Tag: Omar Vizquel

2019 Hall of Fame Ballot (16-20)

Hall of Fame election season is upon us!  As members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America begin to publicize their ballots, we will gain a clearer understanding of this winter’s landscape leading into a January announcement of the class of 2019.  

Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system has become the closest thing to an accepted standard by which we can compare current candidates to players who have already been enshrined in Cooperstown.  

Today we continue our break down of the top-25 players on the 2019 Hall of Fame Ballot.

Check out the first piece in the series.  Players 21-25 by JAWS.

20.  Miguel Tejada

JAWS:  41.9 (55.0 Average HOF SS)

Miguel Tejada was born and raised in Bani, Dominican Republic.  He signed as an amateur free agent with the Oakland Athletics in July, 1993.  Tejada came stateside in 1995 and quickly established himself as a well-rounded shortstop prospect in his age-21 season.  He was a Baseball America Top-100 prospect for three straight seasons, including back-to-back top-10 rankings in 1997 and 1998.  

In seven seasons with Oakland, Tejada hit .270/.331/.460 for 107 OPS+.  From 1998-2003, he averaged 3.7 bWAR.  In 2002, he won the American League MVP on the strength of a .308/.354/.508, 128 OPS+ line with 34 homers and 131 RBI.  

The A’s made the playoffs every year from 2000-2003, but never advanced past the Division Series.  With his young core progressing into more expensive contracts, General Manager Billy Beane had to make decisions about where to allocate his scarce resources.  After the 2003 season, the A’s allowed Tejada to depart via free agency to the Baltimore Orioles.

Tejada’s stretch in Baltimore from 2004-2007 was the best of his career.  He averaged .311/.362/.501, 124 OPS+, and 5.0 bWAR.  He made the All Star team three times, and won two Silver Sluggers.  The Orioles had a losing record each season.  They dealt Tejada to Houston after the 2007 season.

Tejada made the All Star team both seasons in Houston, but his production began to slip.  He averaged 101 OPS+ and 1.9 bWAR.  

From 2010-2011, Tejada bounced around from Baltimore to San Diego, and San Francisco.  After missing the 2012 season, Tejada returned for 53 games with Kansas City in 2013, his final stint in the big leagues.

Hall of Fame?

Miguel Tejada was one of the top shortstops in baseball during an era of great shortstops.  Tejada was a six-time All Star who won two Silver Sluggers, and the 2002 A.L. MVP.

JAWS ranks him as the top shortstop on the 2019 Ballot in his first year of eligibility.  His well-rounded skill set, and incredible durability (he played 162 games every season from 2001-2006), helped him accumulate more career bWAR than Omar Vizquel in 797 fewer games.  

Ultimately, Tejada’s statistical case leaves him shy of the Hall of Fame standard at the position.  When combined with the cloud of PED evidence surrounding his career, Tejada stands little chance of induction.  It is entirely possible that he falls off the ballot after this year.

19.  Mariano Rivera

JAWS:  42.5 (32.3 Average HOF RP)

Mariano Rivera was signed as an amateur free agent out of Panama by the New York Yankees in 1990.  Rivera excelled during his minor league career in the Yankees system while splitting time between starting and relieving.  Rivera made his big league debut at the age of 25 in 1995.  Although he started 10 games during his rookie year, Rivera’s destiny was in the bullpen.

Beginning in 1996, Rivera embarked on an incredibly dominant career as a reliever.  For the next 18 seasons with the Yankees, Rivera was consistently among the best relievers in the game.  His utter dominance in the late innings was a key element of the Yankees dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s.  

The Yankees made the playoffs 13 straight seasons from 1995-2007 and 17 times in Rivera’s 19 seasons with the club.  Rivera was a key piece of five World Series championships (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009).

His legacy in the postseason leaves no doubt about Rivera’s place in baseball history.  In 141 career playoff innings across 96 games, Rivera was 8-1 with 42 saves, a 0.70 ERA, and 0.76 WHIP.  Simply put, if the Yankees handed Mariano Rivera a lead in October, the game was over.

Mariano Rivera finished his career with a record of 82-60, 652 saves, a 2.21 ERA, 2.76 FIP, and 205 ERA+ over 1283.2 innings.

Hall of Fame?

In 19 seasons with the New York Yankees, Mariano Rivera carved out his legacy as the greatest closer in baseball history.

Rivera was a 13-time All Star, five-time Rolaids Reliever of the Year, and five-time World Champion.  He was the ALCS MVP against Boston in 2003, and the World Series MVP against Atlanta in 1999.

He is baseball’s all-time leader in saves (652) and ERA+ (205).  

Rivera ranks second all-time in JAWS among relievers, trailing only Dennis Eckersley whose 12 seasons and 361 games as a starting pitcher hardly makes for an apples to apples comparison.  

Rivera appears to be a slam dunk first-ballot Hall of Famer.  The only real question seems to be whether or not he will make history one more time as the first unanimous Hall of Famer.

18.  Fred McGriff

JAWS:  44.3 (54.7 Average HOF 1B)

Fred McGriff was born and raised in Tampa, Florida.  A 1981 graduate of Jefferson High School, McGriff was selected in the 9th round by the New York Yankees.  After the 1982 season, the 19-year-old McGriff was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.  McGriff had a cup of coffee with Toronto in 1986, and was in the majors for good in 1987.

From 1987-1990, McGriff averaged .278/.390/.531, 154 OPS+, and 4.8 bWAR.  He led the league in homers (36) and OPS+ (165) en route to a Silver Slugger award in 1989.  

In one of the most fascinating trades in baseball history, the Blue Jays shipped McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter in December, 1990.  The deal worked out famously for the Blue Jays while McGriff and Fernandez both had All Star seasons in San Diego.

In parts of three seasons with the Padres, McGriff averaged .281/.388/.519 and 149 OPS+.  He led the National League with 35 homers in 1992, earning All Star and Silver Slugger honors in the process.

With the Padres in the midst of a brutal 1993 season, McGriff was traded to the Atlanta Braves in July.  He remained with Atlanta through 1997, helping to propel the Braves to four division championships, and the 1995 World Series championship.  In parts of five seasons in Atlanta, McGriff hit .293/.369/.516 and 128 OPS+.  He was a three-time All Star for the Braves.

Following the 1997 season, the Braves sold McGriff to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who were heading into their inaugural season as an expansion franchise.  Now in his mid-30s, McGriff remained an above-average, and sometimes excellent, hitter in his home town.  He made his fifth, and final, All Star team in 2000.

At the 2001 trade deadline, Tampa dealt McGriff to the Chicago Cubs.  He remained in Chicago through the 2002 season.  McGriff spent 2003 with the Dodgers, and wrapped up his career back in Tampa for 27 games in 2004.

Hall of Fame?

In 19 seasons, Fred McGriff hit .284/.377/.509, good for 134 OPS+.  His 493 career homers fall just shy of the magical 500 threshold.  A five-time All Star and three-time Silver Slugger, McGriff was one of the most feared sluggers of his era.

Unfortunately for McGriff, much of his career was played during the peak of baseball’s steroid era.  While McGriff has never been seriously linked to PED use, it is difficult to find proper context for his numbers.  As a result of the high offensive bar at the position, he ranks 31st among first basemen by JAWS.  More than a third of the players who rank above him are from the same generation.

2019 represents McGriff’s 10th, and final, season on the ballot.  After earning just 23.2% of the vote in 2018, McGriff seems all but certain to fall short of the required 75% this year.  It is fair to wonder whether he might fair better with the Today’s Game Committee in the future.

17.  Roy Oswalt

JAWS:  45.2 (61.8 Average HOF SP)

Roy Oswalt was born and raised in Central Mississippi.  A graduate of Weir High School, Oswalt played his college ball at Holmes Community College in Ridgeland, MS.  The Houston Astros selected him in the 23rd round of the 1996 draft out of Holmes.  

Despite his small frame, Oswalt used electric stuff to post solid strikeout numbers across the Houston farm system.  When he made a quantum leap with his control during the 2000 season, he jumped to #13 on Baseball America’s Top-100 Prospects.  He made his big league debut in 2001.

Oswalt made an immediate impact in Houston working to a 170 ERA+ and fifth place Cy Young finish during his rookie season to help the Astros win the N.L. Central.  He helped Houston back to the playoffs as a Wild Card team in 2004 and 2005.  In 2005, the Astros won the National League pennant as Oswalt combined with Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte to form the most dominant starting rotation in franchise history.  

In 10 seasons with the Astros, Oswalt went 143-82 with a 3.24 ERA, 133 ERA+, and 3.35 FIP.  He finished in the top-five in the Cy Young voting five times, and made three All Star teams.  

With Houston out of contention in 2010, they traded Oswalt to the Phillies.  Oswalt helped pitch the Phillies to consecutive A.L. East titles in 2010-2011.  

He signed with the Texas Rangers in May, 2012 and helped them into the Wild Card Game.  He finished his career with nine games for the Rockies in 2013.

Hall of Fame?

For much of Roy Oswalt’s 13-year career, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball.  He finished with a career record of 163-102, 3.36 ERA, 127 ERA+, and 3.37 FIP.  He is the greatest pitcher in Astros franchise history.

In his first year on the ballot, it is not entirely clear what kind of support we can expect for Oswalt.  I suspect that, ultimately, he was neither durable nor dominant enough to make up for his shortcomings in the other category.  Two more years of his top level, or three to four more at his career average, would have made his case considerably more intriguing.

I think it’s possible that Oswalt can hang around on the ballot beyond this year.  That’s hardly a certainty given the loaded field he is competing with for the voters’ attention.  

16.  Jeff Kent

JAWS:  45.6 (57.0 Average HOF 2B)

Jeff Kent was born and raised in Southern California.  After graduating from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, he headed north to play his college ball at the University of California, Berkeley.  The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Kent in the 20th round in 1989.

Although his defense was regarded with some skepticism by scouts, Kent proved himself to be a polished offensive player in a quick ascent through the Toronto system.  He made his big league debut in 1992.  After proving himself capable of producing at the big league level, Kent was used as the headliner in an August trade with the Mets that brought David Cone to Toronto.  Cone helped pitch Toronto to a World Series title that same season.

In parts of five seasons with the Mets from 1992-1996, Kent averaged 107 OPS+ while playing passable defense at second and third.  At the 1996 trade deadline, the Mets used Kent as the key piece in a deal to land All Star second baseman Carlos Baerga from the Indians. 

Although the Indians won the A.L. Central in 1996, Kent made minimal impact down the stretch, or in the playoffs.  In November, he was traded from Cleveland to San Francisco as part of a package for All Star third baseman Matt Williams.

Entering his age-29 season in 1997, Kent was at a crossroads.  He had already been traded three times, each time as the headline piece that landed his former club an All Star in return. 

In San Francisco, Kent finally found himself.  Paired with Barry Bonds, he began his Giants career with consecutive top-10 MVP finishes in 1997-1998.  In 1999 he began a string of three straight All Star selections.  In 2000, Kent won the National League MVP with a line of .334/.424/.596, 162 OPS+, and 7.2 bWAR.

With Bonds and Kent, the Giants were in contention every season.  They won the N.L. West in 1997 and 2000.  They parlayed a 2002 Wild Card berth into the National League pennant.  In six seasons with the Giants, Kent averaged 136 OPS+ and 5.2 bWAR.  He was a three-time All Star, and won three Silver Sluggers.

After the 2002 season, Kent signed a free agent deal with the Houston Astros.  He remained a solid hitter, producing 121 OPS+ in two seasons.  He helped Houston reach the 2004 NLCS.  Kent was an All Star in 2004.

Once again a free agent after 2004, Kent signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  From 2005-2008, he averaged 119 OPS+ and 1.7 bWAR as age sapped his defensive value.  He was an All Star for the final time in 2005.  He helped the Dodgers to a Wild Card berth in 2006, and the N.L. West title in 2008.

Hall of Fame?

In his 17-year career, Jeff Kent established a legacy as one of the best offensive second basemen in history.  Kent was a five-time All Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and the 2000 N.L. MVP.

Kent is now in his sixth year on the ballot.  He appears to be hanging by a thread after receiving just 14.5% of the vote last year. 

Although he falls short of the JAWS average for second basemen, he ranks higher than eight of the 20 Hall of Famers at the position.  Offensively, he is even better.  His 123 OPS+ is better than 13 of the 20.  He is the all-time leader in home runs by a second baseman.

Despite his offensive prowess, Kent’s defensive track record costs him both in terms of career value produced, and in the minds of the voters.  His offensive chops are such that it’s not impossible to imagine him experiencing a late surge, but it seems unlikely.

Omar Vizquel: Hall of Famer?

JAWS:  36.2 (55.0 Average HOF SS)

Omar Vizquel was signed as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela by the Seattle Mariners in 1984.  A slightly-built switch-hitting shortstop, Vizquel’s glove work carried him through the minor leagues.  He made his big league debut with Seattle in 1989.

As the primary shortstop in Seattle from 1989-1993, Vizquel was a consistently above-average defender who often struggled mightily at the plate.  He won his first Gold Glove in his final season with the Mariners.  After the 1993 season, Vizquel was traded to the Cleveland Indians.

In Cleveland, Vizquel’s skill set proved particularly valuable.  The Indians teams of that era were marked by incredibly deep offensive lineups and suspect pitching.  They could afford to carry Vizquel’s bat in exchange for his steadying presence at shortstop.

From 1995-2001, the Indians made the playoffs six times in seven seasons with Vizquel at shortstop.  They won the American League in 1995 and 1997, but were defeated by the Braves and Marlins respectively in the World Series.

By 1996, Vizquel’s offense had developed to the point where he would often flirt with league-average production.  Never much of a power hitter, Vizquel managed to leverage good contact skills, control of the strike zone, and improved base running into some decent offensive years along the way.

Vizquel spent 2005-2008 with the San Francisco Giants.  By the end of his Giants tenure, he was 40 years old and clearly declining.  His defense was still solid– if not what it had been at his peak– but his offense had regressed to the point where he was no longer playable every day.  He spent 2009-2012 with the Rangers, White Sox, and Blue Jays before retiring after his age-45 season.

Hall of Fame?

Vizquel is one of the most interesting cases among the current candidates.  He received 37% of the vote in his first year on the ballot last year, so there is clearly some staying power here. 

In his 24-year career, Omar Vizquel was an 82 OPS+ hitter.  He was an above-average offensive player just twice.  His entire Hall of Fame case rests on the defensive side of the ledger.

Searching For Context

Only eight players have won more career Gold Gloves than Vizquel’s 11.  Of those eight, only Jim Kaat (16x at pitcher) and Keith Hernandez (11x at first base) are not in the Hall of Fame. 

By bWAR, Vizquel is the ninth-best defender of all-time.  The great Orioles shortstop Mark Belanger is the only player rated higher than Vizquel who is not in the Hall of Fame.

Vizquel Among Shortstops

Proponents of Vizquel’s candidacy say that his defensive prowess is more than enough for him to be considered a Hall of Famer.  Their argument typically centers around the number of Gold Gloves, indelible memories of highlight plays, and the reality that other elite defensive shortstops such as Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, and Rabbit Maranville were elected with similarly unimpressive offensive numbers.

Omar Vizquel is not Ozzie Smith.  This is the most common comparison drawn by Vizquel’s supporters, and it simply doesn’t work.  Smith is the preeminent defensive player in baseball history and is ultimately without peer.  Smith was also the better hitter at a career 87 OPS+, and a superior base runner.  Vizquel doesn’t have to be Ozzie Smith to be worthy of the Hall of Fame, but that false equivalency is an important point to correct.

Two comparisons that actually work out pretty well for Vizquel are with Aparicio and Maranville.  All three produced identical 82 OPS+ marks for their respective careers.  Aparicio actually claims a rather significant offensive edge as a result of being a consistently above-average base runner.  Vizquel and Maranville rank as similarly average base runners.  The three are also very similar in most modern interpretations of their defensive play.

The closest active comparison to Vizquel is probably Los Angeles Angels shortstop, Andrelton Simmons.  Simmons will enter his age-29 season as the premier defensive shortstop in baseball, and a career 92 OPS+ hitter.  Simmons will almost certainly accrue more defensive value than Vizquel by the time his career has concluded, and could potentially accomplish that feat as soon as this coming season.  Unless you believe that Simmons is a slam dunk Hall of Famer in his own right, it probably makes sense to pump the breaks on Vizquel.

Conclusion

I’m generally not a “Small Hall” kind of guy.  I prefer to err on the side of generosity.  I think the Hall of Fame as an institution benefits from honoring a wide variety of players.  

In the end, I can’t quite get there on Vizquel.  He would be among the 2-3 least impressive shortstops in the Hall of Fame if he were selected.  If you merely aspire to find candidates that clear the lowest bar at their position, you can find dozens of players who could be included.  I don’t necessarily believe that any new Hall of Famer has to raise the average bar for his position either, but Vizquel is too far from that mark for me.

I always admired Vizquel’s skills.  There are a handful of his defensive plays that I can recall vividly from memory, and I can’t say that for more than maybe a couple of dozen players in history.  At the same time, I never felt like Omar Vizquel was a truly elite player at any point during his career.  

I don’t want to come off as a Vizquel basher, or dismissive of his accomplishments.  Omar Vizquel was a great player.  I don’t believe he was a Hall of Famer. 

That doesn’t mean we should forget about him either.

Omar Vizquel Career Highlights from Major League Baseball

2019 Hall of Fame Ballot (21-25)

Hall of Fame election season is upon us!  As members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America begin to publicize their ballots, we will gain a clearer understanding of this winter’s landscape leading into a January announcement of the class of 2019.  

Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system has become the closest thing to an accepted standard by which we can compare current candidates to players who have already been enshrined in Cooperstown.  

In the coming weeks, we will break down the top-25 players on the 2019 Hall of Fame Ballot.

We begin with the players who rank 21-25 by JAWS.

25.  Freddy Garcia

JAWS:  30.9 (61.8 Average HOF SP)

Freddy Garcia was signed as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela by the Houston Astros in 1993.  In 1998, the Astros packaged him with Carlos Guillen and John Halama to acquire future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson from the Seattle Mariners.  Johnson made 11 dominant starts for Houston, helping them to the NL Central championship before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks after the season.  Garcia and Guillen would each end up among the greatest players in Mariners history.

In six seasons with Seattle, Freddy Garcia went 76-50 with a 114 ERA+, accumulating 18.7 bWAR.  He was a two-time All Star with the Mariners and led the American League in ERA (3.05) and innings (238.2) in 2001.  

With Garcia approaching free agency, the Mariners dealt him to the Chicago White Sox in June, 2004.  From 2004-2006, Garcia made 82 starts for the White Sox, remaining consistently above-average in the process.  He was a key piece of the 2005 World Series Champion White Sox.

Chicago traded Garcia to the Phillies after the 2006 season.  From 2007-2013, Garcia bounced around to six teams including a return engagement with the White Sox in 2009-2010.  In 2011, he made 25 starts at 119 ERA+ to help the Yankees win the A.L. East.  Overall, he struggled to remain both healthy and effective for much of his final seven seasons.

Hall of Fame?

Freddy Garcia is one of the best pitchers in the comparatively short history of the Seattle Mariners.  He will be listed on the all-time Mariners starting rotation here on Franchise Phenoms.  He also holds a special place in the hearts of White Sox fans for his role in ending their franchise’s World Series drought.

As his JAWS ratings would suggest, Freddy Garcia clearly falls below the standard for Hall of Fame starting pitchers.  Garcia is probably one-and-done on the ballot.  At the same time, he will be fondly remembered by the fan bases of at least two franchises, and that is what we’re all about at Franchise Phenoms.

24.  Derek Lowe

JAWS:  31.5 (61.8 Average HOF SP)

Derek Lowe was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 8th round of the 1991 draft out of Ford High School in Dearborn, MI.  Lowe made his big league debut with the Mariners in 1997.  That July, he was traded with Jason Varitek to the Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb.  Slocumb made minimal impact on the Mariners while Lowe and Varitek would become Franchise Phenoms for Boston.

In eight seasons with the Red Sox, Lowe would go on to be one of the best pitchers in Red Sox history.  Lowe began his career as a versatile, mult-inning arm before becoming closer, and eventually shifting to the starting rotation for the second half of his Red Sox career.  He was a two-time All Star, once as a reliever, and once as a starter.  He led the league in saves in 2000, and finished third in the Cy Young voting as a starter in 2002.  In 1037 innings, he posted 127 ERA+ and 19.4 bWAR.

Lowe was the winning pitcher in Game Four of the 2004 World Series, as the Red Sox finished off a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and dispelled the Curse of the Bambino. 

Following the 2004 season, Lowe signed a four-year contract to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.  With the Dodgers, Lowe was largely the same pitcher he had been in Boston.  He was a key piece of L.A.’s staring rotation, throwing strikes and racking up ground balls.  He finished his Dodgers tenure with 120 ERA+ and 13.3 bWAR.  Lowe helped the Dodgers to the postseason in 2006 and 2008.  

In 2009, heading into his age-36 season, Lowe signed a free agent deal to join the Atlanta Braves.  Although he remained durable, he was less effective during his three years in Atlanta.  In 2012-2013, Lowe concluded his career by bouncing from Cleveland to the Yankees, and finally to Texas.

Hall of Fame?

Derek Lowe holds an important place in Red Sox history.  His role on the 2004 World Series winners will ensure him a place in Red Sox lore.

Lowe had an excellent 11-year stretch in Boston and L.A. where he was above-average in every season but one.  For all of his reliability and sustained success, he was seldom dominant.  Aside from 1999-2000 out of the bullpen, and his third-place Cy Young finish as a starter in 2002, Lowe was most often not recognized among the very best pitchers of his generation.

Like Garcia, Lowe falls well short of the Hall of Fame standards for staring pitchers and figures to have a short stay on the ballot.  His immortal status in Boston will remain his true legacy.

23.  Kevin Youkilis

JAWS:  31.9 (54.7 Average HOF 1B)

Kevin Youkilis was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 8th round of the 2001 draft out of the University of Cincinnati.  As a minor leaguer, Youkilis was made famous beyond his prospect status when he was dubbed “The Greek god of Walks” in Moneyball.  

Youkilis made his big league debut for the Red Sox in May, 2004.  He played a supporting role in the team’s improbable run to its first World Series championship since 1918. 

Youkilis was a slightly above-average hitter from 2004-2007.  His plate discipline translated nicely, but he failed to show the home run power desired for a corner player.  

In the 2007 playoffs, Youkilis was a monster.  He hit .500/.576/.929 in Boston’s seven game series win over the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS.  The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies in the World Series to earn their second championship in four seasons.

Then the power started to show.  From 2008-2011, Youk was one of the best offensive players in baseball.  He averaged 142 OPS+ and 5.5 bWAR per season during that stretch.  He was an All Star in three of those four seasons, and twice got MVP votes finishing third in 2008, and sixth in 2009.  With Youk as a driving force, Boston made the playoffs again in both 2008 and 2009.

By 2012, the 33-year-old Youkilis was slowing down.  The Red Sox traded him to the White Sox in June.  He was better in Chicago, but nothing like the player he had been the previous four years.  He played 28 games with the Yankees in 2013, but injuries severely limited him.  Youk played 21 games in Japan in 2014, but never returned to the big leagues.  

Hall of Fame?

Kevin Youkilis enjoyed a surprisingly short 10-year career in the Major Leagues.  His distinctive nickname, facial hair, and batting stance all contributed to a cult following in Red Sox Nation.  96% of his career bWAR was accumulated in parts of nine seasons with the Red Sox.  He was a three-time All Star, and won a Gold Glove at first base in 2007.

I will confess to being mildly startled by the realization that Youk played more career games at first base than at third.  His career 123 OPS+ would look considerably better at the hot corner.  Either way, a 10-year career is seldom enough to earn a place in Cooperstown.  

Like Garcia and Lowe, Kevin Youkilis was a great player who will be fondly remembered for his role on championship teams, but not a Hall of Famer.

22.  Omar Vizquel

JAWS:  36.2 (55.0 Average HOF SS)

Omar Vizquel is the first truly interesting case in this exercise.  Now in his second year on the ballot, Vizquel showed nicely last winter, earning 37% of the vote.  As an 11-time Gold Glover and three-time All Star, Vizquel clearly has some staying power.

Vizquel is one of the best defensive players in baseball history.  What makes his candidacy interesting is that it is almost entirely dependent on defense. 

In his 24-year career, Omar Vizquel was an 82 OPS+ hitter.  He was an above-average offensive player just twice.  This type of candidate is rare, and Vizquel figures to be one of the more polarizing figures on the ballot in coming years.

As a result, I am devoting an entire separate piece to asking the question:  Is Omar Vizquel a Hall of Famer?

21.  Placido Polanco

JAWS:  36.9 (57.0 Average HOF 2B)

Placido Polanco was born and raised in the Dominican Republic.  After finishing high school in Santo Domingo, Polanco came to the United States.  He attended Miami-Dade Junior College in Florida where he was drafted twice.  First, in the 49th round by the White Sox in 1993, and then again in the 19th round by the Cardinals the following year.

At the tender age of 22, Polanco made his big league debut with the Cardinals during Mark McGwire’s home run chase in 1998.  Never much of an offensive player in the minors, it took Polanco time to acclimate to the big leagues as well.  He was a part-time player until 2001, and failed to post a single above-average offensive line in his five seasons with the Cardinals.

At the 2002 trade deadline, Polanco joined left-hander Bud Smith as the headliners in a package that landed Phillies Franchise Phenom Scott Rolen in St. Louis.  Polanco elevated his offensive game in Philadelphia by gradually unlocking a little more power and patience.  He became a consistently above-average hitter with the Phillies from 2002-2005.

In June, 2005 the Phillies traded Polanco to the Detroit Tigers for closer Ugueth Urbina.  Polanco had the best seasons of his career in Detroit from 2005-2009.  In 2007 he earned All Star, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger honors for the first time in his career at 31 years old.  He won his second Gold Glove at second base for the Tigers in 2009.

Polanco returned to Philadelphia from 2010-2012.  In 2011, he made his second All Star team and won his third Gold Glove, this time at third base.  He finished his career with the Marlins in 2013.

Hall of Fame?

Placido Polanco played 16 seasons in the big leagues.  He was most often an average player, but occasionally a star. 

Never the best player on his own team, much less the league, Polanco figures to join Garcia, Lowe, Youkilis, and probably 10 others as one-and-done’s on this year’s ballot.