{"id":88946,"date":"2025-07-24T15:24:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/88946\/"},"modified":"2025-07-24T15:24:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:24:14","slug":"baseball-hall-of-fame-tiers-which-active-players-are-on-their-way-to-cooperstown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/88946\/","title":{"rendered":"Baseball Hall of Fame tiers: Which active players are on their way to Cooperstown?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Hall of Fame weekend \u2014 for Ichiro Suzuki, for CC Sabathia, for Billy Wagner and for two men who will be missed on that podium, Dick Allen and Dave Parker. We\u2019ll be talking and writing about all of them in the coming days. We promise.<\/p>\n

But this is a different kind of Hall of Fame column \u2014 because it\u2019s time for that question I love to ask every July, as induction weekend arrives:<\/p>\n

Which active players will join them someday in the Baseball Hall of Fame\u2019s hallowed plaque gallery?<\/p>\n

This is the third straight year I\u2019ve written about this. And we\u2019re starting to get the impression it\u2019s a topic you care about, too \u2013 if those 1,100 reader comments on last year\u2019s column are telling us anything.<\/p>\n

So what do you say we make this an annual tradition? Everyone good with that? Great. Let\u2019s do this. Again.<\/p>\n

As usual, I\u2019m dividing these players into tiers. Then I\u2019ll do my best to explain why I placed them in those tiers. Then I\u2019ll pretty much duck for cover as you explain to me why I got this so wrong. Thanks in advance for the input! Ready? Cool. Here we go.<\/p>\n

IN RIGHT NOW<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clayton Kershaw<\/strong>
Justin Verlander<\/strong>
Max Scherzer<\/strong>
Mike Trout<\/strong>
Freddie Freeman<\/strong>
Mookie Betts*<\/strong>
Aaron Judge*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(*new to the In Right Now Club)<\/p>\n

IN THE RED ZONE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bryce Harper<\/strong>
Nolan Arenado<\/strong>
Manny Machado<\/strong>
Paul Goldschmidt<\/strong>
Shohei Ohtani*<\/strong>
Jose Altuve*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(*new to the Red Zone)<\/p>\n

ACROSS THE 50<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez<\/strong>
Francisco Lindor<\/strong><\/p>\n

MOVING THE CHAINS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Juan Soto<\/strong>
Chris Sale<\/strong>
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n

DRIVE STALLED<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gerrit Cole<\/strong>
Carlos Correa<\/strong>
Adley Rutschman<\/strong>
Yordan Alvarez<\/strong><\/p>\n

STILL ALIVE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Giancarlo Stanton<\/strong>
Andrew McCutchen<\/strong><\/p>\n

STARTERS CORNER (New category!)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jacob deGrom<\/strong>
Zack Wheeler<\/strong>
Paul Skenes*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(*first time in this column)<\/p>\n

CLOSERS CORNER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kenley Jansen<\/strong>
Aroldis Chapman<\/strong>
Josh Hader<\/strong>
Emmanuel Clase*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(*first time in this column)<\/p>\n

CATCHERS CORNER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Salvador Perez<\/strong>
J.T. Realmuto<\/strong>
Cal Raleigh*<\/strong>
Will Smith*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(*first time in this column)<\/p>\n

GET BACK TO ME IN 3 YEARS (Another new category)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr.<\/strong>
Alex Bregman<\/strong>
Rafael Devers<\/strong>
Corey Seager<\/strong>
Kyle Tucker<\/strong>
Trea Turner<\/strong>
Corbin Carroll<\/strong>
Cody Bellinger<\/strong>
Xander Bogaerts<\/strong>
Christian Yelich<\/strong>
Corbin Burnes<\/strong>
Matt Chapman<\/strong><\/p>\n

GET BACK TO ME IN 5 YEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bobby Witt Jr.<\/strong>
Julio Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong>
Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/strong>
Gunnar Henderson<\/strong>
Tarik Skubal<\/strong>
Elly De La Cruz<\/strong>
James Wood<\/strong>
Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/strong><\/p>\n

GRADUATED<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joey Votto<\/strong><\/p>\n

All right. Now let\u2019s dig in on how I came up with all that.<\/p>\n

The \u2018In Right Now\u2019 Club<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

Aaron Judge leapfrogged from the Across the 50 tier to the In Right Now Club. (Vaughn Ridley \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

We have two new members of this club. One is Mookie Betts, who was still hanging out in the Red Zone last year. The other is Aaron Judge, who just long-jumped over everyone and is breaking all the rules for what a mortal-lock Hall of Famer has looked like. That\u2019s just how we roll on this list. Everything about Hall of Fame voting is changing, so get on board!<\/p>\n

THE ACES:<\/strong> I\u2019ve been at this for three years, and it can still be a challenge to figure out which players get dropped into which tiers. But not if their names are Kershaw, Verlander and Scherzer.<\/p>\n

You know where Clayton Kershaw ranks, in WHIP and Adjusted ERA+, among all starters in the live-ball era with at least 2,000 innings pitched? In first place would be a good guess. Is a guy like that a Hall of Famer? Seems likely!<\/p>\n

Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer own three Cy Young Awards apiece. Do three-time Cy Youngs seem like Hall of Famers? Hmmm. Seems like it. Please address all your Roger Clemens questions to the Mitchell Report. Thank you.<\/p>\n

TROUT:<\/strong> Maybe you\u2019re one of those people who think Mike Trout has spent so much time not playing over these last five seasons, he must have plummeted into some lower, Not In Yet tier. C\u2019mon. Really?<\/p>\n

Just to put his place in history in perspective, here\u2019s a partial list of some of the legends Trout has passed on Baseball Reference\u2019s career wins above replacement leaderboard just over those last five seasons:<\/p>\n

Chipper Jones<\/strong>
Ken Griffey Jr.<\/strong>
Joe DiMaggio<\/strong>
Johnny Bench<\/strong><\/p>\n

So at one month shy of 34, Trout is up to 86.8 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. And everybody at that level or above is already a Hall of Famer, unless they\u2019re A) tied to performance-enhancing drugs or B) Albert Pujols, who doesn\u2019t arrive on the ballot until 2028. In other words, enjoy watching this man play baseball while you can. He\u2019s 33, and already an inner-circle Hall of Famer. Let\u2019s focus on that, OK?<\/p>\n

FREEMAN:<\/strong> I know it\u2019s been a frustrating couple of months for Freddie Freeman, who\u2019d spent his first 15 seasons as the most consistent hitter of his generation. But I handed Freeman a membership to the In Right Now Club last year. That\u2019s not the kind of honor I have any reason to take back.<\/p>\n

In columns like this, we don\u2019t focus on two-month slumps. We focus on big-picture achievements like this \u2014 our handy dandy rundown of all the first basemen in history with at least 2,300 hits, 350 homers, 500 doubles and an Adjusted OPS+ of 140 or better:<\/p>\n

Lou Gehrig<\/strong>
Albert Pujols<\/strong>
Freddie Freeman<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cool club. Now add in that World Series MVP trophy Freeman won last October, plus a regular-season MVP award, five top-five finishes and eight top-10s. So is there any debate? Every first baseman who has had Freddie Freeman\u2019s career wound up giving a speech in Cooperstown. I can\u2019t wait for his.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Mookie Betts \u2014 welcome to the In Right Now Club! (Jayne Kamin-Oncea\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

BETTS:<\/strong> A year ago in this space, Mookie was still calling plays in the Red Zone. But this just in: He can spike that football, because according to the proper authorities \u2014 by which I mean me \u2014 he has crossed that goal line.<\/p>\n

Again, don\u2019t get distracted by all his troubles this season, because you know where Mookie now ranks in Baseball Reference\u2019s WAR among all active players? That would be second, behind only that Trout guy. So at this point, everyone in the live-ball era with as many career wins above replacement as him (72.6) is a Hall of Famer, except for men who aren\u2019t on the ballot yet or the usual PED suspects.<\/p>\n

Yeah, I know he has \u201conly\u201d 1,700 career hits. And any number lower than 2,000 used to prevent us from saying we were watching a sure-fire Hall of Famer. But not anymore \u2014 not if you got the memo that those old-fangled counting numbers are no longer what they used to be. And that\u2019s an even bigger factor for our other new entrant in the In Right Now Club, a man named \u2026<\/p>\n

JUDGE:<\/strong> Aaron Judge hasn\u2019t even made it to 1,200 hits, you say? Doesn\u2019t matter. You say he might not drive in or score his 1,000th run until 2027? So what? You say there has never been a future Hall of Fame outfielder in American League\/National League history with this few hits, runs and RBIs at age 33? Whatever!<\/p>\n

I booted Judge up two categories this year and tush-pushed him across the In Right Now line because those counting numbers, in his case, have never felt more irrelevant.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s his 10th full season, so he\u2019s now eligible. He\u2019s within reach of his fourth 50-homer season and his third season with an OPS+ over 200. He\u2019s on the road to a third MVP award. And I\u2019ve already documented why he\u2019s the greatest right-handed hitter of the last 100 years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But do you still need convincing? Then check out all the players in history with 350 homers, a career OPS+ of 170 or better and as many wins above replacement as Judge (59.6):<\/p>\n

Babe Ruth<\/strong>
Lou Gehrig<\/strong>
Ted Williams<\/strong>
Mickey Mantle<\/strong>
Barry Bonds<\/strong>
Mike Trout<\/strong>
Aaron Judge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any more questions? Not for me!<\/p>\n

The \u2018Red Zone\u2019 Club<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

The Hall cases for Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado are very close. (Dilip Vishwanat \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cTrapped in the Red Zone\u201d sounds like a Stephen King horror flick, but it actually describes all the guys in this club who are back for the third straight year: Harper, Goldschmidt, Machado and Arenado. Mookie finally found his way out of this zone, but the other four are all still hovering at about the 3-yard line.<\/p>\n

So the big news here is our two new famous additions since last year. You\u2019ve heard of them!<\/p>\n

HARPER:<\/strong> Is Bryce Harper heading for the Hall of Fame? Of course. But this is the third straight season he has gotten stuck in this Red Zone concourse because of an odd collection of injuries and assorted setbacks. So his counting-numbers spinner has been moving in slow motion, and that\u2019s never helpful.<\/p>\n

But Bryce is still a two-time MVP, a Rookie of the Year, an NLCS MVP and a proud owner of a massive big-game highlight reel, all by age 32. So he won\u2019t be trapped in Red Zone limbo forever. It\u2019s just that sometimes in baseball, limbo happens.<\/p>\n

GOLDSCHMIDT:<\/strong> I love Paul Goldschmidt. I almost elevated him into the \u201cIn\u201d club each of the last two years. But I\u2019m still not quite there, despite his bounce-back season in the Bronx.<\/p>\n

OK, I know what some of you are thinking: Yes, I pronounced Joey Votto as \u201calready in\u201d last year \u2014 and Goldschmidt\u2019s numbers are strikingly similar to Votto\u2019s. But Votto sits above Goldschmidt in every category on the slash line, and was a seven-time on-base percentage champ who reached base more and struck out less. So that\u2019s a separator I couldn\u2019t get past.<\/p>\n

But a first baseman who has now blown past 64 WAR, is 30 homers away from 400 and might even join Jeff Bagwell in the 200-Steal, 300-Homer Club is grinding his way toward Cooperstown. Can he steam across that goal line by next year this time? I\u2019ll let you know.<\/p>\n

ARENADO AND MACHADO:<\/strong> I think it helps these two guys that Adrian Beltr\u00e9\u00a0and Scott Rolen have restarted the parade of Hall of Fame third basemen over the last two years. So Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado are just waiting for their parade floats to arrive. It won\u2019t be long.<\/p>\n

Arenado is now two seasons removed from his rock star peak. But that peak was a 10-year run that has literally never been matched by any third baseman not named Mike Schmidt: 10 Gold Gloves, three home run titles, five top-10 MVP finishes and a web gem highlight reel I could watch all day. So no Coors Field asterisks are going to keep him out of the Hall.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Machado, who is still an elite defender and producer at age 33. He beat Arenado to 2,000 hits<\/a> and 60 WAR. But otherwise, their Cooperstown cases are remarkably close. So if they don\u2019t both power across that goal line by the time I write this column next year, I\u2019ll be shocked.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Shohei Ohtani could make it four MVP awards in eight seasons this year. (Harry How \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

OHTANI:<\/strong> At this point, does anyone think the amazing Shohei isn\u2019t going to the Hall of Fame? He\u2019s the most talented human ever to play baseball. He fires off so many unreal, unprecedented feats that he\u2019s now a human history museum. And by the time he\u2019s through, he might collect more MVP trophies than Michael Jordan and LeBron James combined (that\u2019s 10 by the way).<\/p>\n

So why is this man \u201conly\u201d in the red zone? Because it takes 10 seasons in Major League Baseball to qualify for Cooperstown eligibility. And this is just Year 8 for Ohtani. So he\u2019s on the clock. See you in 2027.<\/p>\n

ALTUVE:<\/strong> Of course, I saved the most \u201cfun\u201d name for last. Yes, it\u2019s true that Jose Altuve was a 2017 Astro. I know that\u2019s enough to convict him of heinous guilt by association for many of you out there.<\/p>\n

Feel free to overlook the evidence that there were fewer instances of trash-can banging during Altuve at-bats than during those of any regular on that 2017 team. Feel free to boo him, ignore him and\/or devalue his career if that makes you happy.<\/p>\n

Just allow me to point out that Altuve is now well down the road to the Hall. Here are all the second basemen in history with at least 200 steals, 300 homers and a .300 career average:<\/p>\n

Roberto Alomar (Hall of Famer), Altuve and \u2026 oh, sorry, that\u2019s it. Now add in three batting titles, an MVP award, nine All-Star teams and 2,300 hits, and you can see where this is headed.<\/p>\n

By the time Altuve appears on a ballot, I bet Carlos Beltr\u00e1n will already be a Hall of Famer. So what\u2019s the argument that Altuve won\u2019t follow him right on into the plaque gallery?<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve crossed the 50\"\"<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez is gaining ground and may be into the Red Zone by next year. (Nick Cammett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

I love this category, now in its second year. It\u2019s reserved just for guys with Cooperstown-worthy star power who have to park here until they\u2019ve done enough to reach the Red Zone. Everyone who was in this club last year graduated. I wonder if these two men will follow their lead.<\/p>\n

RAM\u00cdREZ: <\/b>It sometimes feels as if Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez has been in the big leagues longer than Rich Hill. Yet somehow, here in his 13th season, he just got his 1,600th hit \u2014 and still hasn\u2019t reached 300 homers or 300 steals. So he\u2019s not quite in Red Zone territory yet.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, only three players in history \u2014 the Bonds family and Bobby Abreu \u2014 have piled up more 20-homer, 20-steal seasons than Ram\u00edrez (seven). And by next year, he should become the first third baseman ever to reach the 300-300 Club. So he might not have sealed his Cooperstown reservations yet, but he can see the path from here.<\/p>\n

LINDOR:<\/strong> Francisco Lindor is still only 31, but now ranks 11th among all active position players in bWAR. Everyone above him has already been mentioned in this column. And Lindor is younger than all of them.<\/p>\n

He has rolled up more WAR (52.4) at this age than Derek Jeter, already has as many top-10 MVP finishes at this age as Jeter (six), and he\u2019s on pace to join Alex Rodriguez as the only shortstops with at least six 30-homer seasons. So if he can avoid visiting the orthopedist and churn out more big October moments, we can see where this is headed.<\/p>\n

Moving the chains<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Juan Soto have piled up the numbers at an early age. (Vaughn Ridlezy \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

SOTO AND VLAD:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever placed two hitters as young as Juan Soto and Vlad Guerrero Jr. this high on my future Hall of Famer rankings. But you know where guys end up who pile up these sorts of numbers by age 26, right? A cool little town in upstate New York.<\/p>\n

Soto is the first hitter with over 1,000 hits and a career OPS this good (.947), through his age-26 season, since Joe DiMaggio.<\/p>\n

If Vlad hits eight more homers this season, he\u2019ll be just the third first baseman to zoom past 1,000 hits and 180 homers by his age-26 season. The others (Orlando Cepeda and Jimmie Foxx) are Hall of Famers.<\/p>\n

So if you listen closely, you can hear their chains rustling.<\/p>\n

SALE:<\/strong> I\u2019ll dive deeper into the murky starting-pitcher waters shortly. But now that Chris Sale finally has a Cy Young Award trophy, it feels as if he has gathered more Hall of Fame traction than any current starter not named Kershaw, Verlander or Scherzer.<\/p>\n

Do we still care about the win column? If we do, then 143 wins at age 36 is a problem for any aspiring Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n

But if we don\u2019t, then we have a whole different conversation on our hands. Who ranks No. 1 in strikeouts per nine innings among all starting pitchers in history with at least 2,000 innings pitched? Right. Sale, at 11.11.<\/p>\n

He also sits at No. 2 in the live-ball era (behind only Kershaw) in WHIP (1.049) and ERA+ (141) \u2014 with a real shot at becoming the fourth left-hander ever in the 3,000-Strikeout Club. All Chris Sale\/Cooperstown debates are required to include the phrase, \u201cif he stays healthy.\u201d But this makes two straight seasons of good health \u2014 and moving chains. Just sayin\u2019.<\/p>\n

Drive stalled, but not time to punt<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

Yordan Alvarez has a .959 OPS over seven seasons. However, he\u2019s been limited to 100 at-bats this year. (Alex Slitz \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

COLE AND ALVAREZ:<\/strong> Gerrit Cole (reconstructed elbow) hasn\u2019t thrown a pitch in 2025. Yordan Alvarez (fractured right hand) hasn\u2019t stepped into the box since May 2. That\u2019ll stall anyone\u2019s drive.<\/p>\n

CORREA AND RUTSCHMAN: <\/strong>Baseball is hard. Carlos Correa and Adley Rutschman are living proof. As far as we know, Correa hasn\u2019t had a recurrence of the plantar fasciitis issues that jabbed at him in 2023-24, but he\u2019s in the middle of the roughest season of his career (.266\/.319\/.392\/0.1 bWAR).<\/p>\n

And Rutschman, currently out with an oblique strain, hasn\u2019t been the same team-changing figure in Baltimore since he got drilled on the hand with a foul ball in June 2024. In 593 plate appearances since June 22 of last season, he\u2019s hitting .208, with the lowest slugging percentage in baseball (.328).<\/p>\n

They both had That Cooperstown Look before all this. Now \u2026 um, stay tuned.<\/p>\n

Still alive<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

Giancarlo Stanton is the active leader in home runs with 434. (Jim McIsaac \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

In the original version of this column, I neglected to explain this section. Upon further review, I ruled that a swing and a miss. So \u2026 here\u2019s a quick word about these two men.<\/p>\n

STANTON: <\/b>Giancarlo could easily fit into the Red Zone group, but he\u2019s a unique case. I don\u2019t need to explain to anybody in New York that he can be as frustrating as any Yankees star since A-Rod. Or that he sure does visit the trainers\u2019 room a lot. Or that he obviously has reached a stage of his career where he provides zero defensive value. But \u2026<\/p>\n

I still think \u00a0<\/b>Giancarlo Stanton is going to wind up in the Hall of Fame! And here\u2019s why: He\u2019s going to hit 500 homers, right? He\u2019s only 66 away. So once he does that, how is he not a Hall of Famer?<\/p>\n

Then we\u2019d be looking at a player who is a former MVP, exudes undeniable Mr. October vibes (18 homers, .662 postseason slugging percentage), leaves a video trail of the hardest-hit baseballs of modern times and has left zero traces of scandals anywhere in his career. There\u2019s a term that describes people like that, you know: Hall. Of. Famer.<\/p>\n

McCUTCHEN: <\/b>Three years ago, Sports Info Solutions\u2019 Bill James Handbook revealed its leaderboard in a Bill James metric known as Hall of Fame value, sorted by age. You know who had the highest HOF Value of any active player who hasn\u2019t fit anywhere else in this column? Andrew McCutchen.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019d have been writing this column 10 years ago, McCutchen would have been one of the first names on this list. He was coming off four straight top-five MVP finishes, including winning the NL award in 2013. He was a Gold Glove winner and the face of the Pirates franchise. He was just entering his prime. And through his age-28 season, he was already closing in on 40 bWAR \u2013 which is more than a bunch of Hall of Famers, including Roberto Clemente.<\/p>\n

The back half of his career hasn\u2019t been helpful, obviously. Torn ACLs never work wonders for anyone\u2019s Hall of Fame stock. But I still see a man who was in the Best Player in Baseball conversation for probably five years. So is there going to be a place in Cooperstown for guys like that \u2014\u00a0think Don Mattingly or Dale Murphy, just to name two? I\u2019ve heard worse ideas.<\/p>\n

Starters Corner\"\"<\/p>\n

Jacob deGrom has a 2.50 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over 12 seasons. (Mitchell Layton \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

I\u2019d have an easier time predicting the 2035 World Series winner than I would predicting what a Hall of Fame starting pitcher will look like in 2035. But here\u2019s my question: Will it look anything like these three guys?<\/p>\n

DEGROM: <\/strong>On one hand, Jacob deGrom has two Cy Youngs \u2014 and the only sub-1.00 WHIP (0.99) of any starter in the live-ball era with at least 1,000 innings pitched. On the other hand, he\u2019s 37 years old and still hasn\u2019t reached 100 wins. (He\u2019s at 94.) So does that mean 300 is out of reach? Discuss!<\/p>\n

WHEELER: <\/strong>On one hand, Zack Wheeler has been the most dominating workhorse of any full-time starter in the sport over his six seasons in Philly \u2014 ranking No. 1 in innings, WHIP and strikeout\/walk ratio, and No. 2 in ERA (a tick behind the now-injured Corbin Burnes). On the other hand, if Wheeler fulfills his vow to retire when his contract runs out<\/a> after 2027, he probably won\u2019t even make it to 150 wins, let alone 250. Is that a problem? Not sure anymore!<\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> On one hand, Paul Skenes has the most spectacular ERA (1.94) through his first 44 starts of any pitcher since earned runs became an official stat in both leagues in 1913. So nobody will dispute that we\u2019re watching greatness every time he throws a baseball. On the other hand, he pitches for a team that never wins \u2014 which means he never wins. Could that erect any barriers on his road to Cooperstown? I guess we\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n

Are we just going to stop caring about stuff like wins and volume when we vote for the Hall in 2035? Maybe. But if not, we might not elect another starter for the next 1,000 years.<\/p>\n

Closers Corner\"\"<\/p>\n

Kenley Jansen is fourth on the all-time saves list with 464. (Harry How \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Nobody in North America will be cheering louder, on Billy Wagner\u2019s induction day, than these dudes. With Wagner now in, we\u2019ll be looking at these men really closely in a few years. Don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n

JANSEN AND CHAPMAN: <\/strong>I booted Craig Kimbrel out of this group, since he has faced only three big-league hitters all season, got released the next day and hasn\u2019t been seen since. But Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman are still chugging, churning out numbers and building Hall of Fame cases we can\u2019t ignore.<\/p>\n

You know another thing some voters won\u2019t ignore? These two guys have pitched in a combined 18 postseasons \u2014 but have never thrown the final pitch of a World Series.<\/p>\n

HADER AND CLASE: <\/strong>I try to gaze into the future when I write this column. And Closers Corner was a fun place to do that. Josh Hader and Emmanuel Clase rank fifth and sixth among all active relievers in saves (at 226 and 181, respectively) \u2014 with historic dominance to go with them.<\/p>\n

Hader is 31. Clase is 27. So they\u2019ve positioned themselves perfectly for a Hall of Fame debate someday. Want to argue that Edwin D\u00edaz (246 saves, at age 31) is also in that group? I won\u2019t argue. It just feels as if we still aren\u2019t sure what to make of closers not named Mariano. Will that change over the next decade? I look forward to finding out.<\/p>\n

Catchers Corner\"\"<\/p>\n

Cal Raleigh leads the majors with 39 homers and has three straight seasons of 30-plus. (Alika Jenner \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Salvador Perez and J.T. Realmuto inspired me to invent this category in last year\u2019s column. Not much has changed. They\u2019ve both been in the Best Catcher in Baseball conversation for a long time. And they\u2019re a reminder that when we vote on catchers, we need to look beyond WAR to measure them, because that\u2019s not fully capturing what they\u2019ve done or what they mean to their teams.<\/p>\n

So this year, I added two more names to this hot corner, because how could I not? Cal Raleigh and Will Smith are two of the most important players on anybody\u2019s team in 2025. So let\u2019s talk about them.<\/p>\n

RALEIGH: <\/strong>No catcher has ever hit 50 homers in a season, let alone 60. I don\u2019t know where Raleigh\u2019s home run wheel will land, but I do know he\u2019s having a season that soars beyond any catching season in history. Oh, and he\u2019s not just making an impact with his home run trots. He\u2019s also top five in baseball in Framing Runs.<\/p>\n

But more than that, he\u2019s positioning himself to hang out with the greatest offensive catchers of all time. Three seasons in a row of 30-plus homers? Only Mike Piazza has ever done that. Three 30-homer seasons, period, by age 28? That\u2019s more, over a full career, than Joe Mauer, Pudge Rodriguez and Carlton Fisk combined (two). So this conversation is just getting rolling.<\/p>\n

SMITH: <\/strong>Exactly one qualifying National League hitter has a batting average over .300 this season \u2026 and it\u2019s the quiet, ever-dependable catcher for the Dodgers (at .323). Only one catcher (Buster Posey, in 2012) has led the NL in average in the last 85 seasons. So if Smith keeps this up, that alone will get the voters\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n

But now that he\u2019s into his fifth straight season of steady production, and leadership of a built-for-October staff, Smith has also jumped into the Best Catcher in Baseball chat room. This makes five seasons with a bWAR better than 3.0. And the only active catcher with more is Realmuto (seven). I only use WAR as a guidepost at this position. But in this case, it\u2019s guiding me toward keeping an eye on the Cooperstown case for the second most famous Will Smith in L.A.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Get Back to Me\u2019 All-Stars\"\"<\/p>\n

Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. has had a spectacular but uneven career. Will he get his Hall pass? (Todd Kirkland \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Most of these names don\u2019t need explaining. But I have a few thoughts on these three.<\/p>\n

ACU\u00d1A:<\/b> <\/strong>He is still only 27. But Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. already is the proud owner of an MVP trophy, a Rookie of the Year Award and a sizzling 142 career Adjusted OPS+. So that\u2019s a man with a Hall of Fame career just waiting to happen. But \u2026<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also a man with two torn knee ligaments, who has stopped stealing bases (four all season) and whose career volatility means I need a little more time to see what comes next. Take a look.<\/p>\n

Acu\u00f1a in 2019-23-25 \u2014 <\/strong>.310 AVG, .563 SLUG
Acu\u00f1a in all other years \u2014 <\/strong>.273 AVG, .498 SLUG
<\/strong><\/p>\n

TATIS: <\/strong><\/strong>The talent and charisma of Fernando Tatis Jr. can be so dazzling to behold, he jumps off the diamond at you. And you don\u2019t run across many guys who have had this career at this age (26) \u2014 with 25.5 bWAR, 143 homers, 114 steals and a Platinum Glove. In fact, only three Hall of Famers had 100 homers, 100 steals and a Gold Glove by Tatis\u2019 age: Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays and Andre Dawson.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s also this \u2014 Tatis before and after his 2022 PED suspension:
<\/strong><\/p>\n

2019-21 \u2014 160 OPS+
2023-25 \u2014 120 OPS+<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

So what is he doing on that Get Back to Me list? That\u2019s what!<\/p>\n

SKUBAL: <\/strong>I could have dropped Tarik Skubal into Starters Corner, but he fits here even better. He\u2019s towering over the sport right now, and it feels as if we could almost hand him his second Cy Young Award right now.<\/p>\n

So what does that mean, when any pitcher wins two Cys in a row? Excellent question. Here are the only other starters who have won back-to-back Cy Youngs by age 28: Greg Maddux (three in a row, at 26-27-28), Pedro Martinez (also at age 27-28) and Clayton Kershaw (at age 25-26). Whoa!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s some Cooperstown-worthy star power right there. But the non-Cy Young portion of Skubal\u2019s career looks very different from those guys\u2019 careers, because he got rolling so late in life. And he\u2019s well aware of that. Earlier this year, I engaged him in a fun conversation about acehood \u2014 that led to him asking me how many career wins he had. He was in the 40s then. He\u2019s up to 51 now. Then I told him that Maddux had 131 at this age.<\/p>\n

\u201cShoot,\u201d he said, although that wasn\u2019t the exact expletive he spit out. \u201cThen I\u2019ve got my work cut out for me. Maybe we can start talking about it when I get to 100.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, he\u2019d even put himself in the Get Back to Me Club.<\/p>\n

I could keep going here. But I\u2019ll leave you to chew on these last three lists on your own, because if you listen intently, you can hear them speaking for themselves. And remember, if \u2014 haha, did I just say if? \u2014 you have any disagreements with any of this, you know where to direct them!<\/p>\n

I DON\u2019T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luis Arraez<\/strong>
Pete Alonso<\/strong><\/p>\n

FEEL FREE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kyle Schwarber<\/strong>
Max Fried<\/strong>
Shane Bieber<\/strong>
Matt Olson<\/strong>
Yu Darvish<\/strong>
Marcus Semien<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb \/ The Athletic. Todd Kirkland, Harry How, Sarah Stier, Mitchell Layton \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s Hall of Fame weekend \u2014 for Ichiro Suzuki, for CC Sabathia, for Billy Wagner and for two…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":88947,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[1279,1280,1276,1281,1271,1274,5048,1282,1283,1885,2382,1284,1285,2502,1286,4247,1287,1266,1305,2228,5055,2083,1886,1306,1275,1288,62,3692,1289,1278,1290,67,132,68,1291],"class_list":{"0":"post-88946","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-arizona-diamondbacks","9":"tag-atlanta-braves","10":"tag-baltimore-orioles","11":"tag-boston-red-sox","12":"tag-chicago-cubs","13":"tag-chicago-white-sox","14":"tag-cincinnati-reds","15":"tag-cleveland-guardians","16":"tag-colorado-rockies","17":"tag-detroit-tigers","18":"tag-houston-astros","19":"tag-kansas-city-royals","20":"tag-los-angeles-angels","21":"tag-los-angeles-dodgers","22":"tag-miami-marlins","23":"tag-milwaukee-brewers","24":"tag-minnesota-twins","25":"tag-mlb","26":"tag-new-york-mets","27":"tag-new-york-yankees","28":"tag-oakland-athletics","29":"tag-philadelphia-phillies","30":"tag-pittsburgh-pirates","31":"tag-san-diego-padres","32":"tag-san-francisco-giants","33":"tag-seattle-mariners","34":"tag-sports","35":"tag-st-louis-cardinals","36":"tag-tampa-bay-rays","37":"tag-texas-rangers","38":"tag-toronto-blue-jays","39":"tag-united-states","40":"tag-unitedstates","41":"tag-us","42":"tag-washington-nationals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}