training and was one of the most versatile pitchers on the team.  Aceves started four games and finished fifteen.  He pitched in 55 games total.  His 114 innings were a testament to his versatility.  

His final numbers were impressive.  Aceves went 10-2 with a 2.61 ERA and 80 strikeouts with 42 walks.  His WHIP was a solid 1.105.  Not only was he versatile, he pitched quite well.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2010

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

In 2010 the Red Sox were hit with a massive wave of injuries.  Included in those injuries were starting outfielders Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury, as well as backup Jeremy Hermida.  So Boston was in a pinch for outfielders, which lead to them turning to Josh Reddick, Ryan Kalish, Daniel Nava, Bill Hall, and Darnell McDonald.  

McDonald immediately stabilized the outfield, playing 69 games in center field and an additional 30 games at each of the other two spots.  He hit reasonably well for a line of .270/.336/.429 with nine home runs, 18 doubles, three triples, nine stolen bases, and 34 RBIs.  It was the first time in his career that McDonald had been given the opportunity to play close to full-time and he took full advantage of it.

Ultimately, it turned out that McDonald was just a stopgap.  He would be back in a part-time role in 2011 and 2012 and then later released.  He ended up with the Yankees where he played just four games, yet somehow got a card made.   Stupid Yankees.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2009

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Boston usually has one really good season from a reliever that seems to come out of nowhere.  That is something of the case with Ramon Ramirez in 2009.  Though he did have a quality season in the Royals pen in 2008, it was somewhat surprising to see him do as well as he did in 2009.  Relievers are fungible and you can never really tell from one year to the next what you are going to get.

Ramirez was acquired in a trade with the Royals in which Boston gave up Coco Crisp.  In 2009, Ramirez was one of the most consistent members of Boston's bullpen, compiling a record of 7-4 with a sparkling 2.84 ERA in 69.2 innings.  His walks and strikeouts were not really anything to write home about, but he came in an got the job done.  Ramirez actually lead the team in pitching appearances that year.  

Of course, he did not pitch nearly as well in 2010 and was eventually dealt to the Giants, where he re-gained his touch for the eventual World Champions.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2008

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Part of the reason that it took me awhile to warm up to Victor Martinez on the Red Sox was due to the fact that Boston had to trade Justin Masterson to get him.  Masterson proved to be a hero down the stretch during the 2008 season.  He was able to come in to the game in relief and pitch a couple of innings due to being a starter in the minors.  He even performed well in the postseason.

Masterson made his Major League debut in 2008 and quickly turned into a major weapon.  He started nine out of 36 games that year, pitching to a 6-5 record and a 3.16 ERA.  He also racked up 68 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.  He was particularly tough on right-handed batters, allowing a .196 batting average to them compared to a .238 average to lefties.  In the postseason, he had a 1.86 ERA in 9.2 innings with nine strikeouts. 

Masterson started out slow in 2009 and was traded to the Indians as the major piece in the Victor Martinez trade.  Boston has been rumored to have tried to reacquire him several times.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2007

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

One of the biggest reasons that Boston was so successful in 2007 was their bullpen.  Anchored by Jonathan Papelbon and also featuring strong years from Hideki Okajima, Javier Lopez, and the ageless Mike Timlin, their bullpen was one of the best they have had in a long time.  2007 was also the second full season by Manny Delcarmen, the Boston native.  

Delcarmen pitched in just 44 games due to starting the season in Pawtucket, but he made it to the Red Sox to stay in mid-June and made a big impact.  Delcarmen pitched to a very impressive ERA of 2.05 and struck out 41 in 44 innings against 17 walks.  He also finished with a nice WHIP of 1.023.  It was a very strong season and Delcarmen made the case to become the principal right-hander out of the pen for the next couple of years.    

Delcarmen was effective again in 2008 as the main setup man but then began to falter in 2009.  He struggled in 2010 before being traded to the Rockies.  It was his last year in the Majors.  Delcarmen has been bouncing from team to team trying to make it back since.