My mock Hall of Fame ballot: multiple former Atlanta Braves named
The Obvious “No” Votes
32 names appear on the 2020 ballot, and many are there more out of courtesy than actual qualification. Writers may vote for up to 10 players. Many (14 of them) could be eliminated without a second glance:
- Heath Bell
- Jose Valverde
- J.J. Putz
- Adam Dunn
- Brad Penny
- Raul Ibanez
- Chone Figgins
- Paul Konerko
- Carlos Pena
- Alfonso Soriano
- Brian Roberts
- Josh Beckett
- Eric Chavez
- Rafael Furcal
These are listed in order of career bWAR (Wins Above Replacement, as reckoned by baseball-america.com). Furcal actually had a career total of 39.4 – a solid major league career, though he was beset by injuries over his non-Braves tenure.
Soriano, Konerko, and Dunn are somewhat interesting given their homer counts (all between 400 and 470), but there’s really no case to be made for them… even Dunn and his 462 homers, given that he was the prototypical ‘3 true outcomes’ (Walk, Strikeout or Homer) player.
That brings us to the top 18 names on the ballot. I will continue (roughly) in order of increasing bWAR values and give my personal assessments.
Full Consideration
RP BILLY WAGNER
First off, note that as a relief pitcher, it is difficult to get named to an All-Star squad. Each team has 7 or 8 relievers and yet maybe 2 or 3 from each league get honored in this way since starting pitchers will usually get the nod first.
Billy Wagner was named to seven All-Star teams in his 16 seasons… and one of those consisted of a single batter for a single out.
- Wagner’s season-long ERA exceeded 2.90 once – in an injury-shortened 2000 season. 6 times it was under 2.00
- From 1990 to present day, the relievers with the most instances of ERA’s under 2.00 are:
- Mariano Rivera (11 times, HOF)
- Joe Nathan (8)
- Billy Wagner (6)
- Craig Kimbrel (5)
- Zack Britton (4)
- Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, Darren O’Day, Huston Street (4 each)
- The left-handed relievers with that criteria? Wagner stands alone.
- Twice received Cy Young votes (4th in 1999), twice received MVP votes (16th in 1999)
- 422 saves, including 37 at age 38 for Atlanta.
It’s hard to justify a reliever for the Hall, but Wagner gets my vote – he dominated for years.