The MLB headlines have frequently been dominated by Paul Skenes’ gems, the Mike Trout resurgence, Munetaka Murakami’s moonshots, Jo Adell’s home run robberies and Mason Miller’s streak of scoreless saves, among other stories that usually involve the likes of Yordan Alvarez or Aaron Judge. But in the world of baseball, there is much more to cover than just the big-name stars.
This story is about sluggers whose names don’t make the headlines as often, but deserve more recognition for their performances. These underrated sluggers have, thus far, helped their respective teams overcome adversity and jump out to records above .500 to start the season.
Ryan O’Hearn
The new-look Pittsburgh Pirates already had a solid pitching staff. Now, they have an offense to match.
Despite a slow start from veteran masher Marcell Ozuna, the team has kept its head above water, getting off to a 16-12 start thanks largely in part to O’Hearn. After posting a .281/.366/.437 season with 17 home runs, there was no doubt the Pirates were getting a quality hitter when they signed him over the offseason. However, this year, O’Hearn has been scorching the ball, hitting .315/.404/.489 with four home runs. He’s also had value on the diamond, playing both first base and right field.
The Pirates finished in last place in the NL Central last season. After their loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, the Pirates are holding onto third place in the division.
Ildemaro Vargas
In his 10-year career, Vargas has never seen regular playing time. That might need to change.
Now in his third stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Vargas has broken out, hitting .367/.383/.722 and tying a career-high 6 home runs. His 1.105 OPS is the highest on the D-Backs, a team with stars such as Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte. In addition, Vargas has played all over the diamond this season, spending time at first base, second, third, shortstop and left field.
The D-Backs finished in fourth place in the NL West last season. After their victory on Sunday, they maintain a third-place record of 15-12.
Xander Bogaerts
The San Diego Padres are no strangers to the postseason, having made it for the past two years. But this season, their key sluggers are off to a rough start. Manny Machado owns a .690 OPS through the first full month of baseball and Fernando Tatis Jr. is yet to connect for his first home run of the season. Despite their obvious deficiencies, the Padres are off to a fantastic start, boasting a fantastic 19-8 record, though it lands them second-place in the NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the offensive side, a lot of San Diego’s success can be attributed to their shortstop.
Bogaerts might not be the star hitter he once was with the Red Sox. The past two years saw a steep drop in his numbers. However, his four home runs this season are an encouraging sign that his 20+ home run power is returning (Bogaerts hit 33 in 2019), this coming on the heels of back-to-back 11 home-run seasons. Bogaerts is currently slashing .278/.358/.423, leading the Friars with a .781 OPS and adding much-needed stability to the middle of their batting order.
