In a previous article, several candidates for Cooperstown had their Hall of Fame chances scrutinized and dissected. There was an obvious first-ballot Hall of Famer who deserves a unanimous enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame – in addition to a couple of other players whose cases were intriguing.
When it comes to analyzing and discussing Hall of Fame status, very few players are first-ballot locks. Some are very worthy but just below the threshold for first-ballot deservedness, and others have tantalizing cases that need meticulous inspection before a final verdict can be reached.
Keeping all of that in mind, there are a plethora of other players who could get the call to the hall on January 21st. Beginning with a former ballplayer who has one of the most polarizing resumes ever, here are some other former big leaguers who could get in – as well as those who will be denied.
There is no question that Carlos Beltran’s resume is worthy of immortalization at the Hall of Fame – at face value, that is. According to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker – with 44.1% of ballots known – Beltran is at 80.3%, well above the needed 75% for induction. This is Beltran’s third year on the ballot; he polled at 57.1% last year, and 46.5% the year prior.
To put it simply, the affectionately nicknamed “Ivan” – which is actually just his middle name – is one of the best offensive centerfielders to ever don a Major League uniform. Most players of his caliber are not usually career journeymen; Beltran played for seven different clubs in 20 seasons.
His finest work was with the Royals and Mets, but Beltran’s trek to Cooperstown is not limited to those two teams. He also played for the Yankees, Cardinals, Rangers, Giants, and Astros. His contributions were diverse; they ranged from historic October heroics to controversial and unethical.
Every player’s body of work must be viewed in full, and that is no different with Beltran. First, the good, which has the following ranks among all centerfielders:
Hardware was abundant for Beltran, too. He won Rookie of the Year in 1999 – in addition to three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. He’s also one of the best postseason hitters of all time, with a career .307 average and 1.021 OPS in 65 playoff games. One last final major distinction for his prowess is the fact that Beltran was the first switch-hitter to join the 300/300 club – home runs and stolen bases, respectively.
Now to address the elephant in the room. It has been well-publicized that Beltran is viewed as the main architect of the Astros cheating scandal. He lost his job as Mets manager as a result of the fallout from the operation, and there is no question that his actions costed jobs, money, and a fair chance at a championship for other teams.
At this point, though, the industry has moved on from what Houston got away with. It has been five years since the nefarious tactics of the Astros were brought to light, and the voters don’t seem to care much about it, either.
The majority of the ballots are still unknown, so Beltran’s current accrual of 80.3% will likely decrease. But should he have enough remaining support to stay at or above the mandatory 75% needed, then Beltran will be in Cooperstown.
There is really no compelling argument against Carlos Beltran’s body of work, aside from his involvement in a cheating scandal that, while malicious and shameful, has dissipated from general discourse. One of baseball’s premier switch hitters will be inducted either this year or next year.
Andruw Jones has had one of the most compelling Cooperstown cases for nearly a decade now. His gains on the ballots have been steady since his initial year of eligibility in 2018, when he barely stayed eligible after receiving a meager mark of 7.3% that year.
Since hanging on by a thread, Jones has gained steam with voters. By 2021, he was at 33.9%, and got to 61.6% last year. Per the aforementioned Hall of Fame tracker, Jones is currently at 72.3%, just below the necessary threshold. This is his eighth year on the ballot, so Jones is running out of time.
As far as production at the plate goes, Jone’s resume fluctuates greatly, varying from impressive credentials to underwhelming feats.
On one hand, his 434 career home runs are sixth all-time among centerfielders – just one and three fewer than presumptive eventual inductee Carlos Beltran and longtime inductee Andre Dawson, respectively. That’s a higher figure than Duke Snider, too. Jones’s career RBI total of 1,289 is higher than that of Kirby Puckett and Hack Wilson. Also working in his favor offensively is the fact that Jones’s .823 OPS is higher than Andre Dawson’s .806 mark.
On the other hand, however, Jones does not have 2,000 career hits; his career total is at 1,933. Only three position players who made their MLB debut in 1948 or later have gotten to Cooperstown with less than 2,000 hits – Tony Olivia, Gil Hodges, and Dick Allen. Olivia had to wait nearly 50 years, and Hodges and Allen were both inducted posthumously.
Also working against Mr. Jones is his .254 career average. While mostly dismissed by contemporary standards, average still matters, especially for a player seeking baseball immortality. The only Hall of Famer with a lower career batting average than Jones is Ray Schalk, who hit .253. Schalk, though, was a catcher, and is widely considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of all time – which brings up a point that helps Jones.
From 1998-2007, Jones won ten consecutive Gold Gloves. Per Fangraphs, for the duration of his career, Jones was second among all centerfielders in Defensive Runs Saved, with 60. According to Baseball Reference, Jones the greatest defensive centerfielder ever; his 235 defensive runs saved is better than Willie Mays. Bear in mind that the two websites gauge and value fielding differently. but do with that what you will.
What’s even better for the Hall of Fame hopeful is his best seven seasons in terms of WAR – per Baseball Reference. During that stretch, Jones accrued 46.4 wins above replacement, which is a higher sum than Andre Dawson, Carlos Beltran, Kirby Puckett, and Larry Doby.
It may take until his tenth and final year on the ballot, but Andruw Jones will eventually get into Cooperstown. Hopefully, it will be this year – although it’s increasingly more likely he’ll fall just below the needed amount of check marks from the BBWAA.
Chase Utley was carving his own path to Cooperstown during his peak years. He seemed all but destined for permanent commemoration one day.
In fact, from 2004-2013, Utley led all second baseman in home runs (230) and weighted runs created plus, or wRC+, for short (131). His 55.1 wins above replacement and .881 OPS also topped all players at the keystone position. He had the flashiest glove of all second basemen during that ten-season span, too.
Utley manned one of the most talented infields ever, as well. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard – who played shortstop and first base, respectively, were both MVP winners. Utley himself got MVP votes in five straight seasons – from 2005-2009. Affectionately and monikered as “The Man”, Utley’s seven World Series home runs are the most for a second baseman.
Truthfully, there is no solid case against Utley’s candidacy. He attained 28.8% of all ballots last year – his first year on the ballot – and is currently tracking at 53.2%. His drop in production after 2013 can be attributed to cartilage damage in his knees.
Yes, like Andruw Jones, Chase Utley has less than 2,000 career hits, but can anyone really argue against who he was from 2004-2013? He was the best second baseman in the game for a decade.
It is true that Chase Utley was nowhere close to the legendary player – and the numbers validate that statement – that he was during his first decade-plus in The Show. His lack of output from 2014-2018 was very underwhelming. But five bad years clearly do not outweigh his peak years.
Even in spite of a lackluster final half-decade, Utley still has a higher career WAR than Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson, Joe Gordon, and is just one full win above replacement below Craig Biggio.
If not for injuries at the twilight of his career, Chase Utley’s numbers would be even better than they already are. For a decade, he was the best player at his position from both from a hitting and fielding standpoint, and that’s a better resume than many Cooperstown inductees. Thus is the end of my second Cooperstown rant.
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