If you are dependent on Fox for a weekly fix of baseball and don’t have a market team playing on Saturday afternoon, you are pretty much guaranteed to see the Yankees, Red Sox, and occasionally the Cubs every week. What you won’t usually see is teams like the Marlins, Giants, or Rangers. I have decided to put together my list of the best players who most people don’t get to see very often. I have tried to stay away from teams that are in big markets, since a lot of people have seen the Dodgers, Angels, Phillies, etc. play occasionally. This is obviously difficult to determine what players people don’t really get to see very often, so I’m open to criticism and thoughts on this list.

Catcher

Joe Mauer – Minnesota Twins

Mauer is a pretty well known name and has been one of the top offensive catchers in the game for a while, but most people don’t get to see him play on a regular basis. If the Twins keep rolling like they have been recently, a lot more people will see Mauer in the AL Playoffs.

1st Base

Lance Berkman – Houston Astros

Berkman has been having a phenomenal season in Houston this year. He is currently batting .334 with 23 HRs and 79 RBI. He pads these numbers with 93 runs and 15 stolen bases. Berkman has quietly been putting up big numbers for a long time, and although his chances of winning the Triple Crown this year have all but disappeared, he is still one of the great hitters in baseball right now.

2nd Base

Ian Kinsler – Texas Rangers

Regular readers of this blog know I’m an admitted Rangers homer and a big fan of Kinsler’s. Kinsler has started to gain more attention this year, but is still somewhat in the shadow of Boston’s Dustin Pedroia. Texas has also gotten more attention this year as the season has gone on, but it is quite likely that most people have still never seen Kinsler play. Kinsler is among the AL leaders in batting average, runs, doubles, and extra base hits. Honorable mention goes to Florida’s Dan Uggla, who unfortunately most people’s only exposure to is his horrendous All Star appearance.

3rd Base

Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay Rays

Longoria has been putting together a great rookie campaign and is largely responsible for Tampa’s meteoric rise into an AL power this year. He is good with a bat and a glove and figures to be star in the league for the long term.

Short Stop

Hanley Ramirez – Florida Marlins

Ramirez has been getting some MVP consideration, and with good reason. Ramirez is one of the most exciting young players in the game, and has continued to toil away in the relative anonymity of Florida.

Outfield

Nate McClouth – Pittsburgh Pirates

McClouth has really broken out this year, hitting 22 HRs and racking up 87 Runs and 74 RBI. And it doesn’t get much less visible than playing for the Pirates.

Nick Markakis – Baltimore Orioles

Markakis is batting .297 with 17 HRs and playing a great outfield for the O’s. He is part of a pretty decent nucleus of young players that Baltimore has right now.

Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers

Braun is another well known young player who plays for a small market team. Milwaukee has been playing well, especially since the addition of CC Sabathia, and has a good chance of making the playoffs as a Wild Card. If that happens Braun will get some more national broadcast time. Braun’s 30 HRs put him among the league leaders in the NL.

Pitcher

Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants

Although the Giants may not be a real small market team, you still won’t see many of their games on TV. The Giants are definitely in rebuilding mode, and Lincecum appears to be the centerpiece of that process. He is a dominating hurler, despite his diminutive frame. Somehow he has put up a 12-3 record on an awful Giants club. He stands to be in the discussion for the NL Cy Young this year.