Here is the best player not in the Hall of Fame for every team
There are 269 gamers within the Hall of Fame — just a little over 1 % of the practically 23,000 gamers in historical past, together with identified Negro Leagues gamers.
That leaves many greats from the sport’s wealthy historical past who should not enshrined in Cooperstown. Below is a take a look at the highest participant not within the Hall from every of the 30 groups, contemplating solely those that are presently retired and spent a major period of time taking part in for that membership.
+ – Not but on the BBWAA poll
^ – Currently on BBWAA poll
# – No longer on BBWAA poll
Blue Jays: Dave Stieb#, RHP
Key reality: Blue Jays’ all-time chief in wins (175), begins (408) and innings (2,873)
Stieb’s greatness is appreciated by Blue Jays followers — significantly those that watched the right-hander pitch by means of the Nineteen Eighties — however his identify nonetheless doesn’t obtain the respect it deserves round baseball. The seven-time All Star gained 175 video games for the Blue Jays and was one of many league’s most dominant starters for a decade. Whether you favor sustained success or peaks of greatness, Stieb has one thing to fulfill your argument. More >
Orioles: Rafael Palmeiro#, 1B
Key reality: He is one in all six Major Leaguers with at the least 3,000 profession hits and 500 house runs
We’re contemplating total careers greater than Baltimore tenures for this train, and whereas there are extra iconic lifelong Orioles decrease on Baltimore’s checklist, none can match the general résumé of Palmeiro. The causes Palmeiro isn’t in Cooperstown are what complicate his legacy: Despite his elite numbers, the primary baseman rapidly fell off the Hall of Fame poll due to his ties to performance-enhancing medicine and his inclusion within the Mitchell Report. More >
Rays: Jose Canseco#, OF
Key reality: The first participant within the 40/40 Club, he is one in all solely 14 AL/NL gamers to hit 400 house runs and steal 200 bases in his profession
If you take a look at his profession, Canseco had an out of doors shot at making a run on the Hall of Fame. The Cuban outfielder gained the 1988 American League Most Valuable Player Award, took house the ’86 AL Rookie of the Year Award, made the All-Star group six instances and gained two World Series titles. With the Rays, Canseco hit 34 homers in 1999, making fairly a 1-2 punch with Fred McGriff in the midst of the lineup. Canseco’s profession accolades doubtless wouldn’t have put him into the Hall, and his involvement with performance-enhancing medicine by no means helped his case. More >
Red Sox: Roger Clemens#, RHP
Key reality: His seven profession Cy Young Awards are two greater than every other pitcher has
While Ortiz cruised into the Hall on his first attempt in 2022, Clemens fell off the poll after arising quick in his tenth and closing 12 months of eligibility. The Rocket’s on-field accomplishments have by no means been the problem — the Cy Youngs, the 2 20-strikeout video games, the 354 wins and the 4,672 strikeouts (third all-time). Instead, ties to performance-enhancing medicine stored Clemens from gaining sufficient assist, and his case now will transfer on to the Hall’s Era Committees. More >
A-Rod accomplished his 22-year profession with 696 house runs, fourth all-time behind Barry Bonds (762), Henry Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714). A 3-time AL MVP who collected 3,115 hits, Rodriguez was a 14-time All-Star, 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner and two-time Gold Glove winner. He performed a dozen seasons in pinstripes starting in 2004, compiling a .283/.378/.523 slash line with 351 homers, 1,096 RBIs, a 136 OPS+ and 54.0 bWAR whereas successful his solely World Series title in 2009. He had a 117.5 bWAR total with the Mariners, Rangers and Yankees from 1994-2016. Rodriguez debuted on the poll this 12 months however acquired solely 34.3% assist, with voters weighing his stellar stats towards a suspension associated to performance-enhancing drug use that price Rodriguez your entire 2014 season. More >
Lofton’s profession slash line is spectacular — hitting .299/.372/.423 from 1991-2007 — with 622 stolen bases, 781 RBIs and a 107 OPS+, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to persuade Hall of Fame voters. Though his numbers didn’t make him a lock for induction, it was shocking that the previous middle fielder didn’t obtain sufficient votes to remain on the poll for multiple 12 months. A case may be made to characteristic Manny Ramirez or Omar Vizquel — every of whom is presently on the poll — on this spot. More >
White’s legacy is that he is without doubt one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball historical past. He held Kansas City’s membership file for Gold Glove Awards till Alex Gordon tied him with eight. White, the perfect success story of the once-famed Royals Baseball Academy within the Seventies, had a storied profession with Kansas City that included the ’80 ALCS MVP Award. More >
Whitaker’s 75.1 bWAR ranks eightieth all-time and 51st amongst place gamers. He has the next WAR than Michigan native and former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who was elected to the Hall of Fame by members of the BBWAA in 2020 in his first 12 months on the poll. When Whitaker retired after the 1995 season, he was one in all simply three second basemen all-time with 1,000 runs, 1,000 RBIs, 2,000 hits and 200 house runs, alongside Hall of Famers Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. More >
Mauer nonetheless has a pair years to go earlier than he’ll be a part of the poll, however he clearly represents the Twins’ finest likelihood at having one other inductee in Cooperstown within the close to future. Though concussion points compelled a transfer from catcher to first base within the later years of his profession, each Mauer’s accumulation of offensive stats throughout his 15-year profession and his unmatched peak on the catcher place give him a powerful case for inclusion. More >
Minnie Miñoso had been the choose right here, however he obtained his long-overdue ticket to Cooperstown in December, by way of the Golden Days Era Committee. However, Allen fell only one vote shy on that very same poll, having been chosen on 11 of the 16 ballots as an alternative of the mandatory 12. Allen, who died in December 2020, did not spend a very long time with the White Sox — simply 348 video games over three seasons. But a type of seasons was 1972, when he earned AL MVP honors by main the league in OBP, slugging, homers, RBIs and walks. More >
Grich performed 10 of his 17 seasons within the Majors with the Angels, and he’s virtually universally seen as one of the crucial deserving of enshrinement amongst gamers not within the Hall of Fame. Grich did nearly all the things effectively as an elite second baseman, racking up 71 WAR throughout his profession. That’s good for eighth all-time amongst second basemen and places him forward of a number of Hall of Fame second basemen corresponding to Frankie Frisch, Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Alomar and Craig Biggio. Grich is a member of each the Orioles and Angels Halls of Fame, however the 71-year-old remains to be ready for a possible name to Cooperstown, which must come by way of the Modern Baseball Committee at this level. More >
Lance Berkman, an outfielder turned first baseman, carried out at a Hall of Fame caliber at his peak within the mid-2000s and performed in 1,879 regular-season video games in 15 seasons, amassing a .293 batting common, 422 doubles, 366 house runs, 1,234 RBIs and a .943 OPS that ranks twenty first in Major League historical past (minimal 7,000 plate appearances). Still, he fell off the Hall of Fame poll in 2019 after receiving just one.2% the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote in his first 12 months. More >
Through the late Nineteen Eighties and ’90s, McGwire seemed to be a lock for the Hall of Fame as he ascended to superstardom as one of many prime sluggers of his era earlier than his retirement in 2001. But by the point he turned eligible for the Hall of Fame, McGwire had been linked to baseball’s controversy surrounding performance-enhancing medicine, with the legitimacy of his dominant statistics being known as into query. With his time on the poll to be voted in having come and gone, McGwire’s solely means in now can be a range by means of the Today’s Game Committee. More >
As talked about above within the Yankees part, this one clearly comes with some controversy — and we’re actually not suggesting that Rodriguez would be the subsequent former Mariner inducted into Cooperstown given his affiliation with performance-enhancing medicine and a suspension that led to him lacking your entire 2014 season whereas with the Yankees. Still, in a 22-year profession that started with seven seasons at shortstop in Seattle, A-Rod racked up 696 house runs, fourth on MLB’s all-time checklist behind solely Bonds, Aaron and Ruth. He’s additionally fourth in RBIs behind Aaron, Ruth and Albert Pujols. Rodriguez doesn’t simply rank among the many finest former Mariners, he stands firmly amongst baseball’s all-time greats and was a 14-time All-Star and three-time MVP Award winner. More >
Beltré must be the following Rangers participant elected to the Hall of Fame, when he turns into eligible on the 2024 poll. When Beltré wrapped up his five-year tenure in Seattle after the 2009 season, he was 30 years outdated and didn’t seem headed for the Hall. But he turned his profession round in Boston in ’10, then put collectively a spectacular eight-season run in Texas. By including practically 50 WAR to his profession from ages 31-39, Beltré not solely put himself on a path to Cooperstown however made himself a powerful first-ballot contender. More >
Until Bonds got here alongside, Murphy stood with Roger Maris as the one gamers who had not been elected to the Hall of Fame after successful consecutive MVP Awards. At the top of the 1987 season, a 31-year-old Murphy had compiled 310 homers and an .862 OPS over 6,383 plate appearances. Even when accounting for a gradual decline, it was simple to mission Murphy would simply surpass the 400-homer mark and maintain his profession OPS round .850. He averaged 36 homers from ’82-87, however he by no means once more hit greater than 24 in a season as he battled unhealthy knees whereas struggling over his closing six seasons. More >
Marlins: Gary Sheffield^, OF
Key reality: Hit 509 profession house runs, together with 42-homer season with Marlins in 1996
A member of MLB’s famed “500 Home Run Club,” Sheffield completed with 509 house runs in his impactful 22-year profession. The Tampa, Fla., native performed for eight completely different groups, along with his longest tenure coming with the Marlins for components of six seasons. As a Marlin, Sheffield hit .288/.426/.543 with 122 house runs and 380 RBIs. With his well-known bat waggle, Sheffield’s stance was mimicked by a era of younger gamers, and he actually seemed to do harm each time up. Sheffield’s 42 house runs in 1996 stood because the single-season franchise file till Giancarlo Stanton blasted 59 in 2017. A nine-time All-Star, Sheffield was an enormous a part of the Marlins’ 1997 World Series championship group. After receiving 40.6% of the vote within the Hall’s 2022 cycle, Sheffield has two extra probabilities left on the BBWAA poll. More >
It is with bewilderment that many across the sport settle for Hernandez’s continued absence from the Hall of Fame. The 1979 National League MVP Award winner and arguably the best first base defender in historical past, Hernandez was additionally one of many purest left-handed hitters of his era. He retired with a .296 profession common, 162 house runs, 426 doubles and naturally a file 11 Gold Glove Awards as a primary baseman over 17 seasons with the Cardinals, Mets and Cleveland. Anecdotally, he was the soul of the ’86 World Series champion Mets. More >
From 1979-94, Reardon closed out video games across the league. The right-hander performed for the Expos from ’81-86, in addition to for the Mets, Twins, Red Sox, Braves, Reds and Yankees. He earned 4 All-Star picks, led the National League with 41 saves in ’85 whereas in Montreal and gained a World Series in ’87 with Minnesota. Reardon’s solely 12 months on the Hall of Fame poll got here in 2000 when he acquired simply 24 votes (4.8 %), not fairly sufficient to stay on the poll. More >
The late Allen — additionally the White Sox choose above — deserves his spot in Cooperstown after slashing .292/.378/.534 with 351 house runs, 1,119 RBIs, a .912 OPS and a 156 OPS+ in a 15-year profession with the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox and A’s. From 1964-74, he posted a 58.3 bWAR, tied with Willie Mays for sixth place amongst place gamers in that 11-year span, behind Hank Aaron (68.8), Carl Yastrzemski (68.2), Roberto Clemente (64.7), Ron Santo (60.1) and Brooks Robinson (59.4). Pete Rose (58.0), Frank Robinson (55.3) and Joe Morgan (54.0) rounded out the highest 10. More >
A six-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger who gained the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, the NL MVP Award in 2011 and is the Brewers’ all-time chief with 352 house runs, Braun has a statistical case for the Hall of Fame by at the least one normal — Bill James’ Hall of Fame Monitor. Braun scores 107 in that system, during which a probable Hall of Famer scores 100. But Braun, who was first tied to PEDs in 2011 and was among the many gamers suspended as a part of MLB’s investigation into the Biogenesis lab in 2013, stated he considers his Hall probabilities unlikely. He’ll be a part of the poll in 2026. More >
Cardinals: Albert Pujols+, 1B
Key reality: He’s simply one in all 4 gamers in AL/NL historical past to hit 700 house runs
By virtually any measure, Pujols is without doubt one of the sport’s best hitters. Upon his retirement following the 2022 season, he ranked tenth in hits (3,384), fourth in house runs (703), second in RBIs (2,218), second in whole bases (6,211), fifth in doubles (686), fifth in video games performed (3,080) and sixth in at-bats (13,041). Pujols’ advance metrics maintain up over time in addition to he’s twentieth in WAR amongst place gamers (101.6), thirty third in slugging (.544) and 53rd in OPS (.918). In 88 profession postseason video games, Pujols hit .319 with 19 house runs and 54 RBIs, extra walks (50) than strikeouts (46) and a .995 OPS. He’s a close to lock to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when eligible in 2028. More >
Cubs: Sammy Sosa#, OF
Key reality: Only participant in MLB historical past to hit 60-plus homers in three seasons
Sosa’s numbers are undeniably Cooperstown worthy. It appears that the primary cause behind the all-time slugger’s battle to realize entry into the Hall of Fame (he fell off the BBWAA poll in 2022 after 10 years of eligibility) has been lingering suspicions over how he went about compiling his highly effective house run feats. Still, Sosa is the Cubs’ house run king with 545 of his 609 profession blasts coming with the North Siders. More >
Pirates: Barry Bonds#, OF
Key reality: 762 profession house runs (most in MLB historical past)
Bonds nonetheless has an opportunity to get off this checklist, nevertheless it gained’t come by means of the BBWAA voting course of. In 2022, his closing 12 months, Bonds was named on 66 % of the writers’ ballots — a strong bounce from previous years, however nonetheless effectively shy of the 75 % threshold. Bonds’ case now will transfer to the Today’s Game Era Committee, which may contemplate him as quickly as 2023. More >
Reds: Pete Rose#, OF/1B
Key reality: All-time chief in hits (4,256), video games performed (3,562) and at-bats (14,053)
One of the most important flashpoints of controversy in any Hall of Fame debate, Rose would have seen his plaque in Cooperstown many years in the past had he not been banned from Major League Baseball since 1989 for betting on video games whereas managing the Reds. Although MLB has no say within the voting course of, the Hall of Fame decided that any participant on the league’s ineligible checklist is unable to be inducted. More >
D-backs: Curt Schilling#, RHP
Key reality: 2.23 ERA in 19 profession postseason begins, together with 2.06 in seven World Series outings (break up 2001 World Series MVP Award with Randy Johnson)
Schilling as soon as once more fell wanting election by way of voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in 2022, his closing 12 months on the poll. He may finally be inducted by way of the Today’s Game Committee, however till that occurs, he’ll prime this checklist for the D-backs. Acquired by then-GM Joe Garagiola Jr. previous to the Trade Deadline in 2000 in what was extra of a heist than a commerce — the Phillies acquired Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa, Travis Lee and Vicente Padilla in return — Schilling took his profession to a different degree in Arizona. More >
Dodgers: Adrián Beltré+, 3B
Key reality: One of seven gamers all-time with 450 homers and 600 doubles
Signed out of the Dominican Republic as an adolescent and rushed to the massive leagues at age 19, Beltré’s unceremonious departure after 6 1/2 seasons in one of many extra ill-advised choices in membership annals left Dodgers followers questioning what may need been. After stops in Seattle and Boston, Beltré went on to a Hall of Fame trajectory with the Rangers: He’s a five-time Gold Glove winner, a four-time All-Star and a four-time Silver Slugger — however the one {hardware} he gained as a Dodger was one Silver Slugger. He will be a part of the BBWAA poll in 2024, with a shot to be inducted instantly. More >
Giants: Barry Bonds#, OF
Key reality: 762 profession house runs (most in MLB historical past)
As talked about above within the Pirates part, Bonds clearly possesses sufficient credentials to benefit a spot in Cooperstown, however his Hall of Fame candidacy has been placed on maintain as a result of his hyperlinks to performance-enhancing medicine. He dropped off the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Hall of Fame poll after topping out at 66 % of the vote in his tenth and closing 12 months of eligibility, effectively wanting the 75 % threshold required for induction. His destiny now rests within the palms of the Today’s Game Era Committee, which is because of meet this December to contemplate candidates who made their best contributions to the sport from 1988 to 2016. More >
Padres: Gary Sheffield^, OF
Key reality: He racked up 509 homers and 60.5 WAR over 22 seasons
Sheffield spent solely two seasons in San Diego, however they have been two of the perfect seasons of his good 22-year profession. In 1992, Sheffield flirted with successful the NL batting Triple Crown. He settled for the batting title and a .330/.385/.580 slash line with 33 house runs. (Sheffield remains to be the one Padre not named Tony Gwynn to win a batting crown.) He hung out with eight franchises, amassing 509 homers and a 60.5 profession WAR. But maybe due to considerations over performance-enhancing medicine, Sheffield acquired 40.6% of the Hall of Fame vote in 2022 and appears unlikely to succeed in the 75-percent threshold crucial for enshrinement. More >
Rockies: Todd Helton^, 1B
Key reality: One of eight gamers all-time with at the least 350 homers and a .315 batting common
Helton’s No. 17 is the one retired quantity in membership historical past, and his 17-season profession — all with the Rockies — is one that may examine to the best gamers of all time. For the numbers-oriented amongst us, Helton’s 61.8 bWAR is the franchise file, and with a .316 profession batting common, a .414 on-base share, 2,519 hits, 592 doubles and 369 house runs, he is obtained a powerful statistical argument for getting off this checklist. The incontrovertible fact that Helton climbed over the 50% mark on his fourth poll in 2022 (receiving 52.0% of the vote) means that he has a practical likelihood to just do that within the coming years. More >
