On December 4th, former first baseman Fred McGriff learned that he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame when he received 16 of a possible 16 votes by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee – he only needed 75%, but was elected unanimously. The induction ceremony will take place on July 23rd.
McGriff was joined by seven other former players on the ballot, but was the only one to receive at least 75% of votes. Don Mattingly, Curt Schilling, Dale Murphy, Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Rafael Palmeiro were short of the 12 votes needed – Mattingly was closest at eight votes.
Fred McGriff spent 19 seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Devil Rays, Braves, and Blue Jays. He retired with a .284 batting average, 2,490 hits, 493 home runs, 1,550 RBIs, and 1,349 runs scored.
Baseball Legends Who Deserve a Hall of Fame Induction
McGriff was the only player elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, but he won’t be the only player inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2023. There were 28 other candidates, who were voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, also known as the BBWAA.
Candidates needed at least 292 votes (75%) to be elected into the Hall of Fame, but only one of those candidates got there – Scott Rolen, in his sixth year on the ballot. Todd Helton came extremely close with 281 votes (72.2%), while Billy Wagner, Andruw Jones, and Gary Sheffield received at least 50%.
Much like every other year, there were a ton of notable baseball players who missed the cut – including Jeff Kent, in his final year on the ballot. With that said, we’re going to discuss some of those notable players who we think are worthy of a Hall of Fame induction – some more controversial than others.
20. Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner was a relief pitcher who spent 16 seasons in the major leagues between 1995 and 2010. He played for five teams during his career – mostly with the Astros (9 seasons) and Mets (4 seasons). In 853 games played, he had a 47-40 record, 2.31 ERA, 422 saves, and 1,196 strikeouts in 903.0 innings.
Wagner led the MLB in games finished in 2003 (67 games) and 2005 (70 games). He was a seven-time All-Star pitcher and won the Rolaids Relief Man Award once in his career. Not only that, but he was in the running for MVP twice (16th in 1999 and 23rd in 2003) and Cy Young Award running once (6th in 2006).
19. Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton was a centerfielder who spent 17 seasons in the major leagues between 1991 and 2007. He played for 11 teams during his career – mostly with the Cleveland Guardians (10 seasons). In 2,103 games, he had a .299 batting average, 2,428 hits, 130 HRs, 781 RBIs, 622 stolen bases, and 1,528 runs.
Lofton led the American League in stolen bases five years in a row between 1992 and 1996, and led the MLB in stolen bases three of those years – he had a career-high 75 stolen bases in 1996. He led the AL in hits once (1994) and had 210 hits in 1996. was also a 6-time All-Star and 4-time Gold Glove winner.
18. Carlos Beltrán
Carlos Beltrán was a centerfielder who spent 20 years in the major leagues between 1998 and 2017. He played for seven teams during his career – mostly with the Royals (7 seasons) and Mets (7 seasons). In 2,586 games, he had a .279 average, 2,725 hits, 435 HRs, 1,587 RBIs, 312 stolen bases, and 1,582 runs.
Beltrán was named Rookie of the Year in 1999 and went on to be a 9-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner, 2-time Silver Slugger, and 2017 World Series champion – his final year in the league. He had a career-high 41 home runs in 2006 with the Mets and had at least 100 RBIs on eight separate occasions.
17. Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramirez was an outfielder who spent 19 seasons in the major leagues between 1993 and 2011. He played for 5 teams during his career – mostly with the Guardians (8 years) and Red Sox (8 years). In 2,302 games, he had a .312 average, 2,574 hits, 555 home runs, 1,831 RBIs, and 1,544 runs scored.
Ramirez was a 12-time All-Star and 9-time Silver Slugger during his career. He won the World Series in 2004 and 2007 – both with the Red Sox – and was World Series MVP in 2004. He led the American League with 43 home runs during that 2004 season and had at least 40 home runs on 5 occasions.
16. Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly was a first baseman who spent 14 seasons in the major leagues between 1982 and 1995. He spent his entire career with the New York Yankees before retiring to spend more time with his kids. In 1,785 games, he had a .307 batting average, 2,153 hits, 222 home runs, 1,099 RBIs, and 1,007 runs.
Mattingly was a 6-time All-Star, 9-time Gold Glove winner, and 3-time Silver Slugger during his career. He won the batting title in 1984 and was named MVP the following season. He also led the AL in hits in 1984, led the MLB in RBIs in 1985, led the MLB in hits in 1986, and led the MLB in doubles three years in a row.
15. Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent was a second baseman who spent 17 seasons in the major leagues between 1992 and 2008. He played for 6 teams during his career – mostly with the Giants (6 years), Mets (5 years), and Dodgers (4 years). In 2,298 games, he had a .290 average, 2,461 hits, 377 HRs, 1,518 RBIs, and 1,320 runs.
Kent was a 5-time All-Star and 4-time Silver Slugger during his career, but his best season came in 2000 when he was named MVP of the league with a .334 batting average, 196 hits, 33 home runs, 125 RBIs, and 114 runs. He surpassed 20 HRs 12 times, 100 RBIs 8 times, and 100 runs scored 3 times.
14. Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins was a shortstop who spent 17 seasons in the major leagues between 2000 and 2016. He played for 3 teams during his career – mostly with the Phillies (15 seasons). In 2,275 games played, he had a .264 average, 2,455 hits, 231 home runs, 936 RBIs, 470 stolen bases, and 1,421 runs scored.
Rollins was a 3-time All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove winner, and one-time Silver Slugger – he was named MVP in 2007 and won the World Series with the Phillies the following year. He led the NFL in stolen bases once, triples on 4 occasions, and runs scored once. He had a career-high 30 HRs in 2007.
13. Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson was a catcher who spent 11 years in the major leagues between 1969 and 1979. He spent his entire career with the New York Yankees before dying in a plane crash. In 1,423 games played, he had a .292 average, 1,558 hits, 113 home runs, 701 RBIs, 48 stolen bases, and 696 runs scored.
Munson was named Rookie of the Year in 1970 before being named an All-Star 7 times and winning the Gold Glove award 3 times. He was the league’s MVP in 1976 and won back-to-back World Series titles with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978. He had at least 110 hits on 10 occasions and 100 RBIs 3 times.
12. Pete Rose
Pete Rose was an infielder and outfielder who spent 24 seasons in the major leagues between 1963 and 1986. He played for 3 teams during his career – mostly with the Reds (19 years) and Phillies (5 years). In 3,562 games, he had a .303 average, 4,256 hits, 160 HRs, 1,314 RBIs, 198 stolen bases, and 2,165 runs.
Rose was a 17-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove winner, and one-time Silver Slugger. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1963, MVP in 1973, and World Series MVP in 1975 when his Reds won the title – he won the title two more times in his career in 1976 and 1980. He also won 3 batting titles in his career.
11. Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez was an infielder who spent 22 seasons in the major leagues between 1994 and 2016. He played for 3 teams during his career – mostly with the Yankees (12 years) and Mariners (7 years). In 2,784 games, he had a .295 average, 3,115 hits, 696 HRs, 2,086 RBIs, 329 stolen bases, and 2,021 runs.
Rodriguez was a 14-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove winner, and 10-time Silver Slugger. He was named MVP of the league 3 times (2003, 2005, 2007) and won the 2009 World Series with the Yankees. He won a batting title in 1996, led the AL in home runs twice, and led the MLB in home runs on 3 occasions.
10. Lou Whitaker
Lou Whitaker was a second baseman who spent 19 seasons in the major leagues between 1977 and 1995. He spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers before deciding to call it quits. In 2,390 games, he had a .276 batting average, 2,369 hits, 244 home runs, 1,084 RBIs, 143 stolen bases, and 1,386 runs.
Whitaker was a 5-time All-Star (all in a row), 4-time Silver Slugger, and 3-time Gold Glove winner (all in a row). In 1978, he was named Rookie of the Year with 58 RBIs and 71 runs scored. He went on to win the World Series with the Tigers in 1984. He had a career-high 28 HRs and 85 RBIs during the 1989 season.
9. Albert Belle
Albert Belle was a leftfielder who spent 12 seasons in the major leagues between 1989 and 2000. He played for 3 teams during his career – mostly with the Cleveland Guardians (8 years). In 1,539 games, he had a .295 batting average, 1,726 hits, 381 home runs, 1,239 RBIs, 88 stolen bases, and 974 runs.
Belle was a 5-time All-Star and 5-time Silver Slugger during his career. He came close to winning the MVP award three years in a row – he was 3rd in voting in 1994 and 1996, and runner-up in 1995. That 1995 season was special because he led the AL in runs and RBIs, and the MLB in doubles and HRs (50).
8. Bill Freehan
Bill Freehan was a catcher who spent 15 seasons in the major leagues between 1961 and 1976. He spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers before calling it quits. In 1,774 games played, he had a .262 batting average, 1,591 hits, 200 home runs, 758 runs batted in, 24 stolen bases, and 706 runs scored.
Freehan was an 11-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glove winner who went on to win the 1968 World Series with the Tigers. That 1968 season was special because he put up career-highs in runs batted in (84) and runs scored (73) – he also had 142 hits that season, but his career-high was 156 hits in the 1964 season.
7. Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro was a first baseman who spent 20 seasons in the major leagues between 1986 and 2005. He played for 3 teams in his career – mostly with the Rangers (10 years) and Orioles (7 years). In 2,831 games, he had a .288 average, 3,020 hits, 569 HRs, 1,835 RBIs, 97 stolen bases, and 1,663 runs.
Palmeiro was a 4-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner, and 2-time Silver Slugger. He never won an MVP award, but was named Major League Player of the Year in 1999 – he had a .324 batting average, 183 hits, 47 home runs, 148 RBIs, and 96 runs that season. He had at least 40 HRs on 4 occasions.
6. Shoeless Joe Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson was an outfielder who spent 13 seasons in the major leagues between 1908 and 1920. He played for 3 teams in his career – mostly with the Guardians (6 years) and White Sox (6 years). In 1,332 games, he had a .356 average, 1,772 hits, 54 HRs, 792 RBIs, 202 stolen bases, and 873 runs.
Jackson won a World Series with the White Sox in 1917. He led the MLB in hits twice (1912, 1913) and triples once (1916). He also led the American League in doubles once (1913) and triples twice (1912, 1920). He was in the top-10 of MVP voting 4 years in a row between 1911 and 1914 with the Guardians.
5. Dave Parker
Dave Parker was a rightfielder who spent 19 seasons in the major leagues between 1973 and 1991. He played for 6 teams during his career – mostly with the Pirates (11 years) and Reds (4 years). In 2,466 games, he had a .290 average, 2,712 hits, 339 home runs, 1,493 RBIs, 154 stolen bases, and 1,272 runs.
Parker was a 7-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner, and 3-time Silver Slugger. He won two batting titles, two World Series titles in 1979 and 1989, was an All-Star MVP, and was a Home Run Derby champion. To top it all off, he won the MVP in 1978 with 30 HRs, 117 RBIs, 102 runs, and a .334 average.
4. Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling was a starting pitcher who spent 20 years in the major leagues between 1988 and 2007. He played for 5 teams in his career – mostly with the Phillies (9 years), Diamondbacks (4 years), and Red Sox (4 years). In 569 games, he had a 216-146 record, 3.46 ERA, and 3,116 strikeouts in 3,261.0 innings.
Schilling was a 6-time All-Star and 3-time Cy Young runner-up (in a four-year span). He led the NL in complete games 3 times and the MLB in complete games once. He also won 3 World Series titles (2 with the Red Sox and one with the Diamondbacks) and was the World Series MVP with Arizona in 2001.
3. Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens was a starting pitcher who spent 24 seasons in the major leagues between 1984 and 2007. He played for 4 teams during his career – mostly with the Red Sox (13 years) and Yankees (6 years). In 709 games, he had a 354-184 record, 3.12 ERA, 118 complete games, and 4,672 strikeouts.
Clemens was an 11-time All-Star (and one-time All-Star MVP), 7-time Cy Young winner, and one-time MVP in 1986. He won 7 ERA titles and 2 pitching triple crowns. He also led the league in wins 4 times, complete games 3 times, innings pitched twice, and strikeouts 5 times during his legendary career.
2. Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire was a first baseman who spent 16 seasons in the major leagues between 1986 and 2001. He played for 2 teams during his career – the Athletics for 12 years and Cardinals for 5 years. In 1,874 games, he had a .263 batting average, 1,626 hits, 583 home runs, 1,414 RBIs, and 1,167 runs scored.
McGwire was a 12-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove winner, and 3-time Silver Slugger. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1987 with an MLB-leading 49 home runs and won the World Series with Oakland in 1989. He led the MLB in home runs four times in his career and was a Home Run Derby champion.
1. Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds was a leftfielder who spent 22 seasons in the major leagues between 1986 and 2007. He played for 2 teams during his career – the Giants for 15 years and the Pirates for 7 years. In 2,986 games, he had a .298 average, 2,935 hits, 762 home runs, 1,996 RBIs, 514 stolen bases, and 2,227 runs.
Bonds was a 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger, 8-time Gold Glove winner, and 7-time MVP – he also won two batting titles and was a Home Run Derby champion. He currently holds the all-time record for home runs, walks, and intentional walks. I mean, he won four-straight MVPs at one point in his career.
Future Hall of Fame Inductees That Are Still Active Today
In order to be eligible for a Hall of Fame induction, baseball players must have played at least 10 seasons in the major leagues and been retired for at least five years. There are several other ways a player can be inducted, but most players will have approximately 10 years of being on the ballot before being taken off.
Some active players who are likely (or guaranteed) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame once they retire include Mike Trout, Albert Pujols (now retired), Miguel Cabrera, Clayton Kershaw, Aaron Judge, Yadier Molina, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Mookie Betts, Zack Greinke, and Shohei Ohtani.
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With that said, you never know who might make it or not make it – it all comes down to how the voters vote when it comes time. Controversy is common when inducting players into the Hall of Fame and there will always be notable baseball legends left off the list. Let’s just hope the process maintains its integrity!
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