Many players are overrated in today?s MLB; hell, in every sport. Pitchers who sport deceptively shiny ERAs or batters who have tons of RBI without really hitting well are generally the types that tend to get overrated. Other players have blown up reputations because of past greatness but not their recent production. Just in case you?ve been fooled, here?s my All-Overrated Team coming into the 2006 season. Catcher- Javy Lopez, Baltimore Orioles Before his inexplicable 2003 season in Atlanta, where he knocked out nine more home runs than he ever had in his career at age thirty-three, Lopez was an overrated backstop with fading power and poor on-base skills. Now, after two years of regressing to the mean, Lopez is once again an overrated backstop with fading power and poor on-base skills. Too bad the Orioles didn?t get the memo; they?re planning on moving him to first base this year to keep his ?potent? bat in the line-up. Yikes. Runner-up: Bengie Molina First Base- Darin Erstad, Anaheim Angels I don?t care how good of a defender a player is, there is absolutely no excuse to play a god-awful hitter at first base when so many cheaper, better options are available. Erstad is a prime example; he?s a fantastic defensive player, but the man just cannot hit. At all. He put up a .273/.325./.371 line last season; watching him at the plate was more nauseating than watching The OC. Despite this, Mike Scoscia kept sending Darin out there day after day, to the tune of 609 hacktastic at-bats. Thankfully, the infinitely more talented Casey Kotchman appears ready to push him aside and consequently save our eyeballs from bleeding while watching Erstad swing a bat. Runner-up: Aubrey Huff Second Base- Robinson Cano, New York Yankees Alfonso Soriano deserves this spot, but the fact that he?s overrated has been beaten to death, so Cano takes the honour. Player A: .297/.320/.458 Player B: .297/.360/.398 Player A is Cano. Player B is Antonio Perez. Who? Antonio Perez, utility infielder of the Oakland A?s, who was just as if not more productive than Cano. Yes, I know Cano was a rookie and is likely to improve somewhat; I admit to the fact that he is going to become a very solid second baseman. The problem is that he?s not going to become the superstar that Yankee Faithful will tell you he?s going to become (some fans believe he?s already at that point, which is ludicrous). Save for a few flashes here and there, his minor league numbers have never portended greatness. His walk numbers haven?t been rising as he?s risen through the system, and there?s a chance they never will. Joe Morgan he is not, and if he was playing for the Devil Rays, he wouldn?t be receiving nearly as much fanfare. Runner-up: I?m feeling lazy. Alfonso Soriano. Shortstop- Jose Reyes, New York Mets Why does anyone think this kid is going to become a star, let alone a solid regular in the majors? He doesn?t draw walks. He doesn?t hit for power. He didn?t put up good numbers in the minors. All he?s done is run really, really fast. Whoopdy-freaking-doo. Are fans truly that starved for excitement that we brand an untalented stiff like Reyes a ?rising young star?? Move along folks, there?s nothing to see here. Runner-up: Orlando Cabrera. Third Base- Hank Blalock, Texas Rangers It?s sad to see that Blalock has morphed into just a beast created by his home park, because he showed some serious ability to hit as a youngster. This isn?t to say that he might not bounce back, but the fact that he?s been in a serious decline for the past two seasons at such a young age is not a good sign. The guy hit .194/.228/.356 against lefties, and .231/.276/.335 on the road. The fact that people still consider him an all-star calibre player says just as much about the lack of great third-basemen in the American League as it does people?s perceptiveness. Runner-up: Vinny Castilla Outfielder- Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Devil Rays It?s not that Crawford is a terrible player, it?s that he?s another one of those guys who are ?stars? just because they?re speedy. There are no fewer than thirty-two outfielders who had a higher OPS than Carl in 2005 (he was out-hit by such big names as David DeJesus and David Dellucci), which tells you pretty much all you need to know. All of this would be solved if he had the capacity to play center field, where his abilities would be much more of an asset; sadly, he?s an awful defensive center fielder but a mediocre offensive corner outfielder. He?s certainly not deserving of the money and accolades he?s going to get very soon. He?s a decent player, just not the star everyone seems to see him as. Runner-up: Garret Anderson Starting Pitcher- Mark Mulder Mark Mulder IS NOT AN ACE. I repeat: NOT AN ACE. If you see him as an ace, the first step is admitting that you?re wrong. Next, squint really hard, and look past the win totals he?s amassed by playing for great teams. Lastly, look at his actual peripheral stats and see that he no longer strikes people out and he walks more batters than any ace should. Mulder has pitched six seasons in the majors and has been unquestionably good in a grand total of three of those seasons. Now he succeeds by inducing ground balls and letting the Cardinals offence score twenty runs. Decent pitcher? Yes. Ace? Hells no. Runner-up: Jon Garland Relief Pitcher- Bob Wickman Wickman finished tied for second in the league in saves last season, and some fans would say that makes him the second best closer in baseball last year. That sound you just heard? That was Mariano Rivera?s gut splitting as he laughs himself to tears. Just like a pitcher who has a lot of wins isn?t necessarily a great pitcher ?COUGH- Mark Mulder -COUGH-, a pitcher who gets lots of saves isn?t necessarily a great closer. If you compare his peripheral stats of 2005 to those of 2004, they really didn?t change at all; the only things that changed were the ERA and save totals. He?s the same mediocre pitcher who has just as much trouble getting from the bullpen to the mound as he does getting his fastball across the plate. Runner-up: Todd Jones Darren Sharp can be reached for comment at [email protected].