Analyzing the cases of all nine Red Sox on the 2022 Hall of Fame ballot
After winning four World Series titles in eighteen years, it’s no wonder that recent Hall of Fame ballots are filled with former Red Sox greats. This year’s ballot is no different, as nine former Sox players are eligible for induction. But how many have a realistic shot at Cooperstown?
One of the main tools I used when evaluating Hall of Fame cases was JAWS. Invented by Hall of Fame guru Jay Jaffe, JAWS averages a player’s career WAR and the WAR of their seven-year peak.
This makes it possible to compare players with short careers but long peals and players with long careers but no real period of dominance. By measuring a player’s JAWS to the average score at their position, it becomes easier to tell if they are Hall of Fame worthy.
I also used the Hall of Fame data collected by Ryan Thibodaux. Thibodaux’s spreadsheet tracks all public Hall of Fame ballots, revealing how many voters they have gained and lost year to year.