MLB will announce the results of the Hall of Fame voting process Class of 2023, tonight, live from Cooperstown.
Scott Rolen and Todd Helton both have a good chance at being inducted tp the Hall.
We will know for sure at around 6 p.m. ET.
Rolen has a pretty convincing case to get in, which is explained in detail by baseball statistician James Smyth.
“Hoping Scott Rolen gets into Cooperstown tonight. His ranks on some 3B leaderboards. A rare combination of offense and defense at a historically underrepresented position,” he tweeted, adding a picture with some of his rankings among players at the hot corner both offensively and defensively.
Rolen’s offensive stats are impressive, but don’t precisely scream Hall of Fame in a vacuum.
However, if we put together his offense and his defense, the overall package is extremely enticing.
Hoping Scott Rolen gets into Cooperstown tonight
His ranks on some 3B leaderboards. A rare combination of offense and defense at a historically underrepresented position (Rolen compares favorably among 15 non-Negro League HOF 3B with complete stats here). https://t.co/Jl1GN10sCP pic.twitter.com/nkphdg9zrl
— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) January 24, 2023
Historically, he ranks 10th among all third basemen in Wins Above Replacement, with a solid 70.1.
Rolen hit 316 home runs and 517 doubles, both impressive outputs, and won the Silver Slugger award in 2002.
His defense, however, was masterful.
Brooks Robinson is actually in a tier by himself, but Rolen really belongs among the very best third base defenders in the history of the game.
He won eight Gold Glove awards, including five consecutively from 2000 to 2004.
At his peak, Rolen was a lock for 25 home runs, 100 RBI, and a Gold Glove.
Not too shabby for a third baseman, a somewhat underrepresented position at the Hall like Smyth points out.
If Rolen ends up getting into Cooperstown, it will be an extremely deserved outcome for one of the best corner infielders of the last 25 years.
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