This list is a composite of the top 10 most overrated athletes from this decade. This list will cover players from the four major sports in. These folks listed are extremely over-hyped players who were good when they played (or are currently good amidst their active careers).
10. Andrew Luck
There seemed to be no luck involved when the Colts drafted him at No. 1 overall back in 2012. He drew comparisons of John Elway and even Payton Manning. Sure, his offensive line never gave him the protection he needed, but his stats show that he was way overhyped. The Stanford product threw for 23,671 yards and 171 touchdowns while also tallying 83 interceptions and a rating of 89.5 in eight seasons. He eventually would retire before the 2019 season even started. While he had a decent career, he was never going to be the legend that experts predicted.
9. Tony Romo
Now a TV analyst and announcer, Romo was always injured when quarterbacking the Cowboys, even when he was on the field with strong offensive lineman to protect him. He has thrown the ball to guys such as Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, Tavon Austin, and countless other stars but has yet to win the games that count. He could almost never play a full regular-season schedule and he never won the games that mattered. In crunch time, they always flopped.
8. Bryce Harper
Harper is that once-in-a-lifetime talent that never grew up. He is a phenomenal hitter and great in the field but is not considered to be a team player. After winning the NL MVP in 2015, his numbers have been wildly inconsistent. His former team won the World Series a year after they refused to give him a $400 million contract. In his last season in Washington, he hit a mere .228 average. While he is always considered to be a home run threat, it takes more than a 1-for-4 night with a solo shot to win baseball games.
Pocello was decent in Detroit as a solid fourth or fifth starter in a time when the American League was more scared of the designated hitter for home runs than any other position. That all changed when the Red Sox decided that a four-year, $88 million contract would help him improve. His second season would be the only one that would make him a fan favorite as he won the 2016 AL Cy Young award and earned the victory in 22 games. Fans and teams from around the league had thought he broke out, but sadly, the only thing that would break would be him, missing over a full season over the next three with different injuries. He never should have had the hype, as everyone gets lucky.
6. Carey Price
The goalie who was once a highly-touted prospect has let his fanbase down numerous times over the years. His mediocre play has him on this list due to the promise that was not fulfilled to their team. While he held his own in St. Louis, he has a lot of work to do in order to erase the reputation that analysts and stats made fans believe. He was even pulled in the playoffs for a rookie. If that doesn’t explain the story, what will?
We all remember the collapse against the Bruins in the 2011 Stanley cup finals. His fans revere him, even though his career record is barely over.500. He receives chants and cheers after a simple, routine save. What’s worse is that, at one point, he was making $6 million per season. He has a lot of second-round exits in the playoffs, and quite frankly just can’t stop the power play.
4. Kirk Cousins
He had teams and fans really thinking he could be something special. He even got a four-year, $83 million contract. Cousins has never won a Monday Night Football game in his eight career attempts and has only a handful of playoff appearances. He has had some valuable assets around him but has always fallen short of team goals. Fans hate him, some more than others, and he throws too many interceptions.
3. Gary Sanchez
He has a great bat, but have you ever heard of a writer who can’t write? Well, Sanchez is a catcher who cannot catch. He had more passed balls (18) than anyone else in 2018. His 47 total passed balls through 2,592.2 innings make for an error every 55 innings, on pace to be the worst in MLB history. He has a cannon of an arm, but it doesn’t matter when the ball is 30 feet past him. His fans will never accept it, but Sanchez is the worst defensive catcher in the league. It’s as simple as that.
2. Derek Jeter
Another beloved Yankee makes the top three. While his name is tied to a handful of World Series titles and countless other accolades, he is one of the worst defensive shortstops … ever. How’s that for a name associated with baseball royalty? While he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, his numbers are surprising. According to FanGraphs, “in the past 50 years, 507 different players have batted at least 5,000 times. Sort by Fielding-per-150-games, and you find Jeter in 487th place, around names like Jay Buhner, Michael Young and Bobby Bonilla.” It’s hard to grasp for Jeter stans, but your beloved goat is subpar.
1. LeBron James
Ah, yes. The infamous “LeBron James is the best player of all-time” cries will be all over this one. While he is definitely one of the best players of our generation, James the player is overrated with his comparison to Micheal Jordan. He is also 3-6 in NBA Finals series. If there is an actual argument as to why Jordan is better, then he still hasn’t touched Bill Russell. On a personal level, I have a lot of respect for what he does for the community, but as a player, there are certain accolades he hasn’t reached yet. For starters, he needs a better finals record. You cannot be the best of all time and lose in two-thirds of the championships you appear in. For now, he’s overrated.
