Outfielder Jermaine Dye had a productive MLB career, one that spanned over 14 seasons and four different teams.
He had his biggest impact with the Chicago White Sox, with which he won the 2005 World Series.
Dye was a very powerful outfielder, and also had a cannon for an arm.
He was extremely fun to watch for several years, but is he a Hall of Famer?
The answer would be no.
Something worth noting in Dye’s case is that while many players look to extend their playing careers even when it’s clear they don’t have it anymore, he called it quits while still being a productive hitter.
But that doesn’t mean he is a Hall of Famer.
In 2009, his last season, Dye slashed .250/.340/.453 with 27 home runs and a 105 wRC+.
Weighted Runs Created Plus, or wRC+, allows us to use several offensive aspects of a player and consider eras and ballparks to determine if the player is above (higher than 100 wRC+) or below (lower than 100 wRC+) average.
For his career, Dye had a 110 wRC+, which means that his offensive production was 10 percent better than his peers.
Even though he retired while still being a productive hitter, he doesn’t have the credentials to be considered as a Hall of Famer.
A Crucial Piece In The White Sox’s Title
There is no denying that he was instrumental for the White Sox’s first World Series title since 1917.
He was named the 2005 World Series MVP after hitting .438 with one home run and three RBI.
The White Sox swept the Houston Astros, and Dye’s RBI single off closer Brad Lidge proved the deciding run in the Game 4 victory.
On this day 15 years ago Freddy Garcia tossed 7 scoreless innings, Bobby Jenks closed out the 9th inning, and Jermaine Dye drove in the only run of the game as the #WhiteSox won the 2005 World Series. They finished the postseason with an 11-1 record. What a season… pic.twitter.com/aoWZJoHTvo
— DH (@HalloweenHalpin) October 26, 2020
But Dye lacks the overall career numbers of a Hall of Famer.
He retired with a line of .274/.338/.488, 325 homers, and 1,072 RBI.
Those are good numbers, but not good enough for immortality.
He lacked the hardware associated with a dominant player: he didn’t win regular season MVP awards, batting titles, Rookie of the Year, and was an All-Star only two times.
To be selected to the Hall, a player must have been dominant among his peers, and Dye was not.
He did win a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award, proof that he was very good.
Significant Obstacles
However, he was never considered a top defender, and the numbers back that up: he retired with -65 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) even though the stat didn’t exist in his rookie season.
He wasn’t a particularly good baserunner, as well.
Modern baseball is now open to accept ‘specialized’ players, or flawed ballplayers in the Hall, but they must be very good at doing at least one thing.
For example, Ozzie Smith’s defense carried his legacy, and Edgar Martinez’s bat spoke for him.
Dye wasn’t a good fielder or baserunner.
To be considered a Hall of Famer, his offense would have to be excellent and extraordinary, and while it was good, it wasn’t Hall-worthy.
The lack of baserunning and defensive prowess really dragged Dye’s Wins Above Replacement (WAR) total.
Dye’s 14.6 WAR (FanGraphs version) would rank him 158th out of 159 position players.
He would be one of the worst Hall of Famers.
Waiting for that Baseball Hall of Fame voter to show his/her ballot with a check next to Jermaine Dye's name.
— Colt Smith (@FootballExpert) January 6, 2015
It’s clear that Dye doesn’t belong in the Hall.
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