Future Hall of Famers?

Baseball and Lesser Sports

The induction of Andre Dawson into the Hall of Fame provides a new benchmark for admission:

  • a career OPS+* of at least 119 and
  • a career BA of at least .279

By that standard, there are 45 players (past and present) with substantial careers (at least 8,000 plate appearances) who deserve (or will deserve) membership in the Hall of Fame. Here they are, ranked by career OPS+ and then by career BA:

OPS+ rank Player OPS+ BA
1 Barry Bonds 181 .298
2 Frank Thomas 156 .301
3 Manny Ramirez 155 .313
4 Jeff Bagwell 149 .297
5 Edgar Martinez 147 .312
6 Alex Rodriguez 146 .303
7 Jason Giambi 143 .282
8 Vladimir Guerrero 143 .320
9 Chipper Jones 142 .306
10 Gary Sheffield 140 .292
11 Larry Walker 140 .313
12 Todd Helton 138 .324
13 Carlos Delgado 138 .280
14 Bob Johnson 138 .296
15 Will Clark 137 .303
16 Reggie Smith 137 .287
17 Sherry Magee 136 .291
18 Ken Griffey 135 .284
19 Fred McGriff 134 .284
20 Rafael Palmeiro 132 .288
21 Ken Singleton 132 .282
22 Bobby Abreu 130 .296
23 John Olerud 128 .295
24 Keith Hernandez 128 .296
25 Joe Torre 128 .297
26 Ellis Burks 126 .291
27 Bernie Williams 125 .297
28 Bobby Bonilla 124 .279
29 Rusty Staub 124 .279
30 Bob Elliott 124 .289
31 Jimmy Ryan 124 .308
32 Jeff Kent 123 .290
33 Tim Raines 123 .294
34 Cesar Cedeno 123 .285
35 Hal McRae 122 .290
36 Ed Konetchy 122 .281
37 Dave Parker 121 .290
38 Al Oliver 121 .303
39 George Van Haltren 121 .316
40 Harold Baines 120 .289
41 Paul O’Neill 120 .288
42 Jose Cruz 120 .284
43 Derek Jeter 119 .314
44 Mark Grace 119 .303
45 Stan Hack 119 .301

BA rank Player OPS+ BA
1 Todd Helton 138 .324
2 Vladimir Guerrero 143 .320
3 George Van Haltren 121 .316
4 Derek Jeter 119 .314
5 Manny Ramirez 155 .313
6 Larry Walker 140 .313
7 Edgar Martinez 147 .312
8 Jimmy Ryan 124 .308
9 Chipper Jones 142 .306
10 Alex Rodriguez 146 .303
11 Will Clark 137 .303
12 Al Oliver 121 .303
13 Mark Grace 119 .303
14 Frank Thomas 156 .301
15 Stan Hack 119 .301
16 Barry Bonds 181 .298
17 Jeff Bagwell 149 .297
18 Joe Torre 128 .297
19 Bernie Williams 125 .297
20 Bob Johnson 138 .296
21 Bobby Abreu 130 .296
22 Keith Hernandez 128 .296
23 John Olerud 128 .295
24 Tim Raines 123 .294
25 Gary Sheffield 140 .292
26 Sherry Magee 136 .291
27 Ellis Burks 126 .291
28 Jeff Kent 123 .290
29 Hal McRae 122 .290
30 Dave Parker 121 .290
31 Bob Elliott 124 .289
32 Harold Baines 120 .289
33 Rafael Palmeiro 132 .288
34 Paul O’Neill 120 .288
35 Reggie Smith 137 .287
36 Cesar Cedeno 123 .285
37 Ken Griffey 135 .284
38 Fred McGriff 134 .284
39 Jose Cruz 120 .284
40 Jason Giambi 143 .282
41 Ken Singleton 132 .282
42 Ed Konetchy 122 .281
43 Carlos Delgado 138 .280
44 Bobby Bonilla 124 .279
45 Rusty Staub 124 .279

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* OPS+ is on-base percentage plus slugging average (OPS) adjusted for where and when a batter compiled his statistics.

Statistics derived from the Play Index at Baseball-Reference.com.

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