Chicago White Sox: How does Jose Abreu remain so underrated?

Sure, he’s played for a bad team for a while, but it’s still amazing that Chicago White Sox star Jose Abreu doesn’t get much press given his accomplishments.

MLB Network’s Top 100 list, which came out yesterday, featured five Chicago Cubs, probably to the surprise of no one.

Interestingly, monster slugger Kyle Schwarber cracked the list at No. 95 on the strength of his power and postseason success.

Then, starting pitchers Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks came in right next to one another; Hendricks was one spot higher at No. 66 on the list.

Emerging star catcher Willson Contreras popped up at No. 58, Anthony Rizzo broke into the top 25 (No. 23 overall) and Kris Bryant even came in at No. 8, sandwiched between fellow third baseman Josh Donaldson (9) and Nolan Arenado (7).

As you can see, a lot of people love them some Chicago Cubs.

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But if you weren’t watching closely, you might have missed the lone Chicago White Sox on this list.

And even when discussing his success, the MLB Network analysts that announced him couldn’t help but note how little he gets talked about (then proceeded to talk about him for just over 10 seconds).

Jose Abreu, the White Sox’s model of consistency, landed at No. 38 on MLB Network’s Top 100, one spot ahead of Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jenson and just behind Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano.

While it does seem fair that he’s the only White Sox player on the list (if Avisail Garcia has another All-Star season, he might crack it) and this spot doesn’t seem too bad, the lack of discussion about Abreu as a top player in baseball is amazing considering what he has accomplished during his time in Major League Baseball.

For example, did you know that only three people in major league history, including Abreu, have hit at least 25 home runs and driven in 100 or more runs in their first four seasons?

The other two? Albert Pujols and Joe DiMaggio, two men who undoubtedly rest in the pantheon of the greatest hitters of all time.

Now, Abreu certainly isn’t as dominant as they were in their prime, aside perhaps from his .317, 36-homer, 107 RBI-rookie year.

But one can’t help but marvel at the consistency he displays year in and year out to make his .301/.359/.883 slash and 33 home run/108 RBI 162-game averages look so routine.

One could, of course, pinpoint a few factors in Abreu staying underrated.

He’s not a great defender, though he continues to work at improving it. That, in particular, separates him from someone like Rizzo, who excels more as a complete first baseman. Because if you’re going by the numbers as a hitter, Abreu is better.

Slugging first baseman are the norm rather than the exception; in fact, he’s not quite as prolific as other power hitters at his position.

And he plays for the Chicago White Sox, who no one outside of Bridgeport seems to care about.

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But in Abreu’s case, the numbers speak for themselves. He is simply one of the best professional hitters in the game every year, whether anyone sees it or not.

Add that to his intangibles as a clubhouse leader, and you have a man that the Chicago White Sox are lucky to have on their squad.

Here’s hoping that when the White Sox turn this thing around that Jose Abreu gets some deserved attention.