Jamie Mottram's Sports Blog - www.misterirrelevant.com

It's hard to say who's overrated and who's underrated. Depending on your perspective, a guy like Bobby Abreu may be a shining star or an unheralded slugger. Regardless, when you're talking baseball and you're talking stats and you're digging beneath the surface of superstardom, you have my attention. So it goes with AOL Sports' Andrew Johnson's all-underrated team and Sportszilla's all-underrated starting rotation. Follow the links for their reasoning on their respective squads, but here's what they said about my hometown guys...

Johnson on Nick Johnson, Nationals - "Considering how poorly the Javier Vazquez trade worked out for the Yankees, I’m sure Brian Cashman would love to have this guy back. Johnson is an on-base machine, posting an OBP above .400 in each of the last two seasons."

Sportzilla on John Patterson, Nationals - "If Patterson can repeat his 2005 season this year, then there is no question he will have placed himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. If he pitched for one of the New York teams, everyone would be talking about that possibility, probably as a certainty. But since he’s in Washington playing for a terrible Nats squad, he’d have to win 20 games to get any recognition."

Amen, Sportzilla. I've been preaching about Patterson since last April. And, shame on you, Andrew Johnson, for not mentioning Jeff Reboulet. I don't care if he's retired, the man played a damn good utility infield while sporting the finest unironic 'stache of the past decade. I guess I'll let you slide since you know more about this stuff than I do.

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• #4 Comment from knemeth00 
  5/17/06 3:20 PM | Permalink

  I'll pass on Nick Johnson. He is still a bust considering all the hype around him. I'll take Giambi 10 times out of 10 over him.
  http://journals.aol.com/knemeth00/TheLushFactor/
• #3 Comment from y2cooljadeegssj1 
  5/16/06 5:41 PM | Permalink

  CLIFF FLOYD GETS NO RESPECT
  
  Last year: .273 34 HR 98 RBI
  
  Before Allstar Game: over .290 16 HR 55+RBI best left-fielder in N.L. besides Cabrera got snubbed
  
  Led the major leagues in outfield assist, had a whole highlight reel of web gems, Barry wasn't playing. GOT HIGHWAY ROBBED FOR THE GOLD GLOVE
  
  ...it's because he's a met...if he was a Yankees would never happen...  
• #2 Comment from monponsett 
  5/16/06 8:49 AM | Permalink

  I bet Andrew Johnson almost got fired, and he kept his job by one vote.
• #1 Comment from rebelk9 
  5/16/06 8:11 AM | Permalink

  reboulet's okay, but nobody tops my main man carney lansford
  
  http://www.dickperez.com/images/psd_dk_CarneyLansford_lg.jpg