The best non-Hall of Famer at every position
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America has elected the most recent Hall of Famer, with third baseman Scott Rolen formally getting the decision on Tuesday and becoming a member of Fred McGriff — beforehand elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee — within the Class of 2023.
Still, many massive names stay outdoors the Hall’s hallowed Plaque Gallery, so here’s a roster of one of the best non-Hall of Fame gamers in baseball historical past at each place.
Important observe: For this train, we solely thought of gamers who’ve been retired for no less than 5 years, the ready time required earlier than one can seem on a BBWAA poll. Recently retired stars positive to get a critical look as soon as they’re eligible — reminiscent of Ichiro Suzuki, Joe Mauer and Adrián Beltré — are famous within the honorable mentions beneath.
C: Bill Freehan
Call this a toss-up between Freehan and Thurman Munson, each of whom may use an extended look from the Hall’s veteran committees. Freehan loved an extended profession due to Munson’s unlucky passing at age 32, and thus he completed with extra hits, homers, RBIs and Gold Glove Awards. But he was additionally simply as completed a two-way catcher because the Yankees captain — and simply as revered a pacesetter for the Tigers, too.
On a technical degree, each Freehan and Munson (together with Gene Tenace, who almost cut up his profession evenly between catcher and first base) personal the best JAWS totals (Jay Jaffe’s system that mixes profession Wins Above Replacement with a participant’s seven finest seasons) amongst eligible backstops on the surface of Cooperstown wanting in.
Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not but eligible)
1B: Rafael Palmeiro
BBWAA voters strongly dismissed Palmeiro’s Cooperstown case on account of his connection to performance-enhancing medicine, however the reality stays that Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez are the one Hall-eligible participant with no less than 3,000 hits and 500 homers who are usually not enshrined (Albert Pujols is but to hit the poll). Mark McGwire reached greater peaks, however Palmeiro almost matched McGwire’s profession homer complete, nearly doubled Big Mac’s hit complete and was a extra lauded defender, too.
Honorable mentions: McGwire, Todd Helton (Pujols not but eligible)
2B: Lou Whitaker
Jeff Kent famously hit probably the most homers of any second baseman, thus making his exclusion from the Hall considerably unusual. But most of Kent’s dingers have been hit throughout unprecedented boon instances for the lengthy ball, and whereas defensive metrics get murkier the additional again one goes, Whitaker’s extra polished all-around recreation stands out extra to this writer. As Jaffe famous for FanGraphs in 2019, Whitaker belongs to a choose group of gamers (and is the one second baseman moreover Jackie Robinson) who completed their careers no less than 200 batting runs, 50 fielding runs and 25 baserunning runs above common. Plus, it simply doesn’t really feel proper that Alan Trammell is within the Hall with out his double-play companion.
Honorable mentions: Kent, Bobby Grich (Chase Utley not but eligible)
3B: Dick Allen
It’s unlucky that Allen (who died in December 2020) did not reside lengthy sufficient to have a good time his induction, as a result of he boasted some Cooperstown-worthy credentials. As MLB.com’s Andrew Simon famous, Allen’s profession 156 league-adjusted OPS+ places him within the very higher echelon of post-integration hitters, and his finest 10-year run on the plate was just about unmatched by his friends. Yet Allen fell simply one vote shy of election when the Golden Days Committee final convened in 2021, which means that the wait continues.
Honorable mentions: Graig Nettles, Ken Boyer, Sal Bando (Adrián Beltré not but eligible)
SS: Alex Rodriguez
This isn’t a detailed race at shortstop now that Rodriguez is Hall-eligible, however he acquired solely 35.7% of the vote in his second 12 months on the BBWAA poll in 2023. With 696 residence runs, 2,086 RBIs, three AL MVP Awards, 14 All-Star Game picks and a World Series championship throughout his 22 12 months profession, A-Rod’s on-field numbers legitimately rank alongside the Hall’s inner-circle members. But he’ll face the identical hurdles as Bonds, Clemens and Sosa due to a number of transgressions with performance-enhancing medicine that included over a year-long suspension from baseball from 2013-14. Rodriguez will now must endure the ready recreation with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa simply did.
Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi
LF: Barry Bonds
This doesn’t require a lot rationalization; Bonds is the best participant many people have seen in our lifetimes, and he had accrued surefire Hall credentials earlier than his alleged PED use clouded the image. His momentum with BBWAA voters stalled out, and he did not fare any higher with the Today’s Game Era Committee in late 2022, which means that it is exhausting to see Bonds reaching Cooperstown anytime quickly.
Honorable point out: Pete Rose, Manny Ramirez
CF: Carlos Beltrán
This was Kenny Lofton’s spot earlier than Beltrán reached Hall eligibility on the 2023 poll, receiving a decent 46.5% of the vote in his debut. Lofton and Andruw Jones nonetheless have compelling arguments right here, with Lofton’s notably acute provided that he went one and completed on a crowded poll in 2013. But Beltrán will get the slight edge, given his enviable mixture of energy (435 homers), pace (312 steals), protection (three Gold Gloves) and postseason heroics. The solely query now could be whether or not sufficient voters will ultimately heat to Beltrán’s case, given his ties to the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal.
Honorable mentions: Lofton, Jones, Jim Edmonds, Dale Murphy, Jim Wynn
RF: Shoeless Joe Jackson
On the day that Ted Williams famously performed each legs of a doubleheader towards the A’s and clinched his .400 season in 1941, opposing supervisor Connie Mack mentioned, “I wish I had a Williams. I had one once, and I lost him.”
Mack was referring to Jackson — perhaps the sport’s most revered pure hitter earlier than Williams got here alongside — whom Mack regrettably traded away earlier than he turned a star in Cleveland. One hundred years have handed since Shoeless Joe’s final massive league season, and his expertise and numbers (a ridiculous .356 profession common and 170 profession OPS+) should still make him your best option for this spot 100 years from now. His ban from the sport would not look like it’s going to ever be lifted.
Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not but eligible)
DH: Hal McRae
Only six gamers have logged no less than 7,500 profession plate appearances whereas taking part in no less than half their video games at designated hitter. Four of them (Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz and Frank Thomas) are already within the Hall following Big Papi’s election in 2022, whereas Nelson Cruz stays lively.
That leaves an excellent matchup between McRae and Don Baylor on the surface wanting in. Yes, Baylor hit extra homers (338 to 191), however McRae outperformed Baylor on a fee foundation and loved greater peaks by single-season WAR totals.
Honorable point out: Baylor
Starting RHP: Roger Clemens
Seven Cy Young Awards, two pitching Triple Crowns, an AL MVP Award and the third-most strikeouts in historical past give Clemens a declare to finest pitcher of all-time, and identical to Bonds, he seemingly had a Hall of Fame résumé earlier than he started his alleged use of PEDs. But like Bonds, Clemens didn’t have a neater time with the Today’s Game Era Committee than he did with the BBWAA.
Honorable point out: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte
Starting LHP: Johan Santana
Santana’s one-and-done look on the poll appeared like a mistake when it occurred, and it nonetheless does two years later. It’s exhausting not to wonder if Santana could be making a gradual year-by-year enchancment within the voting totals now if he had rightfully taken residence the 2005 AL Cy Young Award that went to Bartolo Colon as a substitute.
Would Santana have gotten sufficient votes to clear the 75% threshold for election? Probably not. But successful the 2005 Cy Young — which might have given him three straight Cys from 2004-06 — would have compelled the BBWAA to give him a for much longer look. Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the one three-time winners who don’t have a plaque.
Honorable point out: Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Mickey Lolich, Jimmy Key (CC Sabathia not but eligible)
Relief RHP: Dan Quisenberry
Just about each modern-day righty reliever who ought to be within the Hall is already there following Lee Smith’s election in 2018. Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon each went one-and-done after falling shy of 5% of the BBWAA vote of their ’22 poll debuts. Francisco Rodríguez debuted on the poll in ’23, getting 10.8%.
So with an absence of an actual statistical standout, how about Quiz? The beloved submariner has a case for the Nineteen Eighties’ finest reliever, having received 5 Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Awards, ending with a league-adjusted 146 ERA+ and serving to the Royals declare two pennants and the 1985 World Series title.
Honorable point out: Nathan, Papelbon, Rodríguez, Keith Foulke, Tom Gordon, Tom Henke, Firpo Marberry, Troy Percival, Kent Tekulve, John Wetteland
Relief LHP: Billy Wagner
Among all Live Ball Era pitchers with no less than 750 innings, Wagner is the perfect in strikeouts per 9 innings (11.9) and WHIP (0.998) whereas additionally rating behind solely Mariano Rivera in ERA+ (187) and proudly owning the sixth-highest save complete in historical past (422). But he won’t be on this listing for much longer. Wagner has quickly gained BBWAA help lately, rising to 68.1% in 2023, which supplies him a superb shot to crack the 75% mark over his two remaining ballots.
Honorable point out: John Franco, Sparky Lyle, Tug McGraw, Randy Myers
Kelly’s all-time non-HOF workforce (as of 2023)
C: Bill Freehan
1B: Rafael Palmeiro
2B: Lou Whitaker
3B: Dick Allen
SS: Alex Rodriguez
LF: Barry Bonds
CF: Carlos Beltrán
RF: Shoeless Joe Jackson
DH: Hal McRae
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R-H SP: Roger Clemens
L-H SP: Johan Santana
R-H RP: Dan Quisenberry
L-H RP: Billy Wagner
