Up next, we are going to take a look at a relatively new award, the Silver Slugger, which is awarded to best offensive player at each position and is voted on by managers and coaches in each Major League Baseball team.
Keep in mind that this award, which has become quite a big deal, is stillrelatively new, only came into existence in 1980.
We are rounding the bases thus far and have already looked at Catcher, First Base, Second Base and Shortstop so you should know what comes next!
Let’s look at Third Base and see how many Hall of Famers this position netted.
The following are the past MLB players who have won the Silver Slugger at the Third Base position who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.
George Brett, Kansas City Royals (AL: 1980)
24 HR, 118 RBI, .390/.454/.664 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (NL: 1980)
48 HR, 121 RBI, .286/.380/.624 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (NL: 1981)
31 HR, 91 RBI, .316/.435/.644 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (NL: 1982)
35 HR, 87 RBI, .280/.403/.547 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
Wade Boggs, Boston Red Sox (AL: 1983)
5 HR, 74 RBI, .361/.444/.486 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (NL: 1983)
40 HR, 109 RBI, .255/.399/.524 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (NL: 1984)
36 HR, 106 RBI, .277/.383/.536 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
George Brett, Kansas City Royals (AL: 1985)
30 HR, 112 RBI, .335/.436/.585 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.
Wade Boggs, Boston Red Sox (AL: 1986)
8 HR, 71 RBI, .357/.453/.486 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (NL: 1986)
37 HR, 119 RBI, .290/.366/.476 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
Wade Boggs, Boston Red Sox (AL: 1987)
24 HR, 89 RBI, .363/.461/.588 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Wade Boggs, Boston Red Sox (AL: 1988)
5 HR, 58 RBI, .366/.476/.490 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Wade Boggs, Boston Red Sox (AL: 1989)
3 HR, 54 RBI, .330/.430/.449 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Wade Boggs, Boston Red Sox (AL: 1991)
8 HR, 51 RBI, .332/.421/.460 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Wade Boggs, New York Yankees (AL: 1993)
2 HR, 59 RBI, .302/.378/.363 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Wade Boggs, New York Yankees (AL: 1994)
11 HR, 55 RBI, .342/.433/.489 Slash Line. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Three. Seems familiar doesn’t it?
What about those who didn’t make it?
The following are the players who have won the Silver Slugger at the Third Base position who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:
Carney Lansford, Oakland Athletics (AL: 1981)
4 HR, 43 RBI, .336/.389/.439 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 1998 and received 0.6% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Doug DeCinces, California Angels (AL: 1982)
30 HR, 97 RBI, .301/.369/.548 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 1993 and received 0.5% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Buddy Bell, Texas Rangers (AL: 1984)
11 HR, 83 RBI, .315/.382/.458 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year and received 1.7% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Tim Wallach, Montreal Expos (NL: 1985)
22 HR, 81 RBI, .260/.310/.450 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2002 and received 0.2% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Tim Wallach, Montreal Expos (NL: 1987)
26 HR, 123 RBI, .298/.343/.514 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2002 and received 0.2% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Bobby Bonilla, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL: 1988)
24 HR, 100 RBI, .274/.366/.476 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 0.4% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Howard Johnson, New York Mets (NL: 1989)
36 HR, 101 RBI, .287/.369/.559 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2001 but received no votes. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Kelly Gruber, Toronto Blue Jays (AL: 1990)
31 HR, 118 RBI, 274/.330/.512 Slash Line. Although he was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1999, he was not on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Matt Williams, San Francisco Giants (NL: 1990)
33 HR, 122 RBI, .277/.319/.488 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Howard Johnson, New York Mets (NL: 1991)
38 HR, 117 RBI, .259/.342/.535 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2001 but received no votes. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Edgar Martinez, Seattle Mariners (AL: 1992)
18 HR, 73 RBI, .343/.404/.544 Slash Line. He is entering his seventh year on the ballot and finished as high as 36.5% in 2012. He is ranked #16 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Gary Sheffield, San Diego Padres (NL: 1992)
27 HR, 78 RBI, .276/.380/.584 Slash Line. He is entering his second year on the ballot after receiving 11.7% of the ballot last year. He is ranked #19 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Matt Williams, San Francisco Giants (NL: 1993)
38 HR, 110 RBI, .294/.325/.561 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Matt Williams, San Francisco Giants (NL: 1994)
43 HR, 96 RBI, .267/.319/.607 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Gary Gaetti, Kansas City Royals (AL: 1995)
35 HR, 96 RBI, .261/.329/.518 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2006 and received 0.8% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Vinny Castilla, Colorado Rockies (NL: 1995)
32 HR, 90 RBI, .309/.347/.564 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2012 and received 1.0% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Ken Caminiti, San Diego Padres (NL: 1996)
40 HR, 130 RBI, .326/.408/.621 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 0.4% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Matt Williams, Cleveland Indians (AL: 1997)
32 HR, 105 RBI, .263/.307/.488 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Vinny Castilla, Colorado Rockies (NL: 1997)
40 HR, 113 RBI, .304/.356/.547 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2012 and received 1.0% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Dean Palmer, Texas Rangers (AL: 1998)
34 HR, 119 RBI, .278/.333/.510 Slash Line. Although he was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2009 he was not on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Vinny Castilla, Colorado Rockies (NL: 1998)
46 HR, 144 RBI, .319/.362/.589 Slash Line. He was on the ballot for one year in 2012 and received 1.0% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Dean Palmer, Kansas City Royals (AL: 1999)
38 HR, 100 RBI, .263/.339/.518 Slash Line. Although he was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2009 he was not on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels (AL: 2000)
47 HR, 102 RBI, .284/.404/.604 Slash Line. Glaus is entering his first year on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels (AL: 2001)
41 HR, 108 RBI, .250/.367/.531 Slash Line. Glaus is entering his first year on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Bill Mueller, Boston Red Sox (AL: 2003)
19 HR, 85 RBI, .326/.398/.540 Slash Line. Mueller was on the ballot for one year in 2012 and received 0.7% of the vote. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Mike Lowell, Florida Marlins (NL: 2003)
32 HR, 105 RBI, .276/.350/.530 Slash Line. Lowell is entering his first year on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Morgan Ensberg, Houston Astros (NL: 2005)
36 HR, 101 RBI, .283/.388/.557 Slash Line. Ensberg only played eight seasons and did not qualify for the Hall of Fame. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Joe Crede, Chicago White Sox (AL: 2006)
30 HR, 94 RBI, .283/.323/.506 Slash Line. Crede was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2015 but was not on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.
Gary Sheffield has Hall of Fame credentials but a PED stain. Can this be overcome?
Edgar Martinez wasn’t always a Designated Hitter! Yet, that was the move that might have cost him the Hall of Fame.
Buddy Bell is someone who probably should be ranked on Notinhalloffame.com as his 66.1 career bWAR attests to, but for whatever reason he is not someone discussed as a significant Hall of Fame snub. Maybe people should start!
Matt “The Bat” Williams was really good as his 46.4 career bWAR and 378 Home Runs will tell you. He is now a former Manager of the Year, so perhaps that could be his Hall of Fame path?
Sabremetrics show that Carney Lansford was better than people remember. The year he won his lone Silver Slugger was also the campaign in which he won the Batting Title. He finished with a career bWAR of 40.2 and is in our Hall of Deceptively Good.
The exact same can be said about Doug DeCinces, who had an even higher bWAR than Lansford at 41.6. He had a good run, and is in the same “Hall of Fame” as Lansford.
Gary Gaetti was in the same range. He finished his career with a bWAR of 42.0 with 360 Home Runs, with some solid defensive skills. Still, anyone whose career On Base Percentage is barely over .300 and a sub .750 OPS for a power hitter is not a Hall of Famer.
Five time All Star, Tim Wallach, finished with a 38.3 bWAR, and might have gotten a few more votes had he not toiled in Montreal for years, but still would not have made the Hall of Fame.
Four time All Star, Troy Gluas had a good career showcasing power with 320 Home Runs and a bWAR of 37.9. Will he get a second look from a future Veteran’s Committee? Probably not.
Ken Caminiti finished with a 33.1 bWAR and a tragic end. The former MVP is more of a cautionary tale than a Hall of Fame one.
Bobby Bonilla has a 30.1 bWAR and is still drawing a paycheck from the New York Mets fifteen years after he last played. That is Hall of Fame somehow isn’t it?
Bill Mueller had a 23.9 bWAR and won the batting title the year he made the Silver Slugger. He would help the Red Sox win the World Series the following year.
Mike Lowell had a good career with a 24.8 bWAR and a pair of World Series rings, but is not a Hall of Famer.
Howard Johnson did not receive a vote and with a 22.1 bWAR that makes sense.
Vinny Castilla’s sub 20 bWAR and Coors Field bias will never put him on a future Veteran’s Committee ballot.
For a time Kelly Gruber owned the city of Toronto, but his poor bWAR of 16.4 and OBP of .307 showcases a player who did not deserve to be on the ballot.
Joe Crede barely made ten seasons and finished with a bWAR 14.6. The one time all star would not have received a vote had he made the ballot.
Dean Palmer had a paltry bWAR of 13.2 and making the ballot would not have resulted in a vote.
If Morgan Ensberg churned out to more seasons would he have been considered for the Hall? We don’t think so either.
Let’s update our tally shall we?
| Award in Question |
Percentage of recipients who have entered the HOF |
Percentage of recipients by year who have entered the HOF. |
| NBA MVP |
100% |
100% |
| NHL Norris |
90.5% |
96.4% |
| NHL Lady Byng |
63.8% |
76.0% |
| NFL Super Bowl MVP |
60.6% |
64.9% |
| MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Shortstop) |
23.5% |
52.6% |
| MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Catcher) |
20.0% |
22.5% |
| MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Second Base) |
16.7% |
32.7% |
| MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Third Base) |
13.6% |
36.4% |
| MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (First Base) |
13.6% |
14.3% |
| MLB (NL/AL) Rookie of the Year |
13.3% |
13.3% |
So who is up next?
The following are the players who have won the Silver Slugger at the Third Base position who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify:
Jim Thome, Cleveland Indians (AL: 1996)
38 HR, 116 RBI, .311/.450/.612 Slash Line. Thome will eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (NL: 1999)
45 HR, 110 RBI, .319/.441/.633 Slash Line. Jones will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (NL: 2000)
36 HR, 111 RBI, .311/.404/.566 Slash Line. Jones will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Eric Chavez, Oakland Athletics (AL: 2002)
34 HR, 109 RBI, .275/.348/.513 Slash Line. Chavez will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2020.
Scott Rolen, Philadelphia Phillies/St. Louis Cardinals (NL: 2002)
31 HR, 101 RBI, .266/.357/.503 Slash Line. Rolen will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Melvin Mora, Baltimore Orioles (AL: 2004)
27 HR, 104 RBI, .340/.419/.562 Slash Line. Mora will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs (NL: 2011)
26 HR, 93 RBI, .306/.361/510 Slash Line. Ramirez will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.
Jim Thome played multiple positions in Major League Baseball, but this is the only Silver Slugger that the member of the 600 Home Run Club won. Thome will however be consoled by the fact that he is going to go to the Hall of Fame.
Chipper Jones should be a lock to enter on his first attempt.
Scott Rolen retired with a bWAR of 70 and an excellent Hall of Fame shot.
Eric Chavez, Melvin Mora and Aramis Ramirez will not make the Hall of Fame.
The following are the players who have won the Silver Slugger at the Third Base position who are still active:
Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (NL: 2001)
37 HR, 130 RBI, .329/.403/.610 Slash Line. Currently with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. 35 Years Old.
Adrian Beltre, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL: 2004)
48 HR, 121 RBI, .334/.388/.629 Slash Line. Currently with the Texas Rangers. 36 Years Old.
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (AL: 2005)
48 HR, 130 RBI, .321/.421/.610 Slash Line. Currently with the New York Yankees. 40 Years Old.
Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins (NL: 2006)
26 HR, 114 RBI, .339/.430/.568 Slash Line. Currently with the Detroit Tigers. 32 Years Old.
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (AL: 2007)
54 HR, 156 RBI, .314/.422/.645 Slash Line. Currently with the New York Yankees. 40 Years Old.
David Wright, New York Mets (NL: 2007)
30 HR, 107 RBI, .325/.416/.546 Slash Line. Currently with the New York Mets. 33 Years Old.
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (AL: 2008)
35 HR, 103 RBI, .302/.392/.573 Slash Line. Currently with the New York Yankees. 40 Years Old.
David Wright, New York Mets (NL: 2008)
33 HR, 124 RBI, .302/.390/.534 Slash Line. Currently with the New York Mets. 33 Years Old.
Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays (AL: 2009)
33 HR, 113 RBI, .281/.364/.526 Slash Line. Currently with the Tampa Bay Rays. 30 Years Old.
Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals (NL: 2009)
33 HR, 106 RBI, .292/.364/.525 Slash Line. Currently with the Washington Nationals. 31 Years Old.
Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals (NL: 2009)
25 HR, 85 RBI, .307/.388/.510 Slash Line. Currently with the Washington Nationals. 31 Years Old.
Adrian Beltre, Boston Red Sox (AL: 2010)
28 HR, 102 RBI, .321/.365/.553 Slash Line. Currently with the Texas Rangers. 36 Years Old.
Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers (AL: 2011)
32 HR, 105 RBI, .296/.331/.561 Slash Line. Currently with the Texas Rangers. 36 Years Old.
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (AL: 2012)
44 HR, 139 RBI, .330/.393/.606 Slash Line. Currently with the Detroit Tigers. 32 Years Old.
Chase Headley, San Diego Padres (NL: 2012)
31 HR, 115 RBI, .286/.376/.498 Slash Line. Currently with the New York Yankees. 31 Years Old.
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (AL: 2013)
44 HR, 137 RBI, .348/.442/.636 Slash Line. Currently with the Detroit Tigers. 32 Years Old.
Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL: 2013)
36 HR, 100 RBI, .233/.296/.473 Slash Line. Currently with the Pittsburgh Pirates. 29 Years Old.
Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers (AL: 2014)
19 HR, 77 RBI, .324/.388/.492 Slash Line. Currently with the Texas Rangers. 36 Years Old.
Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals (NL: 2014)
21 HR, 83 RBI, .287/.351/.473 Slash Line. Currently with the Washington Nationals. 25 Years Old.
Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays (AL: 2015)
41 HR, 123 RBI, .297/.371/.568 Slash Line. Currently with the Toronto Blue Jays. 30 Years Old.
Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies (NL: 2015)
42 HR, 130 RBI, .287/.323/.575 Slash Line. Currently with the Colorado Rockies. 24 Years Old.
Didn’t we just talk about Alex Rodriguez? We all know the score with A-Rod!
Albert Pujols was mentioned in the First Base section and his Cooperstown ticket is already punched.
The same can be said for Miguel Cabrera, who has already been discussed and should be Cooperstown bound.
Adrian Beltre already has a bWAR over 80, and could have 500 Home Runs and 3,000 Hits when it is all said in done. He should be in the Hall barring any controversy.
In the First Base section we spoke of our belief that Miguel Cabrera was essentially there. At 32, there should be a lot of baseball left.
David Wright is seeing injuries catch up, but he is still young enough to add to that 50.1 bWAR and traditional statistics. He will be a very interesting player to watch in the next couple of years.
Evan Longoria’s case is very interesting. At the end of the 2015 season, Longoria sits with a 42.6 career bWAR at age 30. He needs to replicate some of his early All Star magic, but his chances are decent right now.
Ryan Zimmerman is on path for the Hall of Very Good. He would have to go on a major tear (which is still possible) to make a Hall of Fame run.
The last three seasons for Josh Donaldson has been very good, and he currently sits at a bWAR over 25. That’s good, but there is a lot of work left to do for him to really be considered.
In three seasons, Nolan Arenado has a 13.6 bWAR, a home run title and three Gold Gloves to go along with his Silver Slugger Award. That’s a good start right?
Chase Headley’s 23.2 bWAR and zero All Stars at the age of 30 will not get him to Cooperstown.
It is too early to say anything concrete for Anthony Rendon, but right now we wouldn’t bet on it.
Pedro Alvarez has zero chance for the Hall.
So what’s up next?
We have rounded the bases and it is time to look to the outfield. Keep in mind this will take a lot longer as there are three players awarded the Silver Slugger from the Outfield position annually.
Look for that soon and as always we thank you for your support!
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