Spring is the only time of year that anyone can be underrated. The heat has finally been taken off the hot stove. That means no more winter meetings, free agent tours, salary dumps or round-table discussions.
No, spring is different. Spring is about sprinkler heads spraying the sod, a bucket of balls poured onto the infield, Beemers in the parking lot and the L-screen being dragged to the mound. It’s for ridiculously high jersey numbers and pitchers loping along the warning track.
The power rankings have vanished like a puff of smoke from a fastball popping a catcher’s mitt, and it’s time for the first pitch.
Still, some teams will be flying under the radar as April arrives, led by pitching staffs not gaining nearly enough attention. Seven stand out as our most underrated pitching staffs in the game.