10 ELITE MLB Players SNUBBED From HALL OF FAME - Including NEW SNUB CARLOS BELTRAN!! SNUBBED Part 3

Welcome to another edition of MLB Hall of Fame SNUBS and today, we’ll be ranking #30-#21 along with some updates to the previous 2 videos which will be linked at the end of this one so you can check out my TOP 20 SNUBS of all time. Before getting into the main list, there have been some fortunate updates to my Top 10 list.

In the recent 2023 Hall of Fame election, my #6 snub of all time was finally elected to the Hall of Fame and it’s the great Scott Rolen, who was an elite player on both sides of the ball. Rolen was a Rookie of the Year winner who ended his career with 8 Gold Glove Awards. Based on defense alone, he would be a Hall of Fame candidate, but when you take into account his amazing bat and the fact that he averaged 28 home runs a year for 8 straight seasons and drove in over 100 runs 5 times, it’s a shoe-in for me. Scott Rolen absolutely deserves enshrinement in Cooperstown and I’m very happy to remove him from my snubs list as he gets the plaque that he deserves.

The second update of course is the man who was my #1 snub of all time, the Crime Dog, Fred McGriff, who was elected by the Contemporary Era Committee after somehow being snubbed on the ballot for 15 years. In my opinion, the fact that this happened will be a black eye for the writer’s association for as long as they continue to be the sole voters on the traditional Hall of the Fame ballot. Fred McGriff, of course, came within 7 home runs of 500 and had he hit those measly 7 more homers, he would have probably been in a long time ago. McGriff was an elite hitter and excellent defender for over a decade averaging 30 home runs a year for an astonishing 16 years. Congratulations to both Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen for being elected into the Hall of Fame, better late than never.

New Snubs: Carlos Beltran, Ross Barnes

To replace McGriff and Rolen in the Top 10, I’m going to start with a brand new snub and that snub is Carlos Beltran, who made the Hall of Fame ballot this year and received only 46.5% of the vote. Beltran was similar to Scott Rolen in that he was a Rookie of the Year winner who was an elite defender and hitter, but Beltran had an even longer career, accumulating 435 home runs and 2,725 hits. He was a 9-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover, 2-time Silver Slugger and drove in over 100 runs 8 times. It is certainly worth pointing out that Beltran lost many votes due to his involvement in the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal. He was a 40-year old player at the time in the last year of his career, so whatever cheating took place certainly didn’t change the fact that he had a Hall of Fame career. Will the voters seriously keep him out? He not only had a Hall of Fame career but also won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2013 for his humanitarian work off the field. He apologized for his involvement and took responsibility. Meanwhile, 2017 Astros manager A.J. Hinch and bench coach Alex Cora are continuing their managerial careers elsewhere without issue. Also, as a final point, sign-stealing has been part of the game forever and even though the Astros clearly took it too far, Beltran was far from the only one involved and to keep him out of the Hall of Fame for this one blemish on his otherwise stellar resume, in my opinion, is ridiculous. Carlos Beltran is my newest Top 10 Hall of Fame snub of all time, along with a player from the 19th century named Ross Barnes, who not only hit the first home run in MLB history but absolutely dominated the game during the early years of professional baseball.

For more info on Barnes, check out my video on him above. So, now that my Top 10 remains complete, let’s move on to 10 more snubs, #30 through 21. Keep in mind these snubs are understandably mostly borderline cases, but in my opinion all 10 should eventually be enshrined and I’ll explain why.. here we go...

#30 David Cone

Although most baseball fans remember David Cone as being an excellent pitcher, his name may not jump out as an obvious Hall of Famer. When digging a bit deeper though, I believe he has an excellent case. He had a 17-year that included five All-Star appearances, five World Series rings and even a Cy Young Award in 1992. Cone is 27th All-Time in career strikeouts with 2,668. His career WAR of 26.3 beats out many Hall of Fame starters including Don Drysdale and Whitey Ford. When examining his placement on the JAWS ranking, which evaluates Hall of Fame worthiness, Cone finds himself dropped in the middle of a massive list of Hall of Famers. Notice how Cone is mixed in with names like Juan Marichal and Bob Feller among others. He only had 194 career wins, but when considering everything else, does that warrant him falling off the ballot during his first year of eligibility? Cone also finished in the Top 6 for the Cy Young 5 times and his best year was a year he didn’t even win it, 1988, when he went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA. Without the Cy Young, he is definitely a boderline case, but when you add that into the mix, it puts it over the top for me – David Cone should have a plaque.

#29 Jack Glasscock

He was the best shorstop of an entire century – ableit the 19th century. Called “The King of Shortstops,” deadball superstar Jack Glasscock had a 17-year career in which he collected over 2,000 hits. At that time, 2,000 career hits was no small feat as he was only the 6th player of all time to do it. However, his strongest asset was his defense. Glasscock led the National League in fielding percentage seven times and assists 6 times. When he retired in 1895, he had the Major League record for games played, putouts, assists, double plays and fielding percentage. Had the Hall of Fame existed at the time, he was have been a first ballot no brainer Hall of Famer. Unfortunately, by the time the Hall of Fame did exist, he was overshadowed by the greats of the 20th century and only received 2.6% of the vote in his one and only year on the ballot in 1936. Since then, he has only been forgotten even more, due largely to the fact that most of the teams he played for no longer exist – such as the Indianapolis Hoosiers and Louisville Colonels. He did, however, play two years for the New York Giants, including the outstanding 1890 season in which he led the league in hits and won the batting title with a .336 average. Despite the fact that his overall numbers may not be Hall of Fame worth by today’s standards, because he stood out above his peers as one of the best in the game for well over a decade, even if it was in the 19th century, Jack Glasscock deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

#28 Luis Tiant

Coming up next is Luis Tiant, a pitcher who was on the ballot for 15 years and was never elected. He was also snubbed on 3 ballots for the Veteran’s Committee. Today he is 82 years old and still with us, so I’m hopeful he will be able to enjoy the moment when he is elected. And why should he be elected? How about a 19 year career in which he won at least 20 games 4 times, finished in the Top 6 for the Cy Young 3 times and had 2 ERA titles. He had 2,416 strikeouts, more than Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal and Jim Palmer. In the postseason, Tiant went 3-0 with 2.86 ERA in 4 starts. He had all these accomplishments despite playing a large portion of his career at hitter friendly Fenway Park. He also pitched for the offensively light Cleveland Indians for the first 6 years of his career, and the lack of run support killed his record. For example, he went 12-11 in 1966 despite a 2.79 ERA. Five of his 12 wins that year were via the shutout. In 1968, he went 21-6 with an ERA of 1.6 Unfortunately, he only made 3 All Star Teams, but was certainly snubbed there. In 1973, for instance, he won 20 games – and had 12 at the All Star Break but did not make the All Star Team. All told, he won 229 games with a 3.3 ERA and an incredibly impressive 187 complete games. He is also one of two pitchers with two streaks of 40+ scoreless innings. The other is the great Walter Johnson.

#27 Tommy John

How could a player who had a Hall of Fame career who also has one of the most famous names in baseball history be left on the outside looking in? Even if we ignore the massive impact Tommy John had on the game by becoming the first player to make a successful comeback to the game after successful ligament replacement surgery, his career itself warrants induction. John pitched for an incredibly impressive 26 years. Aside from his incredible longevity, he won 288 career games – 12 shy of 300 – and won at least 20 games in 3 separate seasons. Although he never won a Cy Young Award, he certainly could have as he finished in the Top 10 four times, which includes two times when he was the runner-up. The only reason I have Tommy John ranked this low on my overall list of snubs is because he was only great for about a 4-year window and for most of his career was just good or average. Still, I consider longevity an important factor and considering he pitched for 26 years, his 3.34 ERA is impressive. When you combine his career numbers with the fact that he made an extraordinary comeback through a groundbreaking surgery that bears his name and continues to help hundreds of pitchers continue their careers despite experiencing what used to be career-ending injuries, it’s a shame that Tommy John isn’t in the Hall of Fame. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise – the player with the most hits is not in, the player with the most home runs is not in and the player with the most famous name of all – also not in.

#26 Orel Hershiser

Up next is a player whose shelves are filled with so many awards, if you visited his home, you would just assume he’s a Hall of Famer. His name is Orel Hershiser and just to run through those awards before getting into his stats, he has a Cy Young Award, Major League Player of the Year Award, Silver Slugger, ALCS MVP, NLCS MVP, World Series MVP, and a Gold Glove Award. Add all that to a World Series Ring and 3 All Star Appearances. He was one of if not the best pitcher in the game during the late 80’s. At one point in 1988, he threw a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings. Although his career slowed down after the 80’s, he continued to be a dominant postseason pitcher and pitched well for both the Indians and Mets as well, retiring with a 2.59 ERA in 22 postseason games. Although his best regular season years were certainly with the Dodgers, especially the insane 1988 Cy Young season in which he went 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA, he was still good from 1995 to 1997 with Cleveland, when he went 45-21. His accomplishments and awards alone merit induction despite only winning 204 career games, which is partially due to poor run support. He did have a relatively high ERA as well at 3.48, but it has been proven you can get in with an ERA in 3’s – Jack Morris was recently inducted and he had a 3.9 career ERA. Bottom line, when you do what Hershiser did at his best then go on to win over 200 games while continuing to pitch well when it counts, you deserve a plaque in my opinion.

#25 Albert Belle

Next up is a player known more his insane temper and toxic relationship with the media than his talent on the field. This unfortunately may have kept him out of Cooperstown. After all, it’s the baseball writers who vote. Albert Belle got only 7% of the vote on his first ballot. The next year, he dropped to around 3% and fell off the ballot. He only played for 12 years but was an absolute machine during most of it, driving in over 100 runs 9 consecutive times. That includes the strike-shortened 1994 when he smashed 36 home runs in just 101 games. Belle finished in the Top 3 for MVP 3 times and in the Top 10 5 times, although he never won the award. He easily could have and should have in 1995 when he crushed a league leading 50 homers with 126 RBIs. He had a slugging percentage of .690 and an OPS over 1.000 and led his team to an easy division title. He also hit .317 that year but lost the MVP to Mo Vaughn, who hit an even .300 with 39 home runs. Belle was better in nearly every category but Vaughn took home the MVP. Belle did win the Player of the Year Award. In his career, he was a 5-time All Star and 5-time Silver Slugger as well and is the only player to ever hit 50 homers and 50 doubles in the same season. Unfortunately, he had to retire early due to a degenerative back condition, but he still managed 381 home runs, over 1200 RBIs and a .295 batting average. His career OPS of .933 is just 7 points below one Willie Mays and is better than Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols and Ken Griffey Jr. among many other greats of the game. To me, the only possible excuse to keep him out is his lack of longevity, but when you’re as good as he was, 12 years in more than enough.

#24 Carlos Delgado

Next up on the Hall of Fame snubs list is the great Carlos Delgado, who is slightly higher than Belle because he had a longer career at 17 years, allowing him to hit 473 homers – just 27 shy of 500. Aside from that, he also had a season where he could have easily taken home the MVP. It was 2003 and Delgado hit 42 homers with an incredible 145 RBIs while hitting .302 with an OPS over 1.000. Unfortunately, A-Rod, perhaps with a little assistance, outdid him in Texas and won the MVP. Since voters don’t consider juicers legit and won’t put them in the hall, I assume they must also credit Delgado then for being the true MVP that year. Aside from 2003, he was incredibly consistent, crushing at least 30 home runs 11 times, going over 40 3 times. Here’s one stat that might convince you Delgado is a Hall of Famer or at least deserved more than getting kicked off the ballot after one year. He drove in more runs than Mickey Mantle. When you combine that fact with the fact that he had nearly 500 homers, that’s all I need to know. Names on the list of similar players on baseball reference includ Willie McCovey, Jeff Bagwell and Willie Stargell. The voters did Delgado dirty when they failed to even give him 5% of the vote.

#23 Thurman Munson

Up next is a player whose career and life was cut short by a tragic plane crash. Had this never occurred, Munson would have likely waltzed into the Hall of Fame. Still, even with his shortened career, I think Munson deserves enshrinement. During his 11 year career, he made 7 All Star teams, won 3 Gold Gloves, and took home the Rookie of the Year Award as well as an MVP Award. That alone sounds close to a Hall of Famer. If it’s not enough, how about an absolutely phenomenal postseason career in which he hit .357 in 30 games, helping the Yankees win two World Series rings. He had 16 World Series starts and was unstoppable, hitting .373. Defensively, he was also dominant, throwing out 4 of 6 would-be base stealers during the ‘77 World Series. The only excuse to keep him out is his shortened career, in which he still hit .292 but only had 1,558 hits. Still, he did get the 10 year minimum in, has an MVP and was an absolute superstar during his time. When you add that to the postseason contributions, I believe he absolutely deserves a plaque and I’m shocked he was never voted in when you consider his tragic death as, for better or worse, I would assume he would have gotten some sympathy votes. Nevertheless, in my opinion, he’s a Hall of Famer with or without sympathy votes.

#22 Jim McCormick

It’s time to go way back in time again and talk about one of the early players of the game. Jim McCormick is another forgotten 19th century player who played pro ball from 1878 to 1887, just 10 years. However, during that time, his numbers were off the charts – even for early baseball stats. For example, he won 265 games in his career – nearly 300 – in just 10 years. In 1880, he led the league with an insane 45 wins, a number impossible to achieve today. He is 11th All Time with 466 Complete Games and is one of just 4 pitchers in baseball history with 4,000 innings pitched with an ERA under 2.50. The other 3 are all in the Hall of Fame – Christy Matthewson, Walter Johnson and Eddie Plank. In fact, when looking at his incredible numbers, it’s quite baffling he’s not in the Hall of Fame. The reason may be because he hasn’t been on the ballot in many decades and back when he was, he was held out for not reaching 300 wins, which most of his peers who made the Hall of Fame did. However, nowadays, 300 wins is rare and far from a requirement to get in. Jim McCormick is some one whose case needs to be re-evaluated and he needs to be put in the Hall of Fame and hopefully he has descendants he can be there to celebrate the induction.

#21 Dwight Evans

Coming in as my ultimate snub in today’s edition of snubs is an amazing player who spent 20 years in the league, dominating in both the field and at the plate. His name is Dwight Evans. Evans may be the most baffling case of some one who didn’t even receive 5% of the vote, which caused him to fall off the ballot. This just goes to show many of these voters don’t do the slightest bit of research when casting their ballot. This is some one who played 20 years, won 8 gold gloves, accumulated over 2,400 hits and crushed 385 home runs. He was a three-time All Star and 2-time Silver Slugger as well. The offensive numbers alone make him a borderline case, but when you add in the 8 Gold Gloves, the case should become clear – Dwight Evans belongs in. His career WAR of 67.2 is higher than Willie McCovey, Duke Snider and Jackie Robinson. Along with his power, Evans had a knack for getting on base and led the league in walks 3 times. He simply helped his teams win games for 20 years on both sides of the ball and even though he didn’t reach any of the main milestone numbers, Evans was great for a sustained period of time and deserves a plaque in Cooperstown.

Top 20 MLB Draft STEALS Of ALL TIME

The MLB Draft started in 1965 and was an instant success, allowing every team to have the opportunity to bring elite talent into their organization. The Kansas City Athletics took Rick Monday with the first overall pick and he became an All Star player. However, one of the most intriguing aspects of the draft is that even if a team is picking beyond the first round, you never know when you’ll find a diamond in the rough. The Reds, for example, took a catcher in the 2nd round named Johnny Bench. Sometimes, these amazing finds occur even deeper – much deeper – in the draft and today, we will begin our exploration into the top 20 biggest draft steals of all time. The only criteria is that the pick had to occur outside of the top 5 rounds and this list only contains retired players. Also, of course, the player had to have signed with the team that drafted him. Part 3 of this series will be on the MLB Draft steals for active players. Even if the player found success with a different team than he was drafted by, he will still be considered for this list, even though the team that “stole” him never benefited from the steal. This list will rank these players based on how late they were taken compared to how good they actually became.

Honorable Mention: Robb Nen (Round 32, Overall: 831st)

a young Robb Nen

My honorable mention is the former San Francisco Giant closer Robb Nen, who was a third baseman and pitcher at Los Alamitos High School. He wasn’t valued too highly, but did have some MLB blood as the son of former big leaguer Dick Nenn, and the Rangers took a chance on him in the 32nd Round of the 1987 Draft. He was the 831st overall selection. Of the 25 players picked in the 32nd round that year, only two made the big leagues – Robb Nen and Jim Campbell, who appeared in exactly two career MLB games. Nen worked his way through the minors as a starter and made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 1993. He was injury-pone and ineffective with Texas but after he was traded to the Marlins, he was moved to the bullpen to reduce the stress on his arm, and he found his calling. He racked up over 100 saves for the Marlins and became an elite MLB closer. His dominance in the 1997 postseason helped the Marlins win the World Series. Then, for the next 5 years, he averaged 41 saves per season for the San Francisco Giants. He continued to dominate in the postseason, helping the Giants became National League Champions in 2002. Unfortunately, injuries & surgeries brought his career to an early end but he still managed over 300 saves as a Round 32 pick.

20. Mark Buehrle (Round 38, Overall: 1,139th)

Next up is Mark Buerhle, a pitcher who didn’t even make the team during his sophomore year of High School. He worked hard and became good enough to attend Jefferson College, a community college in Missouri. The White Sox took him in the 38th round with the 1,139th overall pick of 1998 Draft. At this point in the draft, teams are just filling rosters on their minor league affiliates. No one else in that round ever made any kind of impact in the major leagues. Buehrle pitched extremely well in the minors and quickly made the big league club in 2001, where went 16-8 in his first full season with a 3.29 ERA. He 2002, he made the All Star team and won 19 games. The White Sox had struck gold in the 38th round. He went on to make 5 All Star Teams and win 4 gold gloves in addition to 214 big league wins with the White Sox, Marlins and Blue Jays. In 2021, he received 11% of the vote for the Hall of Fame, allowing him to stay on the ballot. He will probably not quite make it into the Hall of Fame, but Mark Buerhle’s story is incredible – he went from getting cut from his High School team to getting picked late in the MLB Draft to winning over 200 MLB games.

19. Jeff Conine (Round 58, Overall: 1,226th)

If getting picked as the 1,139th overall pick sounds bad, how about the 1,226th overall pick? That’s how low Jeff Conine was picked by the Kansas City Royals in the 1987 Draft, a draft that broke a record for the number of draft picks. Most years, Conine would have never even been picked. No one else in the 58th round made it above Low A Ball. The most shocking thing about Conine is that at UCLA, he was a pitcher – and just an average pitcher at that - and he only had one plate appearance as a hitter, when he was hit by a pitch. It was Royals scout Guy Hansen who convinced the Royals to draft him by telling him that this guy could really hit and could be a first baseman. At this point in the draft, the Royals figured why not? No one was expected to pan out anyway. He had no issues at all with minor league pitching and hit .320 in Double A with 15 home runs. In Triple-A, he hit .302 with 20 bombs. The Royals knew they had hit the jackpot and promoted Conine to the majors. Unfortunately for them, the Florida Marlins were an expansion team and snagged up Conine in their inaugural draft, moved him to left field and found their franchise player. He is the only player who was with the Marlins for both their 1997 and 2003 world series championships, although he did play for the Orioles in-between them. He also won an All Star Game MVP Award and retired with over 200 homers and 1,000 RBIs – not bad for a 1,226th overall pick.

18. Jim Edmonds (Round 7, Overall 169th)

Jim Edmonds is a player who was recently highlighted in one of my top Hall of Fame Snubs ranking. Although he should be in the Hall of Fame in my opinion, he is ranked #17 since he wasn’t drafted ridiculously low – but it was still low. He was taken by the California Angels in the 7th round as the 169th overall pick, in-between Bernie Jenkins and Bill St. Peter, neither of whom made it above Double-A. He was considered damaged goods with a shoulder injury in High School, but showed serious promise in the minors by hitting over .290 in High A then over .300 in Double A and Triple A. His defense was also top-notch and the Angels promoted him in 1993. They still weren’t convinced he was in their future plans and signed free agents Bo Jackson and Dwight Smith for the 1994 season. Neverthless, Edmonds forced his way into the lineup and was in Rookie of the Year talks when the season was abruptly ended by the strike. The next year, his bat exploded – Edmonds crushed 33 home runs with 107 RBIs while making ridiculous plays in the outfield. He went on the be an absolute machine for the Cardinals, averaging 35 home runs a year for 6 years. He finished his career with a .284 average, 393 bombs, 8 gold gloves, a silver slugger and 4 All Star selections – representing the 7th round.

17. Fred McGriff (Round 9, Overall: 233rd)

Another huge Hall of Fame Snub who was taken even later than Edmonds is Fred McGriff. He loved the game of baseball as a kid and always hung out around the Reds Spring Training camp in Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, even in his High School days, Fred McGriff was getting snubbed as he was cut from his Sophomore team. He made the team the next year, although no scouts paid any attention to him – that is, until a few scouts who were checking out Doc Gooden pitch saw this McGriff kid hit a towering home run off Doc. The New York Yankees, with the last pick of the 9th round, decided to go ahead and take a shot at him as the 233rd overall pick. He showed some promise in rookie league by hitting .272 with 9 home runs. Then, figuring they were already good at first base with Don Mattingly, the Yankees let their draft steal go by trading McGriff, along with Dave Collins and Mike Morgan, to the Blue Jays for Dale Murray and Tom Dodd. They should’ve asked for much more. McGriff ended up smashing 20 bombs for the Jays in 1987, then 34 the next year, beginning a streak of 7 straight 30+ home run seasons. In 1990, the Jays also traded McGriff, although they got much better value in return by getting Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar from San Diego, Neverthless, McGriff still put up big numbers with the Padres and then the Braves, who picked him up at the trade deadline in 1993 to help them try to catch the red-hot Giants. He was the spark they needed – literally, as the Braves stadium caught on fire right after the trade, and figuratively – as the Braves won the division that year. In 1995, he helped them win the World Series. McGriff retired with 493 home runs and a .284 batting average and had an absolute Hall of Fame career – despite that fact that he inexplicably was never elected. He did all that and more as a 9th round selection.

16. Kenny Lofton (Round 17, Overall: 428th)

Next up, it was the 1988 MLB Draft and the Houston Astros, with the 428th overall pick, took Kenny Lofton. Only 2 other players in the 7th round made the big leagues and their combined WAR is -2. Lofton was a basketball player for the Arizona Wildcats and played in the Final Four in 1988. It wasn’t until his junior year that he decided to go try out for the baseball team. Although he made the team for his speed and athleticism, he played in just five games and got one at bat. An Astros scout, however, noticed his speed and thought he was worth a shot in the later rounds even though he wasn’t really a baseball player yet. He wasn’t great in his first minor league year with a .214 average but it was a lot better than any one expected, and he stole 26 bases, so they let him play a second season. Everything clicked – Lofton hit .292 and stole 40 bases. The next year, in Double-A, he hit .331 with 62 steals. He was not only showing the incredible speed he was drafted for, he was also a natural with the bat, rarely striking out, putting the ball in play, getting on base and wreaking havoc for the opponent. The Astros decided that since they needed a catcher and already had Steve Finley in centerfield, they would trade Lofton. He was sent to Cleveland for catcher Eddie Taubensee and pitcher Willie Blair. In 1992, Taubensee hit .222 for the Astros and Lofton became a superstar for the Indians. He made 6 straight All Star Teams, led the league in steals for 5 straight years and went on to help the San Francisco Giants win the NL Pennant in 2002. He also won 4 Gold Gloves and even hit 130 home runs. As a non-baseball player who had one college at bat, he is perhaps the most unlikely draft-pick to go on to have what can be considered by many to be a Hall-of-Fame worthy career, although to this day he still hasn’t been elected.

15. Mark Grace (Round 24, Overall: 622nd)

Coming in at #15 is first baseman Mark Grace, who was originally drafted in the 15th round by the Twins, but did not sign. He played at San Diego State University in 1985, hitting .395 with 2 home runs, not showing much power, but an incredibly smooth swing and a solid reliable glove. Apparently, this wasn’t impressive enough for most teams as Grace was passed on round after round after round in the 1985 MLB Draft. Finally, in the 24th round, after the Red Sox took Erik Laseke, it was the Chicago Cubs who selected Mark Grace. He instantly tore up the minor leagues with a .342 average in A ball with an impressive 15 round-trippers. The next year, in Double A, he hit .333 with 17 bombs. The Cubs made him a regular in 1988 and he impressed, hitting .296 and finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting to Chris Sabo. Grace went on to be a constant producer for the Cubs, consistently hitting well above .300 with moderate power and elite defense. He made 3 all star teams and won 4 gold gloves. In 2001, he signed with the Diamondbacks and helped them their first World Series. Grace hit .329 in his postseason career and retired with .303 batting average and 2445 hits. He led an entire decade in hits and is the only player other than Pete Rose to do so who is not in the Hall of Fame. Not bad for a guy picked in the 15th then 24th round.

14. Orel Hershiser (Round 17, Overall: 440th)

The original scouting report for Orel Hershiser, a relief pitcher for Bowling Green, said that he was rattled easily, had questionable makeup, a weak fastball and a curveball that he didn’t even know how to properly throw. It’s no surprise that it took a team until the 17th round to take him – and that team was the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was taken between Raymond Alonzo and Rob Teegarden – who both made it to Double A and no higher. The only other notable pick in Hershiser’s round was a decent steal himself, current Rockies manager Bud Black. Hershiser worked his way through the minors and looked halfway decent, but nothing extraordinary. He struggled in the big leagues and after one particular rough appearance, manager Tommy Lasorda gave him a scolding he would never forget, telling him he was too nice on the mound and needed to be a bulldog. The nickname stuck and the Bulldog went on to go 19-3 in 1985, finishing 3rd for the Cy Young. In 1988, he was even better, winning the Cy Young and going 23-8 while leading the Dodgers to a World Series Title. He threw a mind-blowing 59 consecutive scoreless innings, an MLB record. Later, with the Indians, he went 16-6 and led the team to their first postseason appearance in 41 years. He also pitched for the Giants and Mets before returning to the Dodgers for his last season. Hershiser won 204 games, a Cy Young, Gold Glove, ALCS MVP, NLCS MVP, World Series MVP and Silver Slugger. So much for a 17th round pick with questionable makeup. Unfortunately, Hershiser has yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

13. Ozzie Smith (Round 7, Overall 146th)

Ozzie Smith

Next up, we have a 7th round pick who has made it into Cooperstown, and it is the Wizard, Ozzie Smith, the 146th overall pick in the 1976 draft. Smith was a big baseball fan as a kid and played both basketball and baseball in High School. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for college and walked on to the baseball team as a backup infielder. When the regular shortstop broke his leg, Smith took over and impressed with amazing defense, blazing speed and a solid bat. After his junior year, the Tigers took him in the 7th round but they couldn’t agree on a bonus. The Tigers missed out on Ozzie Smith over $1,500. The next year, the Padres drafted him again in the 7th and he signed. He dazzled in the minors with the glove and the bat and was quickly promoted, where he established himself as one of the best defenders in the game. Just 10 games into his career, he made one of the most spectacular plays ever caught on video with a dive on a ball going up the middle that took a bad hop. Smith somehow snagged it with his bare hand and threw the runner out. Later, because of some animosity between the Padres and Smith’s agent, San Diego dealt Smith to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton, who the Cardinals were all too ready to get rid of due to fans booing him for his lackadaisical style of play and body language. The rest is history of course as Smith became a Cardinals legend, winning 13 gold gloves and making 15 total All Star games, one of which was with the Padres in 1981. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

12. Wade Boggs (Round 7, Overall 166th)

Amazingly, that 1976 7th round also produced another Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs. He is higher on this list, however as he was taken as the 166th pick, 22 picks after Ozzie. Boggs was an All-State football player in High School and earned a scholarship to the University of South Carolina. He also played baseball, but was exactly a hot name in the draft. It was likely no MLB team would take him if not for a scout named George Digby who fought hard for the Red Sox to draft this kid, who he said had an incredibly smooth swing. The Red Sox front office didn’t think he had MLB talent, but what the heck – it was the 7th round, so they took Digby’s advice. As a prospect that the Red Sox didn’t consider a future big leaguer, they were slow to move him up the minor league ladder. However, they couldn't ignore his stats – .332 batting average in A ball, .325 in Double-A, .335 in Triple-A. This guy was absolute hitting machine, but could he did at the big league level? We all know the answer. Boggs hit .349 in his rookie year and followed it up by leading the league with a .361 average and .444 on-base percentage. He never stopped hitting. Boggs led the league in batting average 5 out of 6 seasons at one point and made 12 All Star Teams. He also played solid defense, taking home 2 gold gloves. He finished his career with over 3,000 hits, a .328 average and even smashed 24 home runs in 1987. He was a first ballot shoe-in Hall of Famer and is one of the best pure hitters to ever play the game. He did it all as a 7th round pick.

11. Jim Thome (Round 13, Overall: 333rd)

Next up, the biggest steal in Part 1 of this list, is Jim Thome, a Hall-of-Famer who was taken in the 13th round and 333rd overall. Only 1 other player, Mike Oquist, made the big leagues from this round. In High School, Thome was considered underweight and lacking in potential. No team drafted him. Then, at a community college, he showed a bit more promise and, as basically an afterthought, the Indians drafted him in the 13th round. No one would have batted an eye if he washed out of the minor leagues after one or two seasons. Instead, he hit .340 in A ball with 16 home runs. Then, the next season, between double A and Triple A, he hit .319 and drove in 73 runs. The Indians took serious notice at this point and brought him to the big leagues, where he hit .255 in his first 27 games. He still wasn’t considered a massive prospect and bounced back and forth from Triple A to MLB for a few years until he smashed 20 home runs in 1994 and earned a permanent spot in the lineup. By 1997, he was a superstar, with 40 bombs that year and an OPS over 1.000. He led the league with 120 RBIs and didn’t slow down from there, driving in over 100 runs for 7 of the next 9 years. In 2003 with Philadelphia, he hit a career high 47 home runs and retired with an astonishing 612, becoming the 8th player of the 600 home-run club. He received 89.8% of the vote in his first year on the ballot. Jim Thome went from a skinny undrafted High School kid to a 13th round minor league roster filler to a no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer.

10. Andre Dawson (Round 11, Overall: 250th)

Andre Dawson with the Expos

Just cracking the top 10 is a Hall-of-Famer who scouts had absolutely no interest in during his High School days. He went on to take out some student loans so he could go to college, attending Florida A&M University. Dawson tried out for the baseball team and made it, eventually becoming a regular who showed definite talent. It was enough talent that the Expos took notice and drafted Dawson in the 11th round, 250th overall. He took the minor leagues by storm with a .330 batting average and 13 homers in just 72 games in rookie ball. He was sent to Double-A the next year and crushed everything. So, he was moved up to Triple-A. He tore up both leagues with a .352 average and 28 home runs in 1976. The Expos had a winning lotto ticket and they knew what to do with it. From 1977 onward, Dawson would be in the Expos lineup every day. He hit .282 that year with 19 home runs and won the Rookie of the Year Award. He started making All Star teams, winning gold gloves and becoming an absolute superstar. He eventually signed with the Cubs to get away from the artificial turf in Montreal and crushed 49 home runs in 1987, winning the MVP. He also played for the Red Sox and Marlins, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010 wearing a Montreal Expos cap on the plaque. He was also the first Marlins player elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s a good thing Dawson decided to go to college and walk on to the Florida A&M baseball squad.

9. Jeff Kent (Round 20, Overall: 523rd)

a young Jeff Kent

The next draft steal is Jeff Kent, who was taken in the 20th round of the 1989 MLB Draft. Kent was a college player at U.C. Berkley who had a great year in 1987 with a .349 average but showed a huge decline the next year, hitting just .193 in 1988 with 4 home runs. His 8 career college home runs didn’t spark much interest in him as a power hitter, but there was enough there that the Blue Jays took a waiver on him in the 20th round. He ended up being a decent minor league hitter, moving up slowly through the system and making his big league debut in 1992. He hit .239 with 11 home runs. With a reputation as a decent hitting infielder with at least a little pop, the Jays traded him to the Mets for David Cone. His power started really coming around in 1993 when he hit 21 home runs. He proved that he was a real big leaguer in New York. Later, he was traded to the Indians. However, it was in San Francisco where his career really took off. I know this from experience – Giants fans were not happy with the trade that brought Jeff Kent to the bay area, as it resulted in the loss of Matt Williams. However, we got it over it quickly as Kent hit 29 home runs in 1997, then 31 in 1998, finishing in the Top 10 for MVP both years. In 2000, he had a phenomenal season, beating out his teammate Barry Bonds for the MVP by hitting 33 bombs while batting .334. He was also, or at least we thought so at the time, a great fielder as well despite the advanced stats not agreeing with that. Kent went on to hit more home runs than any second baseman in the history of the game. He should have a plaque in Cooperstown, but as of now, it hasn’t happened. Kent, as a 20th round and 523rd overall pick, comes at #9 in my list of the Top MLB Draft Steals of all time.

8. Andy Pettite (Round 22, Overall: 577th)

Coming in at #8 is Andy Pettite, who was taken even lower – in the 22nd round and 577th overall. His fastball clocked in at about 85 MPH in High School and he wasn’t expected to do much, but teams have to fill their minor league rosters, so the Yankees took him right after the Dodgers snagged Mike Rocobaldo. Pettite’s fastball must’ve hit puberty right before his pro career began as he struck out 83 batters in 69 innings in his first minor league season. He continued to dominate the next year with a 2.2 ERA in A Ball. The Yankees moved him through the system slowly, noticing that he continued to dominate at each level. In 1995, after allowing zero runs in 2 Triple-A starts, they brought him up and put him in the rotation. He went 12-9 and finished 3rd for the rookie of the year. The next year, he broke through completely with a 21-8 record, finishing second in the Cy Young voting. He would be a mainstay in the Yankees rotation through 2003 when he went to Houston for three years then came back to the Yankees, where he helped them win it all in 2009. Pettite retired with an 19-11 postseason record and 256-153 regular season record. He is a borderline Hall of Fame case, but considering he was picked 577th in the draft and played nearly his entire career for the Bronx Bombers, Andy Pettite is a huge draft steal.

7. Don Mattingly (Round 19, Overall: 493rd)

Amazingly, Andy Pettite isn’t even the Yankees biggest steal on this list. Next up is a 19th round pick named Don Mattingly. However, unlike many of this list, Mattingly was a big name during his High School career and had many MLB teams interested in his services. He hit .463 in High School and set multiple High School records that stand to this day. The only reason he fell all the way to the 19th round is that he accepted a scholarship to play college ball at Indiana State. His father told MLB teams to not bother drafting him, because he was going to honor his commitment. The Yankees were smart to try anyway and they did so with the 493rd pick. Mattingly wanted to play pro ball right away and, despite his father’s wishes, he signed with the Yanks. Mattingly was actually disappointed with his minor league performance in his first year, which resulted in a .349 batting average and .932 OPS. He was a star in the making and eventually became one of the premiere players in Major League Baseball, dominating the mid-to-late eighties. Even his power showed up in a big way when he crushed 35 bombs in 1985. Mattingly made 6 straight All Star teams, won an MVP and played flawless defense at first, winning 9 Gold Gloves. Injuries slowed him down, and he eventually had to retire relatively early, but Donnie Baseball absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame and, I am confident in saying, will be someday. The Yankees had a massive steal by taking a gamble that he would sign by drafting him in the 19th round way back in 1979.

6. Ryne Sandberg (Round 20, Overall: 511th)

Coming in at #6 in my Top 10 MLB Draft Steals of all time is Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Like Mattingly, he wasn’t a nobody in High School, in fact, he was a three-sport star and was so good at football, that several Division I colleges tried to recruit him. Sandberg eventually signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Washington State University, which explains why he didn’t go higher in the MLB Draft. Nevertheless, the Phillies took a shot at him in the 20th round as the 511th overall selection. To their delight, Sandberg decided to forgo college football and signed to play pro baseball with the Phillies organization. Only one of the other 22 players drafted in the 20th round that year ever played major league baseball – and it was a guy named Pat Rooney, who went 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts in his big league career. Sandberg hit .311 in his first year at rookie ball, then moved through minors at an appropriate pace, playing at each level for one season. In 1981 in Triple A with the Oklahoma City 89ers, he hit .293 but hit just 9 homers – he was never much of a power hitter in the minors. The Phillies brought him up to make his big league debut. He went 1-for-6. Later that offesason, Cubs GM Dallas Green had his eye on Sandberg and convinced them to include him in a trade that primarily involved Larry Bowa and Ivan DeJesus. Sandberg, who was obviously a nice player in the minors but never showed insane potential, was just an extra chip in the trade. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career, winning the MVP in 1984, making 10 All Star teams and winning 9 Gold Gloves. In 1984, he also played in what became known as the “Sandberg Game,” a nationally televised game in which Sandberg hit two dramatic late-game home runs, putting himself on the map as a genuine MLB star. The Phillies never benefited from their amazing draft pick, taking a Hall of Famer in the 20th round.

5. Keith Hernandez (Round 41, Overall: 785th)

At #5 we have a player who I believe should be in the Hall of Fame, and was taken in the 41st round. His name is Keith Hernandez. He was not heavily recruited in High School after he sat out his entire senior year due to behavioral issues and arguments with his coach. He ended up attending a local community college and was surprisingly drafted, albeit very late in the draft. The St. Louis Cardinals took Hernandez as the 785th overall pick, and he was the only player in the 41st round to make the major leagues and the lowest pick in the entire 1971 draft to make the major leagues. He hit just well enough in the minors to stick around for a couple years until 1974 when, in Triple A, he had a breakout year. Hernandez hit .351 with 14 home runs for the Tulsa Oilers, forcing the Cardinals to bring him up. In 14 games at the big league level, he hit .294 with a .415 on-base-percentage. They put him in Triple A the next year and he just continued to tear up minor league pitching, leading the Cards to finally put him the lineup as an everyday player and he didn’t disappoint. In 1978, he won his first gold glove and in 1979, he won the MVP, hitting a league-leading .344 with 48 doubles. He helped his team win the World Series in 1982 and won gold glove after gold glove while hitting like an absolute machine. Eventually, due to arguments with the Cardinals management, he was traded to the Mets, where he continuously hit over .300 while playing flawless defense. He also helped them win a championship in the famous 1986 season. All told, Hernandez won 11 gold gloves, an MVP, 2 world series and retired with a .296 batting average and 426 doubles. His absence from the hall of fame is, in my opinion, an absolute travesty. He did it all as a 41st round draft pick.

4. John Smoltz (Round 22, Overall: 574th)

He was the last pick in the 22nd round of 1985 and the only pick of the round to do anything significant in the big leagues – John Smoltz. The team that gets credit for the pick is the Tigers, the team Smoltz rooted for as a kid from Detroit. Smoltz was an All-State player in High School but apparently not good enough for most MLB teams. With the Tigers organization in A ball, he showed some talent but nothing special, going 7-8 with a 3.56 ERA. The next year between Double-A and Triple-A, he went 4-11 with a 5.73 ERA. His strikeout stuff was nothing spectacular and The Tigers, who needed immediate starting pitching help, shipped him to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander. If I had a youtube channel at the time, I would’ve probably said the Tigers won that deal, picking up a veteran starter to help them while the Braves get this terrible minor leaguer who will wash out of pro ball within a year. I would’ve been wrong. Credit goes to Braves scout John Hagemann, who convinced the Braves to trade for Smoltz and told Bobby Cox that Smoltz had the best right handed arm he had ever seen. Smoltz went 10-5 for the Richmond Braves Triple-A team with a 2.79 ERA and was promoted to the big leagues. The next year, he was an All Star, going 12-11 with a 2.94 ERA. He went on to show the world what he could do, standing toe to toe with his childhood hero, Jack Morris, in the 1991 World Series. In 1996, he won the Cy Young after going 24-8. Later, he even became an elite closer, saving 55 games for the Braves in 2002. The 8-time All Star was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2015.

3. Albert Pujols (Round 13, Overall: 402nd)

A young Alert Pujols

Coming in at #3 is the recently retired, future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols. Pujols was born in the Dominican Republican and moved to U.S. in 1996. He was a strong player in High School but went undrafted. He attended Maple Woods Community College in Missouri and hit .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman. Teams were still wary of drafting him, because they weren’t sure of his real age and ideal position. It was the St. Louis Cardinals who decided to take him, but not until the 13th round and 402nd overall pick. 401 times, teams passed on Albert Pujols. The Cardinals themselves were slow to take him, as their picks from the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th rounds never made the big leagues. But at least they finally made the move and it paid off immediately. Pujols blasted through all levels of the minors in one season, then made the Opening Day roster in 2001. He was an instant star, hitting 37 home runs with 130 RBIs, taking home the Rookie of the Year award and a Silver Slugger. He made the All Star team in his first big league season. From there, he became one of the best sluggers in the game, routinely topping 40 home runs and leading the league in multiple offensive categories. Pujols helped the Cardinals win two World Series before signing with the Angels, where he started to decline a bit but continued to display amazing power including 40 bombs in 2015. He also played for the Dodgers in 2021 before returning to the Cards for one last year in 2022 when he .270 with 24 bombs, topping 700 career home runs and cementing himself as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The Cardinals not only had an amazing steal in 13th round, but they took full advantage of it as well as Pujols will undoubtedly wear a Cardinals hat on his plaque in the Hall of Fame.

2. Nolan Ryan (Round 12, Overall: 226th)

Nolan Ryan as a young pitcher

Coming in at #2 as the 2nd biggest steal of all time in the MLB Draft is the Ryan Express – Nolan Ryan. He was a feared arm in High School, 19-3 including one 7-inning game when every single out of the game was recorded via the strikeout. Hitters would refuse to even bat against him for fear of being struck by the awesome fastball that was already likely hitting the mid-to-high 90’s. A New York Mets scout saw Ryan pitch and told the Mets he had the best arm he had seen in his entire life. Still, for whatever reason, teams didn’t draft him. Even the Mets avoided him all the way up until the final pick of the 12th round. Ryan was taken as the 226th overall pick and of the 20 players picked in the 12th round, he was the only one to make the big leagues. In 1966, he went 17-4 with a 2.36 ERA between Single and Double A, but the stat that was most impressive was 307 strikeouts in 202 innings. At this time, this kind of strikeout rate was unheard of. Ryan was promoted and had mixed success in the big leagues at first, although he showed signs of greatness, such as tying a Mets record with 15 strikeouts in a game. After he was shipped to the Angels in 1971 offseason, Ryan’s career really took off as he started winning around 20 games per season with ridiculous strikeout rates. He started throwing no-hitters, making All Star teams, and became a superstar. Later, he also pitched for the Astros and Rangers. He ended up with a major league record 5,714 strikeouts and 7 no-hitters. Nolan Ryan is an absolute legend and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, receiving over 98% of the vote. What an amazing steal by the Mets as the 226th overall pick.

1. Mike Piazza (Round 62, Overall: 1,390th)

Mike Pizza had is breakout year with the Bakersfield Dodgers

But my #1 Draft Steal of all time has to go to the lowest pick in this entire video series – he was taken with the 1,390th pick of the 1988 MLB Draft – Mike Piazza. No one else in the 62nd round – nor any one in 61st round for that matter, ever touched the big leagues. Piazza was a community college player who had some connections with his father, who knew Tommy Lasorda. His father asked Tommy, as a favor, if he could get the Dodgers to draft Piazza. They did so in the 62nd round and Lasorda asked Piazza to switch positions from first base to catcher to help him have a better chance to maybe reach the majors someday. In his first year in Low A, he hit .268 with 8 homers, good enough to stick around for another year. In High A, he hit .250 with 6 homers. Still not too bad, and the Dodgers gave him another season in High A ball in 1991, where, with the Bakersfield Dodgers, he broke through. Piazza opened eyes with 29 home runs and a .277 average. The next year, between Double A and Triple A, he kept raking and the Dodgers promoted him. In 1993, Piazza won the Rookie of the Year Award and crushed 35 home runs with a .318 batting average. They had a bonafide superstar on their hands. He made 10 consecutive All Star teams and became the best hitting catcher in baseball. In 1998, he was traded to the Marlins, who quickly sent him to the Mets, where he hit one of the most memorable home runs in recent memory with a game winning bomb in the first game played after 9/11. He later played for the Padres and A’s and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016. Piazza gets #1 on this not because he was the greatest player but because he was a Hall-of-Famer who was taken lower than any one else on the list – 1,390th overall and even then, because of a favor requested by his dad.

And that does it for the Top 20 MLB Draft Steals of all time, an absolutely amazing list and one of the biggest reasons I’m always excited for the MLB Draft regardless of how low my favorite team is picking. You never know who will make an impact or even who will become an absolute superstar and maybe even a Hall of Famer. Have a wonderful day ladies and gentlemen and make sure to comment below any other great players who were picked very low in the draft who may have not made my Top 20.

Top 10 MLB Hall of Fame Snubs of ALL TIME (Not Counting STEROID USERS or BANNED Players)

There’s no individual honor quite as high for a professional baseball player as making it to the Hall of Fame. 268 former players – out of over 15,000 who have played in the Majors - have been enshrined into Cooperstown. There are also many players who had what appeared to be Hall of Fame careers, but for some reason or another, never were inducted. Sometimes the reason why is clear. Connections to Performance Enhancing Drugs has kept out many of the greats. However, in today’s presentation, we will count down the Top 10 Non-Steroid Related Hall of Fame Snubs. These are players who had careers with sustained excellence, plenty of awards and accolades, and no PED controversies to speak of, although some may have had some animosity with the media for other reasons. This is not to say I don’t believe some of the PED-connected players should be in the Hall, because I do – but at least the reason why they haven’t been enshrined is obvious. This list will also avoid players banned from the Hall like Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

#10 Dick Allen

Dick Allen

Dick Allen was simply one of the best hitters of his generation. He won a Rookie of the Year in 1964 and followed it with several seasons of offensive domination. Allen won an MVP Award in 1972 after hitting .307 with 37 home runs and 113 driven in. Allen was a 7-time All Star with 9 seasons of at least 85 RBIs and 10 of at least 20 home runs. Unfortunately, he only played 15 years and dealt with several injuries. He retired with 351 home runs, 1,848 hits and a .292 batting average. Falling short of 2,000 hits likely hurt Allen along with the fact that he was not popular with the media. However, for about a decade he was among the best in the game. From 1964 to 1974, he had the best OPS in baseball –

better than both Mays and Aaron. All things said, Dick Allen may not be a first ballot shoe-in, but certainly should have been inducted at some point before he passed away in December of 2020.

#9 Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner

In determining what makes a Hall of Famer, since there aren’t many guidelines that the Hall provides, one of the best ways to gauge that is by simple precedence. Based on previous inductions, it’s clear that relief pitchers – if they were good enough – can get in the Hall. Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Goose Goosage, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith and Bruce Sutter have all been elected. Wagner stacks up extremely well against them and, statistically, is better than most of them. Only Rivera has a better Earned Run Average than Wagner’s career 2.31 ERA. Along with Smith & Hoffman, Wagner is a 7-time All Star. And he is better than both of them in nearly ever stat.

His WHIP and K/9 Ratio are better than every Hall of Fame reliever including Rivera. The only possible knock on Wagner is his poor Post Season performance – an ERA over 10 in 1l.2 innings, a fairly small sample size. Still, Lee Smith had an ERA over 8 in the postseason and it didn’t keep him out. Besides, the regular season is the bulk of a player’s career and if a player can get in without even playing in the playoffs, which they have, then a poor performance in a small sample size shouldn’t keep some one out. Billy Wagner was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball history and he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

#8 Lou Whitaker

Lou Whitaker

A 5-Tool Player who did almost everything well for 19 years, second baseman Lou Whitaker was insultingly thrown off the ballot after receiving less than 5% of the vote in 2001. With 2,369 hits and 244 bombs, he didn’t hit the major milestones, but he did help his team win games for 19 years, all for the Detroit Tigers. He won a Rookie of the Year award, was a 5-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover and even won 4 Silver Sluggers. His career WAR on Baseball Reference is better than Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Tony Gwynn among many other Hall of Famers. He also had over 1100 career walks and an impressive .363 career on base percentage, the same as Hall of Fame second baseman Craig Biggio. The top 3 players who compare to Whitaker in the Similiary Scores metric at Baseball Reference – Ryne Sandberg, Alan Trammel and Roberto Alomar – are all Hall of Famers. Unfortunately, the outlook isn’t too bright as Whitaker not only fell of the main ballot, but hasn’t even been considered yet by the Veteran’s Committee.

#7 Sherry Magee

Shery Magee

A forgotten player from the early 20th Century, Left-Fielder Sherry Magee, who mostly played for the Phillies, had an extraordinary career in which he lead the league in Runs Batted In four times, maxing out at 123 in 1910. He also led the league in batting average in 1910, hitting .334. Magee could also fly, stealing over 20 bases ten times, including 55 in 1906. He could run down fly balls like no on else and was known for his stellar defense as well. Sherry Magee was a superstar of the deadball era, always giving 100% with an intense passion for the game. Unfortunately, that passion sometimes turned to anger, and he once decked an umpire during an argument over a third strike call. It’s likely he wasn’t too popular with the press, which may explain his lack of a plaque in Cooperstown. In 1920, after an amazing 16 year career, he chose to play in the Minor Leagues instead, to avoid playing for the greedy owners he wanted nothing to do with. On the All-Time list of left-fielders, Sherry Magee is 15th in WAR, higher than Willie Stargell. The only players above him that are not in the Hall of Fame are Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds and Pete Rose.

#6 Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen & Albert Pujols After The 2006 World Series

For many, Scott Rolen is a borderline candidate but if you dig deeper into the numbers, he seems like a shoe-in for me. Rolen is a Rookie of the Year who was elite for over a decade offensively and defensively. He won an incredible 8 Gold Glove Awards, more than any third baseman in history besides Nolan Arenado, Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson. Rolen also made 7 All Star Teams and won a Silver Slugger. Statistically, he is in the top 10 WAR All Time list for Third Basemen. Every eligible player above him is in the Hall of Fame. He was also fantastic during the 2006 World Series, hitting .421 with 3 doubles and a home run, helping the Cardinals bring a ring to St. Louis. The bottom line with Rolen is, he was one of the best defensive third baseman in the game for well over a decade while being a premiere hitter, retiring with a .281 batting average and over 300 home runs. If Ozzie Smith can get in on his defense alone, how is Scott Rolen being held out?

#5 Todd Helton

Statistically, Todd Helton is a Hall of Famer. He hit .316 for his entire career with an On-Base-Percentage of .414 and over 2,500 hits to go along with 3 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers and 5 All Star Selections. In 2000, he had an unbelievable season, hitting .372 with 147 RBIs, 216 hits and 42 home runs. Looking at Career OPS, he is incredibly 23rd on the All Time List, not just for first basemen, but for every MLB Player ever. His OPS is higher than Willie Mays. Enough said. How is he not in the Hall of Fame? The only explanation is he is being kept out because he played his entire career at Coors Field, which is absolutely insane. Major League Baseball has a team in Denver. This is where they play their home games. Besides, Helton hit .287 and 187 home runs on the road and was a dangerous hitter no matter where the game was being played. Furthermore, his teammate Larry Walker was recently inducted. Yes, Helton was much better at home, but to me, the bottom line is he had a Hall of Fame career and was among the best in the game during his career on both sides of the ball and he should have a plaque in Cooperstown.

#4 Keith Hernandez

Keith Hernandez

Perhaps the best defensive first baseman in the history of the game played for 17 years, collected over 2,100 hits and retired with a batting average of .296 and on base percentage of .384. Keith Hernandez also won an insane 11 Gold Gloves. Just on those facts alone, he should be in the Hall of Fame. However, let’s add a few more facts. Hernandez made 5 All Star Teams, won 2 Silver Sluggers, 2 World Series rings and even a National League MVP Award in 1979 when he hit .344 while leading the league in doubles. It is truly unbelievable that Hernandez never received more than 10.4% of the vote on the Hall of Fame Ballot. He has a better career WAR than fellow first basemen David Ortiz, Harmon Killebrew and Orlando Cepeda. This is one of the most baffling cases I’ve ever seen as far Hall of Fame snubs go. He may not have been the most likable player ever, but the stats speak for themselves. Keith Hernandez should be in the Hall of Fame.

#3 Andruw Jones

Andruw Jones

Similar to Todd Helton and Keith Hernandez, Andruw Jones was elite on both sides of the ball. The difference is, he smashed over 430 home runs along the way. How does a player who won 10 Gold Gloves and hit 430 home runs not get enshrined into Cooperstown? In the mid 2000’s, broadcasters were already referring to Jones as “the future Hall of Famer.” He had by 2007 won his 10th Gold Glove and averaged 33 bombs a year over the previous 11 years. There is no doubt if he had retired after 2007 or 2008, he would have already been inducted. Unfortunately, his career went on and Jones struggled with injuries, stringing together 5 mediocre years to finish off his career. Those 5 years are apparently all the voters remembered. The fact is Andruw Jones had more Defensive Wins Above Replacement than any outfielder in the history of the game – including Willie Mays. When you add that to the fact that he retired with 434 home runs, the decision is easy. Jones also finished 2nd for MVP in 2005 and would have easily won it if not for an All-Time season by Albert Pujols.

#2 Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling

Although I can’t pretend Curt Schilling is without controversy, he was never banned from the game and was never suspected, as far as I know, of PED usage. His career is almost without question Hall-of-Fame worthy. Schilling struck out over 3,100 batters during his 20 year career that included 6 All Star Selections and 2 seasons where he led the league in wins. However, his best moments came during the postseason. Schilling is both an NLCS and World Series MVP and had historic moments with both the Red Sox and Diamondacks. He had a career 11-2 Postseason record with a remarkable 2.23 ERA. If Schilling’s regular season performance doesn’t get him in, his postseason performance should easily take him over the top. However, his controversial comments and opinions since his retirement have appeared to keep him out. I know many out there believe he should be kept out because of some of his statements, but he earned his plaque in the Hall of Fame, which celebrates his baseball career. It is not the Hall of Wonderful People or the Hall of People Who Never Say Controversial Stuff On Twitter. Political and religious opinions should not change the fact that Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer

#1 Fred McGriff

Fred McGriff

My #1 Hall of Fame Snub of all time is the Crimedog, Fred McGriff. McGriff played right smack dab in the middle of the steroid era and stayed clean. Does he get rewarded for hitting 493 home runs with a .284 career average while resisting the temptation to roid up? Negative. If he had hit a mere 7 more home runs, would have gotten in because voters are not smart enough to understand that a number ending in zeroes is objectively no more important than any other number? Probably so. In fact, if there was no strike in 1994, he would have easily surpassed 500. Fred McGriff consistently hit 30+ home runs and 100 RBIs year after year after year. He finished his career with huge numbers including 2,490 hits and 1,550 RBI. Not one player who isn’t connected to steroids hit more home runs and drove in more runs during the 90’s. McGriff also hit .303 with 10 bombs and 37 RBI in the postseason, helping the Braves win it all in 1995. McGriff was also a class act, great with the fans, polite with the media and never seemed to have an enemy. If the voters insist on not voting for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens because of steroids, then don’t they have to give more credit to those who stayed clean and still put up Hall of Fame numbers albeit not bloated and video game numbers.. because he didn’t do steroids! Fred McGriff is my easy #1 Hall of Fame of all time and it makes me feel literally sick that he fell off the ballot. Veteran’s Committee, do the right thing and put Fred McGriff in the Hall of Fame.

There you have it for my Top 10 Hall of Snubs of all time, not counting Steroid and Banned players. Feel free to yell at me in the comment section down below about who I left off or who I put on who is obviously not a Hall of Famer. And of course, how I know nothing about baseball and lost all credibility. Thank you all so much for your amazing support; hit that thumbs up button and have a fantastic day.

A HALL OF FAME SNUB From EACH of the 30 MLB Teams

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports.  The difficulty in getting elected can be proven by the sheer number of players who have not been elected despite public opinion that they are sure-fire 100% hall of famers.  Today we’ll be looking at a major hall of fame snub from each of the 30 Major League teams.  Some teams have multiple snubs, but I picked a player for each team, sometimes not choosing the obvious pick so that he could be represented by another team he played for that had less options.  So, if the player you expect isn’t picked, he might be represented by another team he played for. And also, steroid users will be included, so this might be an interesting comment section.  Now, onto the selections.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Curt Schilling

Starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks, it’s Curt Schilling.  How has Curt Schilling not yet been elected into the Hall of Fame despite an 11-2 postseason record with a 2.23 ERA along with over 3,100 career strikeouts, 3 seasons of at least 20 wins, 6 All Star selections and a World Series and NLCS MVP?  He was in the top 5 for the Cy Young Award 5 times, finishing second 4 times.  Obviously, this guy must be a heavy steroid user, right?  Nope.  He’s a conservative and has ruffled some feathers on Twitter with his personal opinions.  Let’s be honest – if he didn’t make his political opinions public and just retired onto a farm somewhere and never signed up for a Twitter account, he’d have a plaque right now in Cooperstown.  And in my opinion, that’s completely wrong.  He deserves to be in based on his career and no one – regardless of how extreme in either direction – should be held out because of their political views or takes.  For the D-Backs, I got Curt Schilling.

Atanta Braves: Andruw Jones

Next up is the Atlanta Braves and an honorable mention goes to Dale Murphy, but I have to take Andruw Jones.  What’s most shocking to me isn’t that he hasn’t been elected but that he only got 19.4% of the vote in 2020.  Are you kidding me?  One of the most elite players defensively and offensively for 10 years with no steroid connections can’t get 20% of the vote?  10 Gold Gloves and just 66 bombs shy of 500 home runs and he can’t get 20% of the vote?  In 2005, this guy crushed 51 home runs and drove in 128 runs and would’ve easily been the MVP if not for Albert Pujols in his prime.  He’s a 5-time All Star and is being held out because injuries derailed his career and he struggled for the last few years of his career.  But he still hit nearly 500 homers and won 10 Gold Goves; that’s all I need to know.  If Sandy Koufax is a sure fire hall of famer for 5 years of dominance, how is Andruw Jones not a Hall of Famer for 10 years of dominance with the bat and the glove?  For the Braves it’s Andruw Jones.

Baltimore Orioles: Rafael Palmeiro

Let the steroid conversations begin with my Orioles pick, which is Rafael Palmeiro.  There will be steroid guys on this list, so if you’re strictly against steroid users getting in the Hall, we know where you stand – you can just move on.  However, Rafael Palmeiro, despite being the first superstar name to fail a steroid test, became just the 4th player in history to hit 500 home runs and accumulate 3,000 hits.  He was also a slick fielder who won three Gold Gloves.  The big question with Palmeiro is, would he have been a Hall of Famer without steroids and when did he start using?  He was teammates with Jose Canseco as early as 1992 in Texas, so that’s not a good sign.  To me, he’s a borderline case because of that, but based strictly on the numbers, he’s an absolute Hall of Famer.

Boston Red Sox: Roger Clemens

Speaking of absolute Hall of Famers, my Boston Red Sox pick goes to the Rocket – Roger Clemens.  Clemens and Barry Bonds are the two steroid-connected players who, in my opinion, should absolutely be in because one can reasonably come to the conclusion that they would have been 100% hall of fame players even if they never touched steroids.  When Clemens started to decline in the mid-90’s, before he ever touched steroids, he was already a first ballot Hall of Famer with 3 Cy Young Awards, an MVP and three 20-win seasons.  This was simply one of the best starting pitchers in the history of the game and we can ignore his numbers after he went to Toronto and he’s still deserving of enshrinement in Cooperstown.  For the Red Sox, I’m taking Roger Clemens.

Chicago Cubs: Sammy Sosa

For the Chicago Cubs, I would have picked Ron Santo, but he finally got elected by the Veteran’s Committee in 2011 – right after he died so that he couldn’t enjoy the moment.  Nice job there.  So, instead, I’ll take a controversial selection and it’s Sammy Sosa.  I’ve gotten into some arguments over Sosa not being on my unofficial ballots I release on my YouTube channel.  However, the only reason he’s not on them is because I only have ten slots and Sosa is usually my 11th or 13th pick since I’m not 100% sure Sosa would have been a Hall of Famer without steroids.  That being said, this is a guy who broke Roger Maris’s 61 home run mark three times and hit an absolutely unconceivable 243 home runs in 4 years.  He was a 7-time All Star with over 600 home runs and yes – there are some advanced stats like WAR that don’t look that great, but this was one of the biggest names in the game and during a time when baseball turned a blind eye to the steroids. He and Mark McGwire brought baseball back to the USA after the ratings crashed post-strike. Unfortunately, they were also part of bringing it into darkness again with the steroid scandal, but all these years later, I feel that they were amongst the best in a league where steroids were everywhere.  He was one of the best in the league and put up numbers never seen before, and so Sammy Sosa is my pick for the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame snub. 

Chicago White Sox: Joe Jackson

For the White Sox, I’m going with Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was banned from baseball for life for his role in the fixing of the 1919 World Series. There are lots of debates on his involvement but statistically, if he was throwing the World Series, you wouldn’t know it - He had a series-leading .375 batting average, including the series’ only home run. Jackson threw out five baserunners and handled 30 chances in the outfield with no errors. Even in the games that the Sox lost, Jackson performed well statistically. Also, from the account of others involved, Jackson was not even in on the meetings.  They wanted to use his name to help gain more rapport with the gamblers.  All that aside, I believe Joe Jackson should get in the Hall of Fame because he has already paid the price for the scandal – he was banned from baseball for life and never allowed to participate again for the rest of his life.  Furthermore, at the time he played, there was no players union and players were not paid like they are now.  Also, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey had a reputation for paying his players as little as possible and even charging them for having their uniforms laundered.  At the end of the day, people make mistakes and Joe Jackson has passed away –MLB likes to hold players accountable for life for not being perfect while they kept the game segregated for 60 years.  Sometimes, it’s time to forgive and give a guy a plaque – Joe Jackson deserves one for a Hall of Fame baseball career.

Cincinnati Reds: Scott Rolen

For The Reds, I’m going with Scott Rolen.  If you’re wondering where another former Red who has more hits than any one in MLB history is, he’ll be included as well but I had to find a place for everyone, so he’ll be included with a different team.  I had to include Rolen somewhere as well.  This is a guy who, like Andruw Jones, was one of the best defensive and offensive players at his position for a decade.  He won eight Gold Glove Awards while offensively, he ranks in the top 15 among third basemen in home runs (316), RBI (1,287) and slugging percentage (.490).  The 7-time All-Star is more than deserving of enshrinement and I believe he will be elected within the next couple of years.

Cleveland Indians: Kenny Lofton

For the Cleveland Indians, there were several names I considered including Manny Ramirez, who hit 555 home runs.  The problem with Ramirez is he failed not one, but two PED tests and has a history of not being a great teammate, quitting on his teams and having an overall negative impact on the game.  However, I can’t deny his numbers as they are certainly Hall-of-Fame worthy.  Nevertheless, I’m going with Kenny Lofton, who somehow got booted from the ballot after just one year, despite a great career in which he had 2,428 hits, 622 steals, 4 Gold Gloves and 6 All Star Selections.  He played right amid the steroid era and still had a fantastic career defensively, offensively and on the basepaths.  If you look at the JAWS ranking for centerfielders, which is a metric measuring overall Hall of Fame worthiness, Lofton is 10th all time and above Hall-of-Famers Richie Ashburn, Andre Dawson, Kirby Puckett, Hack Wilson and several others. He might not be an absolute shoe-in, but he certainly was snubbed of more opportunities after getting less than 5% of the vote in his first year. 

Colorado Rockies: Todd Helton

The Rockies gave me the easiest choice of this entire list – Todd Helton.  He spent seventeen years with the same team, crushing 369 home runs with a .316 batting average.  He was elite with the bat and the glove, winning 3 Gold Gloves and 4 Silver Sluggers while representing the Rockies in the All Star Game five consecutive seasons.  Maybe most impressively, his career OPS is 18th best in baseball history.  I believe he is an absolute Hall-of-Famer and anyone keeping him out because he plays in Denver is, in my opinion, absolutely absurd.  There is a Major League team in Denver.  A player should not be criticized because of where their team plays their home games.  Besides, it’s Denver – not the moon.  The ball carries well, but Helton was a machine at home and the road throughout his career, including the year 2000 when he hit .372 with 147 RBI.  He should absolutely be in as soon as possible.

Detroit Tigers: Lou Whitaker

Next comes the Detroit Tigers and I’m taking Lou Whitaker as their biggest Hall of Fame snub.  Going back to the JAWS ranking, Whitaker finds himself above Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio and Bill Mazeroski.  Yet the 5-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover and 4-time Silver Slugger received a pathetic 2.9% of the vote, falling off the ballot immediately.  Are you kidding me?  Whitaker was not only a great defender, but had a dynamic bat with power, hitting at least 19 home runs 5 times, finishing with 244 in his career, which is a ton for a second baseman.  He also helped the Tigers win a World Series and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1978.  On baseball-reference, Whitaker has a higher WAR than Reggie Jackson, modern-day Frank Thomas, Derek Jeter and many other huge names.  Yet he fell off the ballot after one year.  That is an absolute snub.

Houston Astros: Billy Wagner

For the Houston Astros, I’m going with closer Billy Wagner.  The Astros drafted him in the first round and he pitched in Houston for 9 seasons.  He ranks sixth all time with 422 saves and his 1,196 career strikeouts as a reliever are the fourth-most in the history of baseball.  The 7-time All Star had an astonishing 2.31 career ERA and in his final big league season, he closed out 37 games for Atlanta with an even better 1.43 ERA.  As far as his regular season career, he should be a no-doubt Hall-of-Famer when compared to his peers who have already been voted in such as Bruce Sutter and Trevor Hoffman.  The downside for Wagner is his disappointing postseason career, but in my opinion, a great postseason career is a bonus that could put some one in who otherwise would be a borderline case.  It shouldn’t keep some one out who had a Hall-of-Fame career, which, in my opinion, Billy Wagner had.

Kansas City Royals: Dan Quisenberry

For the Royals, I’m going with another relief pitcher who was removed from the ballot after one year.  It’s the great submariner Dan Quisenberry.  Although I admit he is a borderline case and not a shoe-in, the fact that he was only on the ballot for a year is very upsetting.  This is a guy who led the American League in saves five out of six seasons and finished among the top three in Cy Young voting for an unbelievable for four straight years, which is insanely impressive for a reliever.  He finished his career with 244 saves and a 2.76 ERA but also helped the Royals win a World Series in 1985 with a 2.08 ERA.  He won the Rolaids Reliever of the Year 5 times and made three All Star Teams.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t so great during the last few years of his career, but certainly deserved more consideration in my opinion.

Los Angeles Angels: Bobby Grich

For the Los Angeles Angels, I’m going with Bobby Grich, who was on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1992 and got a mere 2.6% of the vote, falling off the ballot.  Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, Grich was an excellent player both offensively and defensively, making six All Star teams, winning 4 Gold Gloves and a silver slugger.  He didn’t get Hall of Fame support because his final career numbers aren’t overly spectacular – just 224 home runs and .266 batting average but if you consider his position, he is among the best offensive second baseman and ranks 8th all time on the JAWS list, ahead of several Hall of Famers including Ryne Sandberg, Jackie Robinson, Robert Alomar and Craig Biggio.  He also hit a clutch home run in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS that would’ve been an All-Time Great Home Run if Dave Henderson and the Red Sox hadn’t made history with an amazing come-from-behind victory.  Ultimately, Bobby Grich was undervalued in 1992 and his Hall of Fame case should get another look.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Orel Hershiser

The Los Angeles Dodgers are next and I’m going to go with Orel Hershiser, a staple in that Dodgers rotation throughout the 80’s and early 90’s.  He ended up playing 18 seasons and setting an MLB record with an astonishing 59 consecutive scoreless innings.  As far as the regular season, Hershiser dominated during the early part of his career and even won a Cy Young Award in 1988.  He made three consecutive All Star teams and won a Gold Glove.  His numbers eventually fell after some injuries and surgeries and he didn’t end up with the most impressive career totals – a 204-150 record with a 3.48 ERA.  Where I think he deserves heavier consideration is his postseason career.  Hershiser has both an ALCS and NLCS MVP along with a World Series MVP from 1988 when he helped the Dodgers win a World Series by throwing two complete games while allowing just 2 runs in 18 innings.  He dominated with the Indians as well and even pitched 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball in the 1999 playoffs with the New York Mets at age 40.  Hershiser ended his career with a 2.59 postseason ERA and for all his accomplishments there, as well as his dominance throughout the first 6 years of his career, I believe he was snubbed when got only 4.4% of the vote in 2007, falling off the ballot. 

Miami Marlins: Gary Sheffield

For the Miami Marlins, I’m going with a guy who played there since their inaugural season in 1993 through 1998 and helped them win a World Series title in ’97 by hitting .320 in 50 postseason at bats with 3 home runs.  I’m talking about Gary Sheffield, who does have 100% Hall of Fame stats, but unfortunately also has those PED connections.  He ended up 509 bombs, 9 All Star appearances, 5 Silver Sluggers, and a batting title in 1992.  The problem, as I mentioned, is his steroid connections as he did some training with Barry Bonds around 2002 and has ties to Balco during that time.  He also doesn’t have the best defensive metrics.  Sheffield was one of the most feared hitters in the game for well over a decade, however, and should definitely gain traction with more forgiving and younger voters.

Milwaukee Brewers: Cecil Cooper

For the Brewers, it has to be a great player who many have probably forgotten – Cecil Cooper.  Cooper was a 6th round draft pick by the Red Sox who never really broke out until he signed with Milwaukee in 1977 and hit .300 with 20 home runs.  He only got better from there, making five All Star teams, winning consecutive Gold Glove awards, leading the league in RBI twice and picking up two Silver Slugger awards.  He topped 200 hits three times and finished his career with a .298 batting average and 2,192 hits. He also hit .286 with a home run in the 1982 World Series.  For some one who was excellent on both sides of the ball and had as many accomplishments as he did, you’d expect at least a few Hall of Fame votes even if he doesn’t get enshrined.  Cecil Cooper did not receive a single vote during his one year of eligibility.  Not one.   

Minnesota Twins: Jim Kaat

The first name that came to mind for me with the Twins is Jim Kaat.  Kaat pitched 25 years in the Major Leagues and helped every team he played for including the Twins, for whom he picked up 25 wins in 1966.  He finished his career with 283 wins and an amazing 16 Gold Gloves.  The only pitcher with more is Greg Maddux.  Kaat struck out 2,461 batters, won at least 20 games 3 times, made three All Star teams and helped the Cardinals win a World Series in 1982 at the age of 43.  In 2003, he only got 26.2% of the vote and fell off the ballot after 15 years.  I believe longevity means a lot and when you combine his 25 year career with 16 Gold Gloves, over 2,400 strikeouts and nearly 300 wins, you have a Hall of Famer.

New York Mets: Keith Hernandez

For the New York Mets, I’m going with Keith Hernandez.  If you’re surprised by this, just listen to these career accomplishments.  In his 17 year career, Hernandez won 11 Gold Gloves, making him undeniably an elite defensive first baseman in the league for over a decade.  He also won two Silver Sluggers, was elected to five All Star Teams and even won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1979 by hitting .344 with 48 doubles and 105 RBI.  He helped both the Cardinals and Mets win a World Series.  Hernandez helped his teams win enough to have a higher career WAR than Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Mike Piazza, Vlad Guerrero and Willie Stargell.  Defense matters and if certain players like Ozzie Smith can get in on defense alone, how does some one who was elite both defensively and offensively not get in?  Keith Hernandez was snubbed.

New York Yankees: Roger Maris

My New York Yankees pick may be a little controversial because even I admit he doesn’t quite have the career numbers to merit induction.  However, there are certain accomplishments that create a legendary status that alone should be given a lot of weight in my opinion.  And when a player also has plenty of other supporting accomplishments on top of that, I start to think – this guy deserves a plaque.  That guy is Roger Maris, whose most famous accomplishment is, of course, hitting 61 home runs in 1961, breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record and winning the MVP.  He did this in the face of constant pressure and harassment, with both writers and fans openly rooting against him. However, it is sometimes forgotten that the year before that, in 1960, Maris also won the MVP by hitting .283 with 39 home runs and 112 RBI.  He also won a Gold Glove that year.  He was a seven-time All Star who not only helped the Yankees win 2 World Series rings but won a ring later in his career with the Cardinals.  Roger Maris is part of baseball immortality and with 3 rings, 2 MVP’s, the single-season home run record (before the steroid era came along anyway), and a solid 12 year career, I would personally vote for him and would love for Roger Maris to have a plaque in Cooperstown.

Oakland A’s: Mark McGwire

If I’m going to have Sammy Sosa and Gary Sheffield on this list, there’s a couple Oakland A’s I have to consider.  One is Jason Giambi who won an MVP with Oakland and finished his 20 year career with 440 home runs.  However, the more obvious pick and the one I’m going with as the Oakland A’s snub is Mark McGwire.  Yes, he did steroids – perhaps throughout his career since he was teammates with Jose Canseco from the beginning.  However, McGwire was on a course with stardom since he was drafted in the first round out of USC.  He hit 49 home runs in his rookie year, breaking a rookie record, went on to hit 583 career bombs and, of course, famously broke Roger Maris’ single season record in 1998, helping to save baseball with Sammy Sosa, and becoming one of the biggest sports stars in the world.  He was simply one of baseball’s biggest stars for 15 years and with 12 All Star selections and even a Gold Glove, I believe he should have a plaque in Cooperstown, although many would disagree for obvious reasons. 

Philadelphia Phillies: Dick Allen

For the Phillies, I’m taking a player who probably would have been elected if the pandemic had not canceled the veteran’s committee meeting last year.  Instead, they didn’t elect anybody and now sadly Dick Allen has passed away and when he gets elected, as happens too often, he won’t be able to enjoy the moment.  It should have never gotten to that point as Dick Allen was a definite Hall of Famer with a 15 year career, Rookie of The Year in 1964, MVP Award in 1972, and seven All Star Selections.  During his peak 11 years from 1964 to 1974, only Hank Aaron had a higher OPS.  He topped leaderboards in nearly every offensive category and if you have any doubt that Dick Allen is a Hall of Famer, let me just say he has the same career OPS+ as Willie Mays.  The only issue is he didn’t play long enough to get to the key 500 home runs or 3,000 hits because of injury, but during his 15 years, he was more than great enough and he’ll probably be elected this year, especially since he just passed away, which is one of the best things you can do to improve your Hall of Fame chances and it’s a shame he won’t be able to be at his own ceremony.  Dick Allen is a Hall of Famer.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Dave Parker

The next team is the Pittsburgh Pirates and I’m going to go with Dave Parker, who never received more than 24.5% of the vote during his 15 years on the ballot.  In his prime, he was one of the most dangerous sluggers in baseball and had a cannon for an arm in the outfield.  He has big numbers and big awards, including an MVP, three Gold Gloves, an All Star Game MVP, two World Series Rings, and back-to-back batting titles. He was a key member of the Pittsburgh Pirates championship team in 1979, hitting .333 in the NLCS and .345 in the World Series.  Parker finished his career with over 2,700 hits and an insane 143 outfield assists.  Again, because he didn’t hit the big milestones with the zeroes at the end, he doesn’t get in and it’s ridiculous.  The same player could have hit 3,000 hits with no MVP’s, Gold Gloves or rings and would be first ballot Hall of Famer but Parker can’t get more than 24.5% of the vote. 

San Diego Padres: Steve Garvey

For the San Diego Padres, I’m going with Steve Garvey, who played for the All Star Team a ridiculous – for some one not in the Hall of Fame – TEN times.  This is another player who was elite on both sides of the ball, winning four Gold Gloves while finishing his career with a .294 batting average and 272 home runs.  If you need an MVP, you got one – Garvey won it in 1974 and finished second in 1978.  He, in fact, received MVP votes for 8 straight seasons.  On top of all that, he was an Iron-Man, breaking the NL record streak with 1,207 consecutive games played.  Want more records?  He set an MLB record with 159 errorless games at first base.  This was one of the best players in the game over a long period of time but again – he didn’t reach the magic 3,000 hit number.  Steve Garvey needs a plaque and he needs it now.

San Francisco Giants: Barry Bonds

For my favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, there really is one obvious choice although I do want to give a shoutout to Will Clark and a guy who will be on this list a little later, Jeff Kent – both who had amazing careers and deserve more consideration.  However, I’m going with Barry Bonds, one of the best players in the history of the game.  Bonds was a shoe-in first time no-brainer Hall of Famer before he ever touched, as Bob Costas would say, anything stronger than a Protein Shake.  We can ignore all of the video-game numbers he put up after the turn of the century and he’s still a Hall of Famer.  There is really only one argument to keep him out and that’s the fact that he eventually did use steroids, but to keep one of the greatest baseball players to ever live out of the Hall of Fame is something I just can’t get behind.  This is a guy who had to watch Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire be hailed as heroes who saved baseball while he knew he was 10 times as good as either of them.  He gave into temptation and I wish he never did it, but he did.  At the end of the day, this is one of the greats of all time and had won three MVP’s, made eight All Star Teams and won eight Gold Gloves before he touched steroids.  Bonds needs a plaque, and he needs it now. 

Seattle Mariners: Omar Vizquel

For the Seattle Mariners, I’m going to take Omar Vizquel, who spent his first 5 big league seasons with the M’s.  What I never understood about the lack of support for Omar is how Ozzie Smith was a first ballot Hall of Famer yet Omar Vizquel can’t even sniff the Hall of Fame.  When you compare their stats, Omar was, in many ways, an even better defender and certainly a better hitter.  He showed incredible longevity with a 24-year career in which he won 11 Gold Gloves and ended his career with 2,877 hits.  The only shortstops with more hits are Derek Jeter, Honus Wagner, Cal Ripken Jr. and Robin Yount, all sure-fire Hall of Famers.  The problem could be that only made three All Star teams and played for a variety of teams, which could hurt his case.  However, if Ozzie Smith is a Hall of Famer, I believe Omar Vizquel is as well. 

St. Louis Cardinals: Jim Edmonds/Ken Boyer

For the St. Louis Cardinals, I have to cheat and pick two players – first there’s Jim Edmonds, who got bumped off the ballot after one year.  A human highlight reel in centerfield, Edmonds won eight Gold Gloves and was just 7 home runs shy of 400 in his career.  For his first six seasons in St. Louis, he averaged 35 home runs a year.  He helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006 and hit 13 career postseason home runs.  How he fell off the ballot after one year I can’t explain.  Then there’s Ken Boyer, an elite offensive and defensive player, who won 5 Gold Gloves with 11 All Star Selections.  He won the MVP in 1964 for hitting .295 with 24 bombs and an MLB-best 119 RBIs while leading the Cardinals to the World Series. All of his numbers are right in line with other Hall of Famers, but somehow he got completely overlooked.  Both Jim Edmonds and Ken Boyer deserve more consideration.

Tampa Bay Rays: Fred McGriff

By far, the most confusing and frustrating snub in this entire list is Fred McGriff.  He could’ve easily been the pick for the Braves or Blue Jays, but since The Rays need a representative, I’ll give them Fred, who played for the Rays from their inaugural season in 1998 until 2001.  Overall, McGriff is a 100% absolute Hall of Famer who played the game clean right amidst the steroid era.  Instead of rewarding him for playing the game clean, he is punished – stupidly enough, while also punishing those who chose to do steroids.  Fred McGriff hit 493 home runs in his career and I am convinced if he hit a mere 7 more, he would already be in the Hall of Fame.  McGriff also made five All Star Teams, won a ring with Atlanta, has a .303 career postseason batting average with 10 bombs in 188 at bats and had 6 Top 10 MVP seasons.  His career batting line after 19 seasons is .284/.377/.509 and he won three Silver Sluggers with an All Star Game MVP as well.  Add to all that the fact that McGriff was one of the nicest guys in the league, popular with the fans and media.  If they don’t want to put in Bonds, Clemens or McGwire because of steroids, how in the hell do they keep out McGriff?

Texas Rangers: Al Oliver

For the Texas Rangers, I’m going with Al Oliver, who spent 4 seasons in Arlington, where he made 2 of his seven All Star Teams.  He also won a batting title with the Expos, hitting .331 in 1982 with a league high 204 hits and 109 RBI.  He received MVP votes in 10 separate seasons and retired with a batting average of .303 with over 9,000 career at bats.  This man hit over .300 in 9,000 Major League at bats and can’t get in the Hall of Fame.  He has more career hits than Chipper Jones, Lou Gerhig and Ted Williams. How was his Hall of Fame support in his first year on the ballot?  He got less than 5% of the vote and fell off immediately.  To this day, Al Oliver is still getting denied by the Hall of Fame, who won’t even put him on the veteran’s ballot. 

Toronto Blue Jays: Jeff Kent

For the Toronto Blue Jays, I could’ve given them any number of guys I’ve already used up such as Fred McGriff, Omar Vizquel or Roger Clemens.  I also considered Dave Stieb, who made 7 All Star Teams, but ultimately, I had to find a place for the great Jeff Kent.  Kent was drafted by the Blue Jays and made his debut with them although he found most of his success with the Mets, Giants, Astros and Dodgers.  Jeff Kent is a four-time Silver Slugger and five-time All Star who won the 2000 MVP despite playing on the same team as Barry Bonds.  The stat that makes it most shocking that he’s not in the hall is the fact that Jeff Kent has more home runs than any other second baseman – ever.  He has also been a clutch postseason player with multiple big moments, finishing his career with 9 postseason home runs in just 170 at bats.  Jeff Kent is absolutely a Hall of Famer and is still getting snubbed every year by the writers who only gave him 27.5% of the vote in 2020.

Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos: Pete Rose

But my final snub, appropriately enough, is the hit king and he will represent the Montreal Expos, now known as the Washington Nationals.  Pete Rose only spent 95 of his 3,562 games with Montreal and is certainly better represented by the Reds or Phillies, but the Nationals franchise didn’t have a lot of options now that Tim Raines has gotten in.  Pete Rose needed to be on here somewhere though.  Even though he did gamble on the game and deserved to be banned from participating, there was no rule that said he couldn’t get in the Hall of Fame until the Hall of Fame themselves created that rule once Rose was placed on the ineligible list, deciding that any one on the ineligible list is also ineligible for the Hall of Fame.  It’s a terrible policy in my opinion as the purpose of the rule was the keep gamblers from participating in MLB games and having a plaque in a museum is no threat to the integrity of the game.  Pete Rose has more hits than any one who has ever played this game, but was also a perfect example of how to play hard every day.  He ran out every grounder, made the head-first slide popular and through hard work and dedication, became one of the greatest of all time despite not being gifted athletically. Pete Rose may not have been the best person, but he was one of the best ballplayers ever and should be immortalized in Cooperstown while he’s still alive to enjoy it and know that his career is appreciated, even if he’s not allowed to wear a uniform again as an active participant. 

It is truly embarrassing that baseball has a Hall of Fame dedicated to all the greatest who ever played the game, yet the Hit King, Home Run King and perhaps the greatest pitcher of all time are all on the outside looking in.  However, even if you want to keep them out for their wrongdoings, what’s the excuse for not letting in many of the other guys I’ve talked about today?  What about Fred McGriff?  What bout Andruw Jones?  Al Oliver?  The Hall of Fame should be tough to get into, but history has shown that you don’t have to be Babe Ruth or Randy Johnson to get in.  If guys like Ozzie Smith, Harold Baines and Luke Appling are Hall of Famers, so are many of these guys.  Until they get in or at least get a fair shake, I’m calling them the biggest Hall of Fame Snubs in Major League Baseball.