The Locks
Red Sox fans aren’t supposed to root for Yankees players but we have to acknowledge our respect for Derek Jeter. He was a charismatic leader who played the game the right way. He owns a career .310 batting average with nearly 3500 hits. Jeter’s 73.1 fWAR ranks sixth all-time among shortstops. The former Yankees captain is the most obvious choice on this year’s ballot.
Andruw Jones wasn’t a prolific hitter for most of his career but he’s arguably the best defensive outfielder of his generation. The 10-time Gold Glove winner is the all-time leader among center fielders with 118.2 UZR and he’s second at the position with 60 defensive runs saved. Granted, FanGrapsh can only track these defensive metrics going back a few decades but it’s safe to assume Jones would stack up well against outfielders from any era.
It’s not that Jones wasn’t a threat with his bat either. A 111 OPS+ is underwhelming by most standards but still strong for a center field, plus Jones bashed 434 career home runs. His league-leading 51 homers in 2005 screams outlier but he had a steady run averaging around 35 home runs and 100+ RBI during his peak.
Curt Schilling is considered a controversial choice but not for anything related to baseball. Voters have soured on Schilling for his political opinions, poor business decisions and the asinine statements he’s made or supported on social media. He’s made an enemy of those who determine entry into the Hall of Fame and that’s primarily what has kept him out of Cooperstown.
It didn’t keep him off my ballot. I detailed my reasons for supporting Schilling earlier this month but the gist of the argument is that he was a workhorse who finished as the runner-up for the Cy Young three times. He topped 300 strikeouts in a season three times and finished his career with over 3000. He led the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio a handful of times. Most importantly, Schilling was brilliant in the postseason with a 11-2 record, 2.23 ERA, and three World Series rings.
You don’t have to be a fan of Schilling as a person but voting for his production as a pitcher was an easy call.