BoSox Injection
Fansided

5 former Red Sox eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot in 2023

By Sean Penney

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) John Lackey #41 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 29, 2014 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 8-5. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) John Lackey #41 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 29, 2014 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 8-5. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 30: Jacoby Ellsbury #2 of the Boston Red Sox slides into first base after a rundown against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Six of the 2013 World Series at Fenway Park on October 30, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury

Years with Red Sox: 2007-2013 (715 games)
HOFm score: 36

Jacoby Ellsbury made an immediate impact when he was called up to join the Red Sox in 2007. He hit .353 in 33 games and emerged as the team’s primary center fielder during their postseason run that resulted in a World Series title. Ellsbury hit a scorching .438 in the Fall Classic against the Colorado Rockies.

In his first full season in the big leagues, Ellbury used his blazing speed to lead the league with 50 stolen bases. The following year, he set the single-season franchise record with 70 steals while also leading the league with 10 triples. Ellsbury’s 241 steals in a Red Sox uniform rank third in franchise history despite that he only spent seven seasons in Boston.

2011 was a career year for Ellsbury. He hit .321 with a .928 OPS, 32 home runs, 105 RBI and 39 steals. He was named an All-Star, won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award, while finishing as the runner-up in the AL MVP race.

That year would prove to be an outlier, at least in the power department. Ellsbury never hit more than 16 homers in any other season and his total was in the single-digits in nine of his 11 seasons.

Once a fan-favorite in Boston, Red Sox Nation turned on Ellsbury when he bolted to sign a lucrative free-agent deal with the Yankees. While fans were initially stung about his betrayal, the bitterness faded when injuries and a rapid decline in production turned Ellsbury’s deal with the Yankees into an albatross. The Red Sox dodged a bullet by refusing to outbid their rivals.

A young Ellsbury might have had a case for being on a Hall of Fame trajectory with his elite speed and emerging power. Injuries sapped some of his speed when he reached his early-30s and he wasn’t able to sustain the power he flashed during his All-Star campaign. An inability to stay healthy and a peak that wasn’t long enough takes Ellsbury out of serious consideration for Cooperstown.

Home/Red Sox News