Certain players tend to grab attention when a team's games are going well, while others take the blame when their fortunes fall. Then there are other players who play important roles with much less fanfare. These players might be injury fill-ins, surprising reclamation projects or guys who have been around long enough that their efforts simply get taken for granted. That's what makes them their teams' unsung heroes.
American League
The crafty lefty made a poor first impression last season, giving up five runs in a relief appearance, but he has done much better in a longer look. With a nice changeup, Means has kept hitters at bay, and his 2.67 ERA ranks fifth in the American League among pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched.
Boston Red Sox: Brandon Workman
The 30-year-old right-hander walks an awful lot of guys, but he makes up for it by keeping the ball in the park. The Red Sox opted for a makeshift bullpen this season, and Workman, along with another unsung hero in Marcus Walden, have helped make it work.
Chicago White Sox: Leury Garcia
Garcia has a slightly below-average bat, but he runs well enough to get close to average offensively. Where he has helped the White Sox is with his versatility. He has gotten most of his starts in center field, but he has made starts at all three outfield positions, shortstop and second base.
Cleveland Indians: Roberto Perez
There were some valid questions regarding the club's decision to trade Yan Gomes to the Nationals in the offseason, but Roberto Perez has answered those questions with some newfound offense. After hitting 13 homers from 2016 through 2018, he already has one more than that this season. Adding that to his solid defense, he's rewarding the faith Cleveland placed in him before the season.
Detroit Tigers: Spencer Turnbull
While Matthew Boyd gets all the attention -- and deservedly so -- Turnbull is turning in a pretty impressive season. He has made 15 starts and used a good fastball and a wide array of pitches to keep the ball on the ground with a 49% ground-ball rate. His 3.29 ERA should go up at some point, but he should still have a solid season for the struggling Tigers.
With Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole fronting the rotation, Peacock doesn't receive a lot of attention, but he's having a very good season. With 82 innings in the books, he has struck out more than a quarter of the batters he has faced, and his sub-4.00 FIP and ERA are both in the top 20 among AL starters.
Kansas City Royals: Homer Bailey
The former Reds rotation headliner was included in the Dodgers' trade of Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to balance out cash, and after L.A. let him go, the Royals decided to give the oft-injured righty a shot. While not dominant, Bailey has posted average strikeout and walk numbers without allowing many homers. That isn't a lot, but Bailey has provided the rebuilding Royals innings and a shot to win every time out.
Los Angeles Angels: David Fletcher
Tommy La Stella has gained notoriety with his 16 homers, but David Fletcher has seen significant playing time at shortstop, second base, third base and left field as the club has been hit hard by injuries. He has 24 walks on his way to an above-average offensive season while providing solid defense wherever he's placed.
It has been 10 years since the Twins drafted Gibson in the first round, and he has been a mostly dependable starter by averaging 29 starts per year the past five seasons. Year to year, his performance has ranged from slightly above to slightly below average, and this year looks to be another in the above-average category. He might wind up with career-best marks in strikeouts and walks.
Playing for the Yankees doesn't leave much room for feats unsung, but Urshela has played a surprising role in the Bombers' ride to first place without many of their stars. Receiving playing time due to Miguel Andujar's shoulder injury, Urshela took off with a .338/.390/.482 slash line through the end of May. Urshela has cooled off since then, but the Yankees don't need his bat now. They needed it in April and May, and he delivered.
Marcus Semien has been one of the biggest breakout players in the league this season, but Canha's play deserves praise as well. Canha has helped Oakland's offense with 10 homers and a 15% walk rate while playing first base and all three outfield positions. Both Matt Olson and Khris Davis have missed time due to injury, but Canha has ensured that there is little to no drop-off offensively, with an overall hitting line 30% better than average.
Seattle Mariners: Omar Narvaez/Tom Murphy
Nearly halfway into the season, the Mariners have gotten the most hitting production in the AL from the catcher position. Both Seattle catchers are new to the organization, as Narvaez came over in an offseason trade with the White Sox for Alex Colome and Murphy came over in spring training from the Giants after multiple years in Colorado.
Tampa Bay Rays: Avisail Garcia
The Rays picked up Garcia cheaply after he was non-tendered by the White Sox following an injury-riddled and poor-performing 2018 season. Garcia appears to have recovered his 2017 mojo with 11 homers and a .347 on-base percentage while holding down right field in a majority of the team's games.
Hunter Pence's rediscovery of his ability to hit is a great story, but the Rangers' long-time designated hitter is still bringing a good bat to the park every day while putting in time in the outfield corners. Choo leads the Rangers in plate appearances, and his .287/.385/.500 slash line shows he can still hit, even as he turns 37 years old next month.
Toronto Blue Jays: Eric Sogard
Maybe the team's best position player shouldn't be considered an unsung hero, but there haven't been a lot of Sogard-related tunes getting much play so far this season. The 33-year-old infielder has walked almost as much as he has struck out, has hit for power and average, and has eight homers after hitting 11 in parts of nine seasons before this year.
National League
Arizona Diamondbacks: David Peralta
Now the longest-tenured Diamondback since he joined the team in 2014, Peralta has consistently put up solid numbers in the shadows of bigger names. He's still playing solid defense and putting up good numbers with a .293/.356/.489 batting line that includes 33 extra-base hits for the surprising Snakes.
On a team filled with stars and former top prospects, Flowers' contributions as a part-time catcher can go unnoticed. In addition to some of the best catch-framing numbers in baseball, Flowers is doing his part with the bat by hitting eight homers and posting a double-digit walk rate.
It's hard to call a guy with a $20 million-plus salary unsung, but after a very rough start to his Cubs career, Heyward is contributing again. He has been the best hitter in the Cubs' outfield, ahead of Kyle Schwarber, and has started nearly 30 games in center field to cover for Chicago's lack of outfield depth and Albert Almora Jr.'s inconsistent bat.
With Luis Castillo's emergence and the bigger trade for Sonny Gray, expectations around Roark were more innings-based. He has provided the best performance of any Reds starter, with a 3.41 FIP and nearly matching 3.47 ERA. Castillo has the lower ERA, but Roark might be the club's best pitcher so far this season.
After a turbulent 2018 season that saw a demotion to the minors and a late-season fade that kept him from pitching in the playoffs, Gray's performance has been encouraging this season (all more so with Kyle Freeland struggling). Gray has provided six innings per start with an ERA and FIP right around 4.00, which is pretty impressive in Colorado.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Joc Pederson
Teams on pace to win more than 100 games probably don't have too many unsung heroes, as their regulars are doing plenty, but Pederson might not be getting his full due. He's on pace for more than 40 homers, and he has quietly reduced his strikeout numbers the past few seasons to the point where he has been above average since striking out 28% of the time between the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcantara
Arguably any Marlin might be fairly anonymous with the rebuild ongoing, so we'll go with the team's innings leader. Alcantara was brought over in the deal that sent Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals, doesn't strike out a ton of guys and issues his fair share of free passes, but he keeps the ball in the ballpark, with his 0.6 homers per nine innings pacing the National League.
Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Thames
With Jesus Aguilar the starter at the beginning of the season, Thames was an afterthought and set to be a bench player. After Aguilar's struggles, Thames has taken advantage, with a .257/.376/.479 slash line and offensive output that is 25% above league average.
After an offseason that saw the club acquire two second basemen in addition to the one they already had in Jeff McNeil, it looked like Frazier's playing time at third might be at risk, as Jed Lowrie and McNeil moved across the diamond. Instead, Frazier is putting up a very good season, with a 10% walk rate and .459 slugging percentage reminiscent of his Reds and White Sox days.
Philadelphia Phillies: Jean Segura
The Phillies shortstop was probably the fifth-biggest name the team acquired over the winter, but Jean Segura has been as advertised this season. Segura's high-contact approach at the plate with a little pop plus solid baserunning and defense might not make headlines, but he's well on his way to another above-average season.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Bryan Reynolds
The Pirates have been beset by injuries in the outfield this season, but that has paved the way for Bryan Reynolds, traded to Pittsburgh in the Andrew McCutchen deal. Reynolds isn't going to hit .362 all season, but he has hit a bunch of doubles and mixed in a handful of homers for a team that needed some help in the outfield.
St. Louis Cardinals: Giovanny Gallegos
John Gant has stepped into a prominent role in the Cardinals' bullpen that will grow with Jordan Hicks out, but Gallegos has earned some kudos as well. The Cardinals righty, acquired in the Luke Voit trade with the Yankees last summer, has struck out 49 batters with just six walks in 34⅔ innings.
The 24-year-old lefty might get lost in the shuffle among the Padres' other highly touted young arms, but he keeps rolling along at an average rate. Average might not get the Padres to the top of the division, but his 4.03 FIP is slightly above average, and the club needs solid depth innings in the rotation if it wants to stay competitive.
San Francisco Giants: Pablo Sandoval
In a disappointing season for the Giants, an old, once-departed star is putting up a solid season reminiscent of 2012 and 2014 championship seasons. Sandoval has a .282/.321/.551 slash line with nine homers in fewer than 200 plate appearances. He has also thrown a clean inning for good measure.
Washington Nationals: Howie Kendrick
Anthony Rendon leads Nationals position players in WAR this season, but second place doesn't belong to Trea Turner, Juan Soto, Victor Robles or Adam Eaton. Kendrick has been one of the better hitters in the game, with an offensive line 50% better than average while playing three infield positions.