Hall of Fame Hopefuls 30 and Under
Young Stars of Major League Baseball Already Bidding for Cooperstown
Oct 27, 2008
Major leaguers dream of immortality in the Hall of Fame. Those who have the numbers early are in good shape but still have a ways to go to realize that dream.
Pretty sure things
- Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers, 25. Cabrera blossomed so early that many wondered if his star would fizzle. Hasn’t happened. Cabrera put up his best power numbers to date last season (37 HR, 127 RBI) and is a career .309 hitter.
- Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals, 28. If Pujols retired tomorrow, after eight seasons, he’d be a candidate for the Hall. The offensive production is mind-blowing with yearly averages of 40 homers, 122 RBIs, 118 runs and .334 hitting. Toss in .624 slugging and .425 on-base percentages and you have baseball’s best hitter.
- Francisco Rodriguez, P, Los Angeles Angels, 26. The game’s premier closer, Rodriguez set the single-season mark for saves (62) last season. Has 208 career saves in 241 chances; 40-year-old Trevor Hoffman holds the career saves record with 554.
- Johan Santana, P, New York Mets, 29. Perhaps the most consistent starting pitcher in the major leagues, the left-hander has recorded 15 or more victories and averaged 238 strikeouts in the past five seasons. A career ERA of 3.11 already puts him in elite company.
On the right track
- Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies, 28. Howard has put together a string of offensive seasons that is nothing short of amazing. His three-year averages of 51 homers, 144 RBIs and 101 runs would easily make him a Hall candidate if extended over the next 10 years.
- Mark Teixeira, 1B, Los Angeles Angels, 28. Teixeira has been the model of consistency during his six seasons, averaging 34 homers, 113 RBIs and 37 doubles while hitting .290. Some believe Teixeira hasn’t peaked as a slugger. Career fielding percentage of .995 a plus.
- Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies, 29. Utley has been the league’s premier second baseman for four seasons. During that span, he’s averaged 29 homers, 104 RBIs and 110 runs while hitting .305. If he remains consistent over the next eight to 10 years, he’ll rank among the top five second basemen all-time.
- David Wright, 3B, New York Mets, 25. Four straight seasons with 100-plus RBIs and a career .309 average make Wright one of the league’s best-hitting third basemen. He’s proved durable thus far, too, so if he can keep up the production, it’ll be hard to keep him out of the Hall.
Bubble boys
- Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins, 24. One of the best young players in the game, Ramirez has averaged 26 homers, 69 RBIs, 123 runs and 44 steals over the past three seasons while doing a decent job in the field.
- C.C. Sabathia, P, Milwaukee Brewers, 28. The big lefty’s chances for the Hall depend greatly upon his longevity. He started young, so time is on his side. If he maintains his near 15-win average over the remainder of his career, he’ll approach 300 victories.
- Brandon Webb, P, Arizona Diamondbacks, 29. Webb has improved each of the past four years and is an NL Cy Young Award candidate this year. Even in his one losing season (2004, 7-16) he managed to post a 3.59 ERA. Hall hopes depend on eight more consistently good years.
- Barry Zito, P, San Francisco Giants, 30. The high-paid left-hander was well on his way to punching his Hall ticket before two dismal seasons with the Giants. Despite ERAs of 4.53 in 2007 and 5.15 in 2008, he managed to extend his streak of consecutive seasons posting double-digit victories to eight. Needs to find previous form to be assured of Cooperstown nod.
The copyright of the article Hall of Fame Hopefuls 30 and Under in Major League Baseball is owned by Stephen Ellison. Permission to republish Hall of Fame Hopefuls 30 and Under in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
