Has there ever been a more underrated and underappreciated player in Royals history than Paul Splittorff? I saw the man play his entire career and yet to the end, remained underwhelmed by him. As in most things, the reflection of time shows a much clearer picture and that was true with Splittorff.
I think what made Splitt underappreciated during his time was his consistency. He didn’t possess a blazing fastball or a knee buckling curve. He didn’t strike out a lot of batters. He was always overshadowed by other players on his own team: Amos Otis, Freddie Patek, John Mayberry, George Brett, Willie Wilson.