As we slowly but surely approach the halfway point of the MLB season, a fascinating and revealing players poll has been circulating in the baseball world.
Of course, players polls have garnered much attention across all sports in recent years.
In the case of the NFL, it has led to some major improvements, especially when it comes to certain organizations who haven’t been carrying their weight when it comes to facility quality and how they treat players and their families.
One of the most interest topics covered in the MLB player poll, which was conducted by The Athletic, was who exactly is considered the “most overrated” player in all of baseball?
As it turns out, the player who tops the list with over 20% of the vote is none other than Miami Marlins outfielder Jazz Chisholm.
Chisholm garnering the majority of the votes shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise.
He’s reportedly not that well-liked among players. There were stories of veterans being frustrated with his attitude and alleged “know it all” approach.
The fact that he was on the cover of “MLB The Show 23” didn’t sit well with many players and fans who were left wondering what exactly he’s done to deserve to be on the cover of the popular and prestigious video game.
That may sound petty and downright ridiculous to some people – but it was indeed a very real thing.
Currently, Chisholm is batting .246 with 9 home runs and 31 RBI’s to go along with a .315 on-base percentage.
Not that it’s entirely his fault, but the Marlins are sitting in the basement with the worst record in the entire National League at 23-43.
Another controversial player came in second in the “most overrated” poll – Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon.
While Rendon has accomplished much more in his career than Chisholm, he is the most injured player in the league and has been accused of milking his injuries.
There’s no doubt that his personal admission that he doesn’t love baseball also rubbed many the wrong way.
Here’s a look at the complete list of the most overrated players in baseball, as voted by players…
-Jazz Chisholm – 20.3%
-Anthony Rendon – 10.2%
-Carlos Correa – 6.7%
-Tim Anderson – 5%
-Jack Flaherty – 5%
-Pete Alonso -3.3%
-Cody Bellinger – 3.3%
-Alex Bregman – 3.3%
-Elly De La Cruz – 3.3%
-Manny Machado – 3.3%
-Blake Snell – 3.3%
It should be noted that only 59 players gave their answer to the “most overrated” question – so it’s certainly a limited sample size.
Interestingly, one of those 59 players voted New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto as the most overrated in the game.
“Could be a spite pick, to be honest,” the player remarked. “I feel like all he does is walk and hit singles and doesn’t hit for power like he’s portrayed. Also, not a good fielder.”
Soto is a three-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner and became the youngest player to win the National League batting title in 2020 at age 21.
He’s more than living up to the hype in pinstripes and is one of the leaders in the American League MVP race.
But like the player in question admitted, his vote for Soto was (most likely) a “spite pick.”
Notably, Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani was voted the best player in all of baseball.
Ohtani garnered 46% of the votes, making him a convincing winner in the category.
“There is no comparison,” one player said of Ohtani. “Everyone has a comp…he’s got no comp.”
Atlanta Braves superstar and 2023 National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. came in second with 26.5%.
Ohtani’s Los Angeles teammate, Mookie Betts, finished tied for third with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge with 8.8% of the vote.
Meanwhile, Angels star Mike Trout rounded out the top five with 3.9%.
Speaking of the Showtime Dodgers, one of the topics covered in the poll was if their astronomical spending was good or bad for baseball.
Unsurprisingly, 92% of the players stated that LA’s heavy spending was good for the sport. (Hey, this is a players poll after all!)
“It’s good for baseball, and any team could have done it,” one player said.
“It makes the Dodgers must-see TV, and everyone plays the Dodgers, so that’s good for everybody,” another said.
“Yes, absolutely great for the game,” a third chimed in. “People like box office-type stuff. When the game was at its best, big-market teams were spending a lot of money … In basketball, the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors were crushing, they were getting more views. Fans don’t like to admit it, but they do like super teams.”
What are your thoughts on the poll?
How about Chisholm being voted as the most overrated player in baseball? … Do you agree?
If not, who is? … What would your top five look like???