Was David Wright a Hall of Fame player?
Despite setting the franchise record for hits, doubles, runs, total bases, walks, and RBI, making eight All Star Game appearances, and winning two Gold Gloves, is David Wright a future Hall of Famer?
The Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is one of sports greatest debates. Who should be in? Who shouldn’t be? Every year we are right back to the table to make our case.
On Tuesday, Scott Rolen was elected to the Hall and will be inducted this summer alongside Fred McGriff, who was selected by a 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee.
Closer to home, former Mets closer Billy Wagner inched closer to induction (68.8%) and Carlos Beltran continues to struggle to generate support, not because of his production but in light of his intimate connection to the Houston Astros sign-stealing controversy.
Next year, Mets fans will watching with even more interest because David Wright and Jose Reyes are expected to be added to the ballot. Will either Wright or Reyes — the cornerstone of the franchise for most of the 2000s — receive enought support (75% or more) for induction? It’s unlikely.
I typically don’t debate over a player qualifications. Why? Because what happens is the debate often turns into an exercise in comparing one player to another. For example, I comparing David Wright to Scott Rolen or vice versa is fair to either player.
Each player on the ballot deserves — and has earned — the right to receive fair consideration based solely on their own merit and against the rules of the game. According to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), “voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”
Those are the rules of the game; the criteria to which each player on the ballot should be judged.
Which brings us closer to the real question that needs to be answered: Are the rules of the game fair? Do the rules of the game reflect the values of today’s game?
Remember, the criteria for Hall of Fame voting were written long before the designated hitter, pitch counts, closers, etc. all of which has had a major impact on how the game is played.
The fact is, the current voting criteria is antiquated. For example, define a “player’s record.”
Let’s begin with a hypothetical: What is the baseline? Is a “player’s recored” defined by games played? Batting average? Home runs? What if a new generation of voters values modern statistics to determine a players value?
“Baseball is losing a couple generations of great players that were the best in their era because a couple non-voting stat folks keep comparing those players to players already voted in from generations past and are influencing the votes.” - Jeff Kent
And what about pitchers? The role of the starting pitcher has dramatically changed. The running joke on social media is, “What is a complete game?” The complete game has become more of an anomoly primarliy due to pitch counts. The same applies in many ways to a pitchers won/loss record.
I don’t believe the current Hall of Fame voting process has ever figured out what to do with closers and designated hitters.
The relievers who are inducted into the Hall of Fame are few, and those who are, have otherworldly qualities (Mariano Rivera, Bruce Sutter, Dennis Eckersley, Lee Smith, Rich Gossage, Rollie Fingers are among them).
Eight years into his bid for induction, Billy Wagner is still struggling to get the support needed for induction. He pitched 16 MLB seasons and is sixth all-time in saves (422). Wagner had nine seasons of 30+ saves and two seasons of 40+ saves.
So, tell me, what is the criteria for induction?
Tom Verducci explained it this way:
He did not reach 1,000 innings and his postseason résumé is short and poor. But Wagner, a one-inning closer, was a Hall of Famer because he dominated hitters like no one else. Among all pitchers who threw 900 innings, Wagner ranks first in strikeout percentage, batting average against, WHIP and hits per nine innings … you judge a player on what he was asked to do, not what might have been.
Before I get too far down the rabbit hole, let’s get back to Wright, the subject of this post.
Was he a Hall of Fame player?
We asked MetsRewind readers this questions and almost 4 of 5 said Wright will not get into the Hall of Fame.
When asked why, the overwhelming majority of fans replied: longevity. Wright played his entire 14-year career with the New York Mets. His later years were consumed by injury. Wright played in just 77 games from 2015-2018.
Valid point, but longevity isn’t one of the criteria of the voting process, remember? “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”
Maybe David Wright wasn’t a Hall of Fame player. That’s fine. His talent and impact on the franchise and the game are unquestionable. When healthy, he was arguably the best third baseman in the game. But Wright’s inability to consistently stay on the field and play at a high level were derailed by injury, and subsequently, had a cumulative effect on his Hall of Fame chances.
But Wright is an excellent case study. It would make for a useful tool in understanding and developing a broken system.
It’s time to bring Hall of Fame voting into the 21st century to reflect the values and qualities of today’s game. The solution to the Hall of Fame voting process begins with asking hard questions:
Is that ballot too long? 28 candidates were on the 2023 Hall of Fame ballot; 12 dropped off because they did not receive a minimum of 5% of the vote (seven players did not receive a single vote). Only eight players received 1/3 of the vote.
Are members of the BBWAA submitting their ballots based on a fair and equitable process that reflects today’s game?
For better or worse, is the current criteria being clearly communicated to voting members?
How often is the process reviewed?
How involved are members in making recommendations to improve/amend the rules to achieve the best quality process?