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Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and the newest members of the MLB Hall of Fame will formally take their place in Cooperstown this weekend, with induction ceremonies scheduled for Sunday (1:30 PM EST, broadcast on MLB Network).
This week, Yardbarker’s MLB writers looked at identifying one player from each AL club who deserved more HOF consideration.
AL East
Boston Red Sox former players Lee Smith and Dwight Evans and Roger Clemens during pre-game ceremonies against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park.
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Baltimore Orioles (44-54) | SS Mark Belanger | Belanger was the preeminent defensive shortstop of the 1970s, winning eight Gold Gloves and the 1970 World Series with the Orioles. Often a forgotten man on those Earl Weaver-managed teams with stars like infielders Frank and Brooks Robinson and pitcher Jim Palmer, Belanger didn’t hit much (career 68 OPS+), ultimately preventing him from garnering more serious Hall of Fame consideration.
Boston Red Sox (54-47) | RF Dwight Evans | Known as “Dewey,” Evans was a beacon of consistency for the Red Sox throughout the 1970s and 1980s, winning eight Gold Gloves in right field and two Silver Sluggers at the dish. He had just one “below-average” offensive season by OPS+ (93 in 1973) during his 19-year career, a feat which modern Hall of Fame voters may appreciate more.
New York Yankees (55-44) | C Thurman Munson | You would think Munson would be an easy Hall of Famer given his outstanding playing career, which was tragically cut short by an aviation accident, an arc not too dissimilar to Pittsburgh Pirates’ legend Roberto Clemente. However, the Yankees legend and two-time World Series champion in 1977 and 1978 still has yet to be inducted into Cooperstown after all these years, which doesn’t feel right.
Tampa Bay Rays (52-48) | 3B Evan Longoria | The Rays don’t have a storied history, given their shorter existence as an MLB franchise. However, when legendary third baseman Longoria first becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2029, he should be looked upon favorably as one of the top power-hitting infielders of his generation (342 career home runs).
Toronto Blue Jays (58-41) | RHP Dave Stieb | A seven-time All-Star and winner of 175 career games, Stieb was the Blue Jays’ ace during the 1980s, averaging nearly 233 innings per season with a 3.32 ERA during that decade, while also throwing the franchise’s first and only no-hitter on Sept. 2, 1990 against Cleveland. Stieb may not be a Cooperstown inductee, but he is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2005. — Seth Carlson
AL Central
Johan Santana reacts as he is inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field.
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Chicago White Sox (35-65) | SP Billy Pierce |
One of the best pitchers of the 1950s, Pierce was the ace of the White Sox rotation throughout the decade. A seven-time All-Star, Pierce won 211 games, posting a 3.27 ERA and a 1.260 WHiP, striking out 1,999 batters over 3,306.2 innings.
Cleveland Guardians (48-50) | OF Kenny Lofton | A six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, Lofton was the catalyst of Cleveland’s resurgence into a perennial playoff team in the 1990s. Lofton ranks ninth in MLB history in bWAR (68.3) yet received only 3.2% of the vote in his only year on the Hall of Fame ballot.
Detroit Tigers (60-40) | 2B Lou Whitaker |
Whitaker was expected to join teammate Alan Trammell in the Hall of Fame, but he only received 2.9% of the vote in his only year on the ballot. A five-time All-Star, Whitaker was a three-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger and the 1978 AL Rookie of the Year. His 75.1 bWAR is the sixth best in MLB history, better than Hall of Fame second basemen Ryne Sandberg and Roberto Alomar.
Kansas City Royals (48-52) | 2B Frank White | A brilliant defensive second baseman, White was the greatest success story from the Royals Baseball Academy. A five-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner, White’s 126 runs saved defensively at second base is the second-most in MLB history, trailing only Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski. White and Mazeroski had similar offensive production in their careers, setting a precedent for his induction.
Minnesota Twins (48-51) | SP Johan Santana |
Santana appeared well on his way to a Hall of Fame career — a three-time All-Star who won a pair of AL Cy Young awards and the pitching Triple Crown in 2006. Injuries cut his career short after he threw the first no-hitter in Mets history, but his overall performance compares favorably with Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Whitey Ford. — David Hill
AL West
Los Angeles Angels former player Bobby Grich throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Athletics (42-59) | SP Vida Blue |
Slugger Mark McGwire is another player whose candidacy was tainted due to PED usage. This leaves 1970s starting pitcher Vida Blue (who led the A’s to three straight World Series victories and is a former Cy Young and AL MVP winner) as the biggest snub.
Houston Astros (57-42) | OF/1B Lance Berkman |
Berkman’s resume is impressive. He ranks second among all-time switch hitters in OPS and slugging (.537), second in OPB (.406) and sixth in home runs.
Los Angeles Angels (49-50) | 2B Bobby Grich |
Second baseman Bobby Grich was a six-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove and one-time Silver Slugger winner in his 17 MLB seasons. His 71 career WAR (eighth highest for his position) cements his Hall of Fame case.
Seattle Mariners (53-46) | SS Omar Vizquel |
We’ll leave legendary infielder Alex Rodriguez off this list due to his steroid usage. Eleven-time Gold Glove-winning shortstop Vizquel (who is MLB’s all-time leader at games played at his position) is the next man up.
Texas Rangers (50-50) | SS/3B Michael Young |
Rafael Palmeiro falls off our list due to his history with performance-enhancing drugs, leaving infielder Young and his .300 career average and 2,375 career hits as Texas’ Hall of Fame snub. A late start to his career was the only thing holding the seven-time All-Star back from a chance at 3,000 hits and a legitimate shot at Cooperstown. — Allen Settle
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