Good article. Remind me. Is Harold Baines a Hall of Famer thanks to a phony Era Committee loaded with his former pals? If so, then Freddie Freeman is safely in today.
Look. Freddie could retire right now, and if he weren't an HOFer in five years, then like you, I'd have to ask, "What are we doing?" There's no point in the Hall if a player like Freeman doesn't get in.
I've talked tons about my feelings on the Hall of Fame in the past and how much of a joke it has become when deciding on who gets in and who stays out, often based on personalities and politics as well. Everything should be about what they did and didn't do on the field. Forget the off-field stuff and whether or not you liked them as a human being. Keep it unbiased.
Now, that's not to say Freeman doesn't shine both on and off the field. I think anyone reading your article would agree that he is a beloved baseball player with a fantastic attitude toward the game, shows up every single day, and plays hard. Oh yeah, and he performs at an All-Star level every season. If last year's playoffs didn't tell people anything about his heart (playing hobbled), then they weren't paying attention.
If all three retire today, I'll put Freddie in, without thinking twice, over Trout and Ohtani, who couldn't even sniff the playoffs in any of the six seasons they were teammates while playing with the Angels. Ohtani's first taste of October was last year when he went to the Dodgers and joined Freeman.
Ohtani hasn't played long enough and, to be frank, wasn't much of an offensive threat early on. His bat didn't exactly strike fear in the opposition when he first joined the Angels. Check out his first three seasons. Obviously, he's become a much better hitter over the last four years and, arguably, the scariest bat in the game. But, as a whole, his counting stats offensively, and certainly on the mound, are not there yet. He's a .282 career hitter over seven seasons, while Freeman has a .300 batting average over 15. There's no comparison at this time.
Trout was on pace for what would have likely been one of the best careers in MLB history. No one's arguing that. But, to be honest, he didn't get there and has since faded into irrelevance. He gets hurt, rarely plays, and no matter how much MLB tries to make it easier for their predestined Golden Child to make the postseason by expanding the playoffs, he can never find a way to October, either. Remember, 16 teams qualified in 2020, and Trout still missed out. Except for one appearance way back in 2014 when Mike hit .083 against the Royals in a series his Angels were swept in, he has no idea what big game baseball feels like. What has been Trout's biggest on-field moment? I don't know either.
Compare Trout's counting stats with Freeman's, and it's not a contest. Freeman's had a better run and has been clutch in the biggest moments. If everyone was willing to put Trout in the Hall of Fame literally five years into his career, then Freddie's great 15-year run makes him a no-doubt HOFer if he never played another game.
Thanks Justin. Shohei does have to make the ten years but with a career OPS+ of 157 and his pitching prowess even though limited to 4 plus seasons pitching, I think you might be being a bit hard on Shohei. He's only played 7 seasons as you point out but only participating in 3 more would be enough for me!
I understand that. My comparison is Shohei to Freeman from an overall career perspective. I have very little doubt if Ohtani remains healthy (always an if with players like him, given his history already), that he'll catch and pass Freeman for an overall better career. But, today, right now, it's Freeman. Played twice as long and is a better career hitter. Ohtani is coming on strong recently, but statistically, for their careers, not even close. See where he is in five years.
The point is, 15 All-Star type years is better than four or five phenomenal seasons and then decent and injury prone campaigns the rest of the way (aka, Mike Trout). Ohtani, we'll see. I'm not sold he'll be pitching much longer, so it's going to be all about his bat as time goes on if I were to guess.
Combine Trout and Ohtani's career doubles, and it still doesn't equal Freeman's 500-plus. Freeman today is the most worthy of the Hall based on career only. No contest.
No doubt that Freddie Freeman is a Hall of Famer
Good article. Remind me. Is Harold Baines a Hall of Famer thanks to a phony Era Committee loaded with his former pals? If so, then Freddie Freeman is safely in today.
Look. Freddie could retire right now, and if he weren't an HOFer in five years, then like you, I'd have to ask, "What are we doing?" There's no point in the Hall if a player like Freeman doesn't get in.
I've talked tons about my feelings on the Hall of Fame in the past and how much of a joke it has become when deciding on who gets in and who stays out, often based on personalities and politics as well. Everything should be about what they did and didn't do on the field. Forget the off-field stuff and whether or not you liked them as a human being. Keep it unbiased.
Now, that's not to say Freeman doesn't shine both on and off the field. I think anyone reading your article would agree that he is a beloved baseball player with a fantastic attitude toward the game, shows up every single day, and plays hard. Oh yeah, and he performs at an All-Star level every season. If last year's playoffs didn't tell people anything about his heart (playing hobbled), then they weren't paying attention.
If all three retire today, I'll put Freddie in, without thinking twice, over Trout and Ohtani, who couldn't even sniff the playoffs in any of the six seasons they were teammates while playing with the Angels. Ohtani's first taste of October was last year when he went to the Dodgers and joined Freeman.
Ohtani hasn't played long enough and, to be frank, wasn't much of an offensive threat early on. His bat didn't exactly strike fear in the opposition when he first joined the Angels. Check out his first three seasons. Obviously, he's become a much better hitter over the last four years and, arguably, the scariest bat in the game. But, as a whole, his counting stats offensively, and certainly on the mound, are not there yet. He's a .282 career hitter over seven seasons, while Freeman has a .300 batting average over 15. There's no comparison at this time.
Trout was on pace for what would have likely been one of the best careers in MLB history. No one's arguing that. But, to be honest, he didn't get there and has since faded into irrelevance. He gets hurt, rarely plays, and no matter how much MLB tries to make it easier for their predestined Golden Child to make the postseason by expanding the playoffs, he can never find a way to October, either. Remember, 16 teams qualified in 2020, and Trout still missed out. Except for one appearance way back in 2014 when Mike hit .083 against the Royals in a series his Angels were swept in, he has no idea what big game baseball feels like. What has been Trout's biggest on-field moment? I don't know either.
Compare Trout's counting stats with Freeman's, and it's not a contest. Freeman's had a better run and has been clutch in the biggest moments. If everyone was willing to put Trout in the Hall of Fame literally five years into his career, then Freddie's great 15-year run makes him a no-doubt HOFer if he never played another game.
Freddie's in. Nothing to worry about.
Thanks Justin. Shohei does have to make the ten years but with a career OPS+ of 157 and his pitching prowess even though limited to 4 plus seasons pitching, I think you might be being a bit hard on Shohei. He's only played 7 seasons as you point out but only participating in 3 more would be enough for me!
I understand that. My comparison is Shohei to Freeman from an overall career perspective. I have very little doubt if Ohtani remains healthy (always an if with players like him, given his history already), that he'll catch and pass Freeman for an overall better career. But, today, right now, it's Freeman. Played twice as long and is a better career hitter. Ohtani is coming on strong recently, but statistically, for their careers, not even close. See where he is in five years.
The point is, 15 All-Star type years is better than four or five phenomenal seasons and then decent and injury prone campaigns the rest of the way (aka, Mike Trout). Ohtani, we'll see. I'm not sold he'll be pitching much longer, so it's going to be all about his bat as time goes on if I were to guess.
Combine Trout and Ohtani's career doubles, and it still doesn't equal Freeman's 500-plus. Freeman today is the most worthy of the Hall based on career only. No contest.