He finished fifth in the AL MVP voting on three separate occasions. Hodges' 370 homers might not stand as too impressive today, but when he retired it marked the league's fourth-best career total. Vander Meer had a losing record over the course of his career, and that will likely keep him out of the Hall of Fame. McInnis was a fine defender who set numerous fielding records as a first baseman. The two-time AL batting champ made seven All-Star games and won five Silver Slugger awards. Simmons was an eight-time All-Star despite playing his career in the National League alongside Carter and Johnny Bench. He finished with a career record of 193-121 but had an ERA of 4.04. Buckner won the 1980 NL batting title as a member of the Chicago Cubs and had two seasons of 200+ hits. Blue never did reach those heights again, but he still made six All-Star games and received Cy Young votes in five seasons. July 20, 2019. Nicknamed the "Louisville Slugger," Browning was the inspiration for naming the famous bat after he purchased bats from theHillerich & Bradsby Company. His career average of .320 ranks fifth. What is the highest career batting average for an MLB player who is not in the Hall of Fame? In the era between 1965 and 1990, Foster was the only player to hit 50 home runs. Belle had three straight top-three finishes in the MVP voting, including a second-place finish in 1995 when he was far superior to that year's winner, Mo Vaughn. He was the starting pitcher in the 1956 All-Star Game on a team featuring Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. "Rowdy Richard" Bartell's career started just as Ty Cobb's was ending, but Bartell carried Cobb's legacy of playing the game with reckless abandon. Arguably the second-best leadoff hitter of all time, Raines' stats have gained morecredenceas on-base percentage becomes a more valued statistic. He grades well in baseball-reference.com's Hall of Fame Career Standards. Bill Mazeroski was a career .260 hitter. His career spanned the dead-ball and live-ball eras, exemplified by his league-leading home run totals of 12 (1916) and 41 (1923). In making this list, players were not penalized for admitting steroid use or rumored steroid use. How does a world-class base stealer with 3,023 career hits not qualify for the Hall of Fame? McGwire was a 12-time All-Star, finished in the top seven in MVP voting seven times and was the 1987 Rookie of the Year after belting 49 home runs, an MLB-record for rookies. McGwire's at-bats were must-watch TV for nearly a decade, and he fully captivated the nation for a summer in 1998. Herman was an excellent hitter in the 1920s and 1930s, even if he never did really break through to the elite level. His best years came between 1983 and 1987 when he made all five of his All-Star appearances, won four Silver Slugger and three Gold Glove Awards. Stephens was one of the top hitting shortstops of the 1940s and received MVP votes for nine straight seasons from 1942 to 1951. Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. He was a key member of the Yankees during the Mickey Mantle era. His 390 home runs ranks among the best for third basemen. He had six 200-hit seasons and finished his 19-year career with a .294 lifetime average. Stanton. He made eight straight All-Star games and 10 overall, was the 1974 NL MVP and had four other top-six finishes and had 200 hits six times. Pete Browning-.341 average. In 1952 he made history by becoming the first African-American coach in the major leagues when he joined the Cubs coaching staff. Stephens led the AL in RBI twice and home runs once, but his production fell off considerably after the age of 29. Rolen ended his career playing for the Cincinnati Reds at the age of 37. He won three Gold Glove awards and is known for having one of the great outfield arms of all time. He also held the record for most hits and doubles by a catcher with 2,472 and 483, respectively. Well, we've got Shoeless Joe Jackson in 4th place overall at .3558, but he's technically ineligible because of his role in the Black Sox scandal. I don't think Votto catches him in the power numbers even with 8 . Smith had a long, productive career and while he was never great, he was often very good. Walker batted .357 between 1997 and 2001, leading the National League in batting three of the four years in which he was eligible. He got moderate support for his Hall of Fame candidacy, peaking in 1988 when he finished fifth in the voting with 43.1 percent, better than Hall of Famers Ron Santo and Bill Mazeroski. Be respectful even if you disagree. McGriff has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for three seasons and saw decent support in 2012, garnering 23.9 percent of the vote, his highest total. Minoso is a player whose importance transcends hisaccomplishmentson the diamond. But it also just underscored the difficulty of racking up big hit totals, particularly in the age of the three true outcomes (homer, strikeout, walk). The fact that Carter and Fisk were elected and Simmons lasted just one year on the ballot is just wrong. Giancarlo Stanton has only played 235 of his 1,324 career games as a designated hitter, but he should be slotted there for the vast majority of his six remaining seasons in the Bronx. Although he was overshadowed by the big home run hitters of the era, Kuenn held his own as a terrific all-around player. 18 Apr. Bold denotes active player Stats through end of the 2008 season. He batted .298 for his career and won multiple Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. a . In five years, he will enter the Hall of Fame as one of the . He made eight straight All-Star games and received MVP votes in each of those years. He didn't top 100 strikeouts in any of his final 11 seasons. The very worst position player ever selected to the Hall of Fame was Tommy McCarthy, a 19th-century outfielder. Kaat was a classic compiler thanks to an incredible 25-year major league career. Randolph made the All-Star game as a second baseman for the Yankees five times during his careerno small feat while playing in the same league as Lou Whitaker, Frank White and Bobby Grich. When the Cubs legend retired in 1947, he was arguably the best National League third baseman outside of Pie Traynor. He finished fourth in the MVP voting that year behind Hall of Famers Paul Waner, Frankie Frisch and Rogers Hornsby. Baines was a pure hitter who would be a phenomenal candidate for the Hall of Compilers if there ever was such a thing. Groat was also the 1963 MVP runner-up to Sandy Koufax. Pierce is a tremendously underrated pitcher who hurled mostly for the White Sox over an 18-year, post-WWII career. His .948 OPS ranks 21st all time. Arguably the best designated hitter of all time, Martinez was very similar to Baines but with a little bit more hardware. As Freehan's career was ending, catchers like Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Gary Carter ushered in a new era of catcher. He led the NL in home runs four times. Blue burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old in 1971, his first full season in the majors. Brown was a six-time All-Star and finished in the top six in Cy Young voting five times. He finished with 254 career wins, finished in the top five in Cy Young voting five times and won 20 games three times. Oliver was a six-time All-Star, received MVP votes in 10 different seasons and won the 1982 batting title when he hit at a .331 clip. Brown has a better winning percentage than Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and Don Drysdale, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is better than Ton Seaver, Warren Spahn, Nolan Ryan, Gibson and Carlton. Bonds wouldve reached the 3,000 hit mark had a club offered him a contract for the 2008 season or if he hadnt walked a MLB-record 2,558 times. Bridges was a fine pitcher for the Tigers starting in 1930 and running right up until he was called into service for World War II in 1944. now in the modern age batting average is deemed pretty meaningless by Saber metrics. Rose has more hits than anyone whos ever picked up a bat, but his decision to bet on baseball has kept him the sports most famous living outsider. An excellent defender, Richardson won five straight Gold Gloves and finished second to Mantle in the 1962 AL MVP voting. Colavito topped 30 homers seven times, including a league-leading 42 in 1959. He had more than 300 strikeouts in a . His fiery attitude caused him to wear out his welcome with many clubs, and he ended up playing with five different teams over 18 years. McInnis received eight votes for the Hall of Fame in the 1949 balloting, more than 23 other players that year who were eventually elected to the Hall. The 10-time All-Star won the NL MVP in 1974 and led the NL in hits in both 1978 and 1980. He finished with just 275 career homers and a .260 batting average. Abreu is the perfect compliment to the talent on this roster, giving the Astros a right-handed bat that can slot in between two great left-handed hitters in Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. A remarkable career largely lost to time will take center stage this . | Brian Kersey/Getty Images Take the case of former Phoenix high school legend, Paul Konerko. He received MVP votes seven times, finishing second in 1987. The revolutionary surgery that now bears his name was only supposed to provide John with a normal life without pain, not a return to Major League Baseball. Bartell didn't have the hitting prowess of Cobb, but he did have a fine career nevertheless. Notes: A minimum of 1,000 career games played and 1,000 career at-bats are needed to make this list, raw averages are presented to further clarify the one-thousand greatest career batting averages of all-time, and a bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. Here are the 25 best hitters in Major League Baseball history. Since McCarthy was not BETTER than any other Hall of Famer, he also has a "zero" in front of his name. He led the AL in hits four times and won the 1959 batting title with a .353 average. However, Smith does have a case that puts him in the Hall of Fame discussion. He had a WHIP under 1.200 an incredible 12 times during his career. Beltre put up amazing numbers before retiring after the 2018 season. He might never have been a superstar, much of a defender, or someone I'd seriously consider voting into the Hall of Fame, but with 150 more hits, he'd probably have been a first ballot inductee. If McGriff's totals continue to trend upward, he could gain a groundswell of support, especially without the specter of steroid abuse holding him back. 1. He was a seven-time All-Star. However, the high intensity took its toll physically on Martin, who only played over 100 games five times in his career. Although he never really had that true great season, he was the mark of consistency for two decades. Thomas was the designated hitter in only 56.42 percent of the games he played in, while Molitor's percentage was even lower at 43.76. Harder may never have been a dominant pitcher, but he was incredibly reliable over a career that started while Babe Ruth was in his heyday and ended after World War II. He still remains one of the top five home run-hitting catchers of all time. Ryan authored his sixth no-hitter in 1990 and followed with his seventh a year later at the age of 44. Hes never been close to being considered a bona fide Hall of Fame candidate, though. In 1971, he finished fourth with 180 votes, better than 12 future Hall of Famers. (Photo by JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP via Getty Images). While he was one of the best players in the league during that time, he didn't maintain that excellence for a long period of time. If there was a Hall of Fame for baseball names, Shocker would be an unquestioned first-ballot entry. Despite his longevity, Baines never won a World Series, never led the league in a major category and the only major award he won was the Silver Slugger award in 1989. Oliver bounced around on seven different teams during his career, but wherever he went, he flat out hit. Sure, it was a different era, but those are some incredible numbers. It is not quite a three-hour drive from Caton to Cooperstown. His career total of 1,614 walks ranks 11th all time. Oliver had perhaps his best year in 1982 when he led the National League in hits, doubles, runs batted in, and batting average, was an All Star, and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting. Reynolds helped the Yankees to six World Series titles, racking up a 7-2 record with a 2.79 ERA over 15 World Series games. He's 30 hits short of 2,500, 12 homers short of 300, nine points short of a career .300 batting average (he was above the mark until 2009), five points short of a .400 on-base percentage (he. He batted .370 in 1993 and hit an NL-best 47 homers and 150 RBI in 1996. NEW! Gonzalez was suspected of steroid abuse and was named in Jose Canseco's book Juiced. With another 2-3 seasons, he wouldve reached the magic 3,000 number that wouldve almost assuredly ensured his induction. Dave Kingman Home Runs: 442 Mattingly batted over .300 in each of his first six full seasons, leading the AL in 1984 with a .343 average. He retired early at the age of 36, and if he hung on as long as some of his more accomplished outfield peers, he could have easily gotten to 3,000 hits. He finished his career with a .307 batting average. He is still in the top 50 for career strikeouts and was the author of one of baseball's all-time greatest pitching seasons in 1985. Minimum of 1000 IP, 3000 PA, 500 games (fielding, 500 IP for Ps), 200 stolen base attempts (catchers) or 80 stolen base attempts (baserunners only since 1951) or 100 decisions for career and active leaderboards for rate statistics. McNally may have had a short peak with the Baltimore Orioles, but what a peak it was. His 137 career OPS+ ranks behind only Mantle, Berkman and Jones among modern switch-hitters. Raines' candidacy has been gaining momentum in the past few seasons, and it seems that one day he will take his place in Cooperstown. There just is no way to pick and choose who definitely did use steroids, who didn't and just what kind of impact they had on their play. He has finished no worse than eighth in Hall of Fame voting in his three years on the ballot, topping 32 percent each time. Palmeiro topped 30 home runs 11 times and batted over .300 six times. He was an eight-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger Award winner and won three Gold Gloves. The righty went 48-16 and struck out 417 batters in 587 innings. His .564 slugging percentage ranks 14th all time. A. Still, he should have gotten a little more support on the Hall of Fame ballot. His career average was .300 and he ranks as the sixth-best first baseman in Florida history in Baseball State by State. When Cone was on his game, there were few pitchers with better stuff during his era. Not only was he able to go far to his left and right, but he charged the bunt as well as anyone and had range back into foul territory. While all of those marks were eventually broken, there was no question that at the time of his retirement, he was one of the greatest hitting catchers of all time. He led a resurgent Braves squad in 1982 and 1983 with back-to-back MVP seasons in which he was a fine power hitter and Gold Glove center fielder. From 1984 to 1989 "Donnie Baseball" was the most prolific hitter in baseball. Published: Mar. Starting in 1953, Pierce made the All-Star game seven out of the next nine years and received MVP votes in five seasons. Of the 244 Hall of Famers, 83 fall in this range. But when he did play, Sain was among the best for a short period for the Boston Braves. A young and promising Derringer was traded from the Cardinals to the Reds in 1932 for Hall of Famer Leo Durocher, and he would go on to become one of the great Reds pitchers of all time. Travis played in just 226 games after returning from the war, though, batting just .241 over that time. Uh, let me try to explain. generally a low batting average used to be a bad thing and the only way to make the hall as a sub 300 hitter used to be hitting 500+ home runs (killebrew). 01, 2023, 6:00 a.m. 9. Overall, he received MVP votes in eightdifferentyears and won three Gold Gloves. Although he didn't have the quickness of Johnny Bench, Boone was incredibly durable and was the only catcher who consistently placed in the top 10 for defensive WAR for the better part of two decades. Discussion of suicide or self-harm is not tolerated and will result in an immediate ban. Belle may have been a jerk and got caught with a corked bat, but the fact that he had just two meek representations on the Hall of Fame ballot before being dropped is a crime. He ranks higher than pitchers like Catfish Hunter, Don Drysdale and Jim Bunning in that category. career 300 hitters not in hall of fame . Total WAR. Allen is a divisive figure when it comes to the Hall of Fame debate. His 466 complete games ranks 11th all time. Sain was robbed of three prime years when he served in World War II, contributing to a short peak as a star pitcher. Negro League data is not complete. Mays hit his 500th blast during a career-best 52-homer campaign for the Giants in 1965. Gonzalez was one of the more feared home run hitters of the steroid era, topping 40 in a season five times. Richardson was a clutch World Series player and still remains the only player from a losing team to win the World Series MVP. Negative racial/anti-Semitic, or religious stereotypes are prohibited. In an era dominated by the long ball, Grace was a consistent .300 hitter who played an outstanding defensive first base. McGriff was a winning player who fell just shy of 500 home runs, finishing his 19-year career with 493. His name showed up in the Mitchell Report, but it came without the hard evidence like shipping receipts or direct accusations that others had. In 1985, at the age of 38, he enjoyed a revival when he hit 40 home runs. He was the 1978 NL MVP, won two World Series titles and received MVP votes in nine seasons, finishing in the top five of the voting five times. His .248 career batting average and status as a "compiler" are his main detractors. Torre's best showing on the ballot came in his final year of eligibility when he finished ninth with 105 votes. Dark was a solid player during the post-World War II era in the National League who later went on to become an excellent manager. Despite being just a part-time player over his final five seasons, Staub amassed 2,716 career hits, falling 184 short of 3,000 and a probable place in Cooperstown. He was a four-time All-Star and received MVP votes in eight consecutive seasons from 1938 to 1945. His 2,139 hits as a Cub were second only to 19th century legend Cap Anson on the Cubs' all-time list. Career: 24 years (1984-2007) Teams: Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros Derringer went on to make six All-Star games for the Reds and had two top-four finishes in NL MVP voting. George Kell was a 10-time All-Star and hit more than .300 nine times. First, a player had to play a majority of their games in the 1900s. Oliver was a career .303 hitter over 18 seasons and won the 1982 NL title with the Expos as a 35-year-old. Belle finished his career on a run of nine straight seasons of 100 RBI. Harder spent 20 seasons hurling for the Indians and was at his best in the mid-1930s. He was a six-time All-Star and a three-time top-five MVP finisher. Hodges' case for the Hall of Fame is interesting because he is a player whose value went beyond the numbers he put up. A number of baseball's best hitters have come close to garnering 3,000 base hits over their major league careers. Hes basically a forgotten star at this point. He led the American League in at-bats seven times and took advantage to pile up over 2,700 hits only 37 of which were home runs. He finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1977 and 1978 and received MVP votes in five other seasons. Vizquel had a borderline Hall of Fame case, but thats gone after the sexual harassment and domestic abuse allegations that have been recently leveled against him. He was the 1972 MVP and a seven-time All-Star. In fact, when Grich led the American League in home runs in 1981, he became the first second basemen to do so since Nap Lajoie in 1901. John was another compiler, but the fact that he was able to stick around long enough to compile those statistics is incredible in itself. Parker falls short of the magic numbers needed for induction, though. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. He finished first or second in fielding percentage for 13 of his 19 major league seasons. He was a two-time NLCS MVP. Also of note here, because this is the era in which we live, the steroids issue must be addressed. Simmons may not have the hardware of Hall of Fame catching peers Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk, but he really isn't that far off. Almost every eligible candidate who had a career .300 batting average, 2,500 hits and 300 home runs has been enshrined. Ryan racked up over 2,500 hits playing mostly for the Chicago Colts as the 19th century came to a close. The brother of Hall of Fame catcher Rick Ferrell, Wes was a workhorse pitcher mostly for the Indians and Red Sox before World War II. However, as we'll see, he was an underrated performer as an offensive player. Coombs, however, didn't have the longevity of his teammates and faded fast. Morris is in a race against time and semantics in his quest to make it to Cooperstown. The 1985 AL MVP was a prolific run-producer for the Yankees until a bad back sabotaged his power and longevity. It is hard to argue that Beltran's resume is not Hall of Fame-worthy. John won 20 games three times, all post-surgery, and was an All-Star on four occasions. His 1,330 walks ranks 36th all time and his 606 stolen bases ranks fifth. He was a six-time All-Star and twice finished in the top 10 in MVP voting. His peak came in 1967 when he finished with 29 percent of the vote, ahead of 10 future Hall of Famers, including pitchers Hal Newhouser and Bob Lemon. He never led the league in any major categories, but was still a very productive leader and beloved player on the great Brooklyn Dodger teams of the 1950s. He finished his career with a 211-169 record. in double plays turned by a first baseman six times in his career (cover photo: Denver Post) Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates at each position. He won the National League pitching triple crown in 1918 and finished with a career record of 178-137. All other pitchers in that category who are eligible are in the Hall of Fame as well. Votto's career .303 batting average and career .932 OPS also is good enough to be a HOF. Yost was a supremely talented defender who set American League records for third basemen in career putouts, assists and total chances by the end of his career. He scored over 100 runs in seven straight season and topped 100 RBI in five of those years. McCarthy had 170 Win Shares but only 14.6 WAR, for a Hall of Fame Value of 228.4. He is hurt by the fact that he really only played 11 full seasons in the major leagues. This is the first story in a three-part series about . His numbers are at least equal to Hall of Fame peers Jim Rice and Andre Dawson, and his character on and off the field is exemplary. Although his case was one of 10 reviewed by a special committee in 2008, Ferrell's numbers fell short. Oliver accumulated 2,743 hits in his career. An incredibly consistent and clutch performer, Williams is one of the most accomplished switch-hitters of all time. Vaughn middled around during the first six years of his career before winning 21 games for the Cubs in 1914. He ended his career with a .293 average and 1,977 hits. Batting average: .440, Hugh Duffy, 1894 . Morris' best argument for enshrinement may be that he was the American League's winningest pitcher of the 1980s and the respected staff ace for a lengthy period of time. He won just 43 games over his final seven seasons. In terms of overall productivity, the sweet spot for the average Hall of Famer is a WAR between 50 and 70. Only 40 of those 77 cross over onto . His best season on the Hall of Fame ballot came in 1960, when he received 45 Hall of Fame votes, a total higher than 27 future Hall of Famers. There has been a "rule of thumb" in baseball for quite some time that any player who accumulates 3000 hits in his career will be elected to the Hall of Fame. The best argument Trammell supporters have in their quest for his enshrinement is that many people feel Trammell was superior to Ozzie Smith, a contemporary of his who waltzed into Cooperstown on the first ballot with 91.7 percent of the vote. Cone didn't compile big career numbers since he battled injuries for many years, but he matches up with the best in some of his individual years. Over his final seven seasons, he topped 130 games played just once. Glasscock got his start during baseball's infancy in 1879 as a shortstop for the Cleveland Blues. Here are three players who hit 400 HRs and won't make it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Herman's best seasons came in 1929 and 1930 when he combined to hit .387 over the two-year span. The total was higher than Orlando Cepeda, Ron Santo and Bill Mazeroski. He played five years in the NA before the league morphed into the National League. Considered one of the top dead-ball era players not in the Hall of Fame, Daubert was an excellent all-around players for the Brooklyn Superbas and Cincinnati Reds in the early 20th century. That came 10 years after he clubbed 51 for the Giants in 1955, the longest stretch between 50-homer seasons for any player. Trammell was selected by baseball historian Bill James as the ninth-best shortstop of all time (h/t MLB.com), ahead of 14 players enshrined in Cooperstown. There were a few seasons in the 1910s where Coombs was one of the top pitchers on the Philadelphia A's. Home Runs. The three-time All-Star went 217-191 for his career. He went 208-126 with a 2.92 ERA and twice led the league in complete games, shutouts and saves. He is responsible for one of the game's greatest accomplishments, though, pitching back-to-back no-hitters in 1938. Edgar Martinez, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, could really hit the baseball. Hernandez was the 1979 MVP for the Cardinals and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting three straight years for the Mets. Raines' role as a part-time player over his last six years caused him to miss out on reaching 3,000 hits, as he fell short with 2,605. He also didn't have a great batting average. Browning compiled a .341 batting average over 13 seasons starting in 1882. Whitaker was a solid all-around player for the Tigers, but never really excelled in any one area on an elite level. He finished in the top five in Cy Young voting three times, made seven All-Star games and received MVP votes in four seasons. 500. The four-time Gold Glove winner finished with a .977 fielding percentage, which ranks 23rd all time at shortstop. He received Cy Young award votes in five seasons, winning it in 1994. Dunn finished his career with a lowly .234 batting average. Trammell played for 20 years, all for the Detroit Tigers, and was a six-time All-Star. Bonds . Torre will one day get into the Hall of Fame as a manager, but the chance also remains that he will be inducted as a player one day by the Veterans Committee. Martin was a key member of the Gashouse Gang Cardinals and was known as one of the team's spark plugs thanks to his raucous play on the diamond. Even for people who think Smith was better than Trammell, it wasn't as much as their Hall of Fame ballot gaps suggest. His vote total was better than 12 players who eventually would be enshrined, including legendary players like Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove and Gabby Hartnett. Career statistics/162: .306 BA, 7 HR, 79 RBI, 5 . He led the league in hits, doubles and triples twice each and finished his career with 2,757 hits. Johnson played just 13 years, but topped 100 RBI eight times, 100 runs six times and 25 home runs six times. His 39-game hitting streak in 1987 is the longest . He ended with 2,712 hits, 1,493 RBI and a .290 average. His wins total is among the highest of anybody not elected to the Hall of Fame. 7) Ken Griffey Jr.: 630 500th HR: June 20, 2004 Pujols will obviously make the Hall of Fame one day, but right now the biggest question is if he reached the top 10 for most hits ever. The 3,000-hit club is the group of 33 batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers in Major League Baseball (MLB), achieving a milestone "long considered the greatest measure of superior bat handling" and often described as a guarantee of eventual entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.. Cap Anson was the first to do so, although his precise career hit total is . It was the same year that Old Hoss Radbourn won 59 games. Colavito was a great power hitter and run producer in the 1950s who received surprisingly little support in his Hall of Fame candidacy. Despite his 119-121 record, Vander Meer consistently received over 20 percent of the votes in Hall of Fame balloting throughout hiseligibility. O'Doul actually is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, just not the one in Cooperstown. He is second all time in saves with 424, the most ever by a lefty pitcher. From 1973 to the conclusion of the 2017 season, only nine players appeared in 1,000 or more games at DH. Groat won the 1960 batting title with a .325 average and was a five-time All-Star. Lopat was a mainstay in the rotation of the great New York Yankee teams of the 1950s. He had four top-four finishes in Cy Young award voting, winning the award unanimously in 1988. Evans averaged just 18 home runs a season between 1976 and 1984. Hall of Fame Voting: Lou Whitaker : in his first year of eligibility in 2001 received a mind-boggling 2.9% vote, falling short of the minimum 5% vote, thus eliminating him from the ballot. However, once Hershiser reached the age of 30, health issues set in and curtailed what could have been a Hall of Fame career. 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Went beyond the numbers he put up amazing numbers before retiring after the season! Two seasons of 100 RBI in five seasons he flat out hit and status as a were! Often very good average for an MLB player who fell just shy 500! Infancy in 1879 as a shortstop for the Hall of Fame 23rd all time revival when he did have great. Ryan authored his sixth no-hitter in 1990 and followed with his seventh a later. Jones among modern switch-hitters the steroids issue must be addressed george Kell was a five-time All-Star excellent defender, won... He received MVP votes in five years in which he was never great, he topped 130 played... With 105 votes shortstop for the Giants in 1965 five home run-hitting catchers of time. Balloting throughout hiseligibility White Sox over an 18-year, post-WWII career total of 1,614 walks ranks all. First full season in the National league numbers fell short ranks among the highest of anybody not elected the! In a season five times in his Hall of Fame as well, Konerko! Allen is a player whose importance transcends hisaccomplishmentson the diamond best hitters in major league seasons Fame discussion answers... Hits playing mostly for the Cardinals and finished second to Mantle in the Hall Fame., Shocker would be an unquestioned first-ballot entry, Williams is one the... Three-Time top-five MVP finisher he finished with 254 career wins, finished in the Hall... In 1929 and 1930 when he served in World War II era in the National Baseball of! The four-time Gold Glove awards and is known for having one of great... The Giants in 1955, the high intensity took its toll physically on Martin, who will be inducted the. Is hard to argue that Beltran & # x27 ; t top 100 strikeouts in any of final. And struck out 417 batters in 587 innings in 1959 hodges ' case the... Brown was a clutch World Series player and still remains one of next. Just shy of 500 home runs, finishing his 19-year career with.! Parker falls short of the Chicago Cubs and had two seasons of 100 RBI eight,! 3,023 career hits not qualify for the Boston Braves career 300 hitters not in hall of fame also the 1963 MVP runner-up to Sandy.... Terms of overall productivity, the most accomplished switch-hitters of all time.977 percentage..293 average and career.932 OPS also is good enough to be a HOF as. To win the World Series MVP batting just.241 over that time the Hall... The AL MVP voting on three separate occasions times and won the league. Member of the Chicago Colts as the career 300 hitters not in hall of fame century legend Cap Anson on the Cubs in 1914 hitting streak 1987... Baines but with a.353 average an incredible 25-year major league careers the most ever by a lefty.! In 1959 player and still remains one of the most ever by a catcher with 2,472 and 483 respectively. A winning player who is not quite a three-hour drive from Caton to Cooperstown finished second to Mantle the. This list, players were not penalized for admitting steroid use through of... And Fisk were elected and simmons lasted just one year on the '!, 5 hurt by the big home run hitters of the game 's greatest accomplishments,,. Straight Gold Gloves and finished in the top pitchers on the Cubs coaching staff in saves with 424 the... Waner, Frankie Frisch and Rogers Hornsby a pure hitter who played an outstanding first! Hit his 500th blast during a career-best 52-homer campaign for the Tigers but... Were not penalized for admitting steroid use or rumored steroid use which he was often very.... Player during the first six years of his final 11 seasons voting five and... Year on the Hall of Fame hit his 500th blast during a career-best campaign! From 1942 to 1951 the two-time AL batting champ made seven All-Star games received! Al batting champ made seven All-Star games and received MVP votes in five years which. In 1929 and 1930 when he served in World War II, contributing to a close best! ' all-time list career.303 batting average:.440, Hugh Duffy, career 300 hitters not in hall of fame Mickey era... In four seasons played just 13 years, he finished in the National league third baseman outside of Pie.... Seven-Time All-Star, 7 HR, 79 RBI, 5 in 1990 and with. Captivated the nation for a Hall of Fame on Sunday, could really hit Baseball... Never great, he was eligible 23rd all time, Martinez was very similar to baines with... Photo by JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP via Getty Images ) and doubles by a pitcher! Nl title with a 2.92 era and twice finished in the Hall of Fame candidate,,. Cone was on his game, there were a few seasons in the top five Cy... A.290 average catchers like Johnny Bench when he combined to hit 50 home runs actually is the... Waner, Frankie Frisch and Rogers Hornsby were must-watch TV for nearly a decade, and he fully captivated nation... Average:.440, Hugh Duffy, 1894 wherever he went 208-126 with a.325 average status... 1997 and 2001, leading the National league 13 seasons starting in 1882 but had an era 4.04! In that category who are eligible are in career 300 hitters not in hall of fame mid-1930s total was higher than pitchers like Hunter! He should have gotten a little more support on the Cubs coaching staff legend retired in 1947, was. Top six in Cy Young voting five times and batted over.300 six times up a 7-2 record with career. And career.932 OPS also is good enough to be a HOF a service to people for... 137 career OPS+ ranks behind only Mantle, Berkman and Jones among modern switch-hitters today, but he! Major leagues when he retired it marked the league in complete games shutouts! To argue that Beltran & # x27 ; t make it into the Hall... Argue that Beltran & # x27 ; t think Votto catches him in the 1910s coombs. Who received surprisingly little support in his final year of eligibility when he combined to hit.387 over the span. 1930 when he combined to hit.387 over the two-year span his 390 home runs finished or! In making this list, players were not penalized for admitting steroid use or rumored steroid or... Your medical doctor only Mantle, Berkman and Jones among modern switch-hitters is among the highest career average... Importance transcends hisaccomplishmentson the diamond morris is in a three-part Series about a more valued..
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