We have added a new section on the Notinhalloffame.com site with the 2027 Baseball Futures.  These are the players who will first be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2027, though there is no guarantee that they will make the ballot.  It is likely that many will not make it.  We encourage you to vote and give your opinions on their respective HOF credentials.

The names are:

Alex Avila:  Avila was an All-Star Catcher once while playing with the Detroit Tigers.

Andrew Miller: A two-time All-Star as a Relief Pitcher, Miller won the 2015 Rivera Relief Award and won the ALCS MVP as a member of the Cleveland Indians.  He twice finished in the top ten in Cy Young voting.

Asdrubal Cabrera: Cabrera went to back-to-back All-Stars as a Cleveland Indian in 2011 and 2012, and was a Silver Slugger later in the first of those two years.  He later won a World Series with Washington (2019).

Brett Gardner:  A New York Yankee for the entirety of his Major League career, Gardner was an All-Star once, a Gold Glove winner once and once led the American League in Defensive bWAR.  He was one of the better defensive outfielders of his era and offensively provided 1,470 Hits.

Buster Posey:  Arguably the best Catcher in the National League throughout the 2010s, Posey played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants where he won three World Series Rings, an MVP, the Rookie of the Year, five Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger.  The seven-time All-Star also won a Batting Title and had a lifetime Batting Average of .302 with 1,500 Hits.

Dellin Betances:  Betances was twice named the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year and was a four-time All-Star as a reliever. 

Derek Holland:  Holland played for eight teams and had an 82-83 lifetime record.  His best years were with Texas.

Dexter Fowler: Fowler helped the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series and the Outfielder was also an All-Star once.

Ervin Santana:  A two-time All-Star, Santana twice finished in the top ten in Cy Young voting.  He accumulated 1,978 Strikeouts with a record of 151 and 128.

J.A. Happ: Happ won a World Series Championship early in his career with Philadelphia (2009), and the Pitcher was an All-Star later in 2018.  He won 133 Games over his career.

Jake Arrieta: Arrieta is best known for his run with the Chicago Cubs, where he pitched them to a World Series Championship in 2016. He was also an All-Star that year and won the Cy Young the year before. The hurler had a career record of 115-93 with 1,443 Strikeouts.

Jay Bruce:  A power-hitting Outfielder, Bruce was a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger and 319 career Home Runs.

Joakim Soria:  A two-time All-Star as a Relief Pitcher with Kansas City, Soria had 229 career Saves.

John Axford:  In 2011, Axford (as a Milwaukee Brewer) won the Rolaids Reliever of the Year and led the NL in Saves. 

Jon Jay:  Jay played 12 years in the Majors, most notably with St. Louis, where he won a World Series in 2011.

Jon Lester:  A five-time All-Star, Lester won three World Series Rings (two with Boston and one with Chicago Cubs).  He finished in the top four In Cy Young voting four times and secured an even 200 Wins with 2,488 Strikeouts.

Jonathan Lucroy:  Lucroy was twice an All-Star at Catcher, both of which was as a Brewer.

Jordan Zimmerman:  A solid control Pitcher, Zimmerman was twice named to the All-Star Game.

Josh Reddick:  Reddick won a World Series with Houston in 2016 and was a two-time Wilson Defensive player and one-time Gold Glove in Oakland.

Kyle Seager: Seager played all 11 of his MLB seasons with the Seattle Mariners, where he was an All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and American League leader in Total Zone Runs in 2014.  He had 1,395 Hits and 242 Home Runs.

Neftali Feliz  Feliz was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2010 where he was an All-Star, but injuries turned him into a journeyman.

Pablo Sandoval: Sandoval helped the San Francisco Giants win three World Series Championships (2010, 2012, and 2014) and won the World Series MVP and Babe Ruth Award in 2012. He is also a two-time All-Star.

Ryan Zimmerman:  Zimmerman is the all-time leader in Nationals history in Hits (1,846), Home Runs (284) and RBIs (1,061), and was a member of Washington’s 2019 World Series Championship team.  He is also a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger and also won one Gold Glove and one Wilson Defensive Award.

Scott Kazmir:  Kazmir went to three All-Star Games, two with Tampa and one with the Dodgers.  He had 108 Wins with 1,618 Strikeouts.

Starlin Castro:  Castro went to four All-Star Games and had over 1,700 Hits, but had it not been for domestic violence allegations that booted him from the league, he would have had much more.

Todd Frazier:  Frazier was a two-time All-Star when he played for Cincinnati.  He had 218 Home Runs.

Tony Watson:  Watson was an All-Star in 2014, and he led the NL in Games Pitched that year.

Wade Davis:  Davis was a three-time All-Star who won the Babe Ruth Award and a World Series Ring with Kansas City in 2015.

Will Harris:  Unlikely to make the ballot, Harris is a one-time All-Star and World Series winner with Houston, so his career is more than complete.

Wilson Ramos:  Ramos was a two-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger Catcher.

You can find the entire list of 2027 eligible baseball players here.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support!

Buster Posey was a San Francisco Giant for all of his 12 seasons in the Majors, and is widely considered the best Catcher of the 2010s.

Posey was an outstanding player at the University of Florida, where he won the 2008 Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award. In the 2008 Amateur Draft, the Giants chose him as the fifth overall pick. After a brief seven-game stint with San Francisco, he became their everyday catcher and won the National League Rookie of the Year award. He led the Giants to a World Series Championship that year, which was his first of three.

Posey was selected as an All-Star for the first of seven times and helped the Giants win another World Series, with his contribution being significant. Although he suffered a fractured fibula in 2011, he made a strong comeback the following year and became the Comeback Player of the Year while posting career-high numbers in batting average (.336), home runs (24), and RBIs (104). He was named the MVP that year, and even better, would anchor San Francisco to another World Series Championship.

Posey remained one of the best catchers in the National League and helped the Giants win yet another World Series in 2014 (his third). He continued to hit over .300, excel in defense, and handle his pitchers well. In total, he won two Wilson Defensive Awards, one Gold Glove, and five Silver Sluggers.

Posey opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, but returned the following year and won his second Comeback Player of the Year award. With the introduction of All-MLB awards, he earned All-MLB 2 honors. He then surprised many by announcing his retirement after the 2021 season, which he ended with 1,500 hits, a .302 batting average, and 158 home runs.

Posey's Hall of Fame case rests on his positional dominance, even though his overall statistics might fall short.  Anyone who was in a position in a league for an extended period of time has a strong Hall of Fame case in our eyes.

When assessing the top modern figures who led the sport's most competitive era in the 2010s, true greatness goes beyond individual stats; it encompasses the complete transformation of a franchise's winning culture. Buster Posey wasn’t just a catcher for the San Francisco Giants—he was the strategic linchpin, the clubhouse's heartbeat, and the operational genius behind one of the greatest dynasties in Bay Area history. Coming out of Florida State University as a celebrated amateur star, the highly skilled backstop entered the majors with a composed attitude and an advanced baseball IQ that dramatically changed the team’s path, beginning a 12-season run that permanently established him as a legendary figure.

After a brief seven-game stint in late September 2009, his full-time role as the primary team leader in May 2010 sparked a historic competitive surge. Posey established a rigorous routine of elite contact, achieving 124 hits, 18 home runs, and a .305 batting average, which earned him the National League Rookie of the Year award. He concluded that remarkable rookie summer by flawlessly managing postseason pitching, guiding a talented rotation through the intense October challenges and helping the Giants win their first World Series since relocating to San Francisco in 1958.

Tragically, his frontline career hit a major obstacle in May 2011 when a collision at home plate resulted in a fractured fibula and torn ankle ligaments, ending his summer early. However, showcasing his legendary grit, Posey crafted a remarkable physical redemption during the 2012 season.

He impressively dominated National League pitching, earning the batting crown with a fantastic .336 average—making him the first catcher to lead the league in batting since Ernie Lombardi in 1942. He hit a career-high 24 home runs and drove in 104 runs over 148 games, achieving a rare sweep of the National League Comeback Player of the Year, a Silver Slugger Award, and the esteemed National League Most Valuable Player trophy. His achievements clearly contributed to a memorable team victory that fall, as he helped lead the Giants to their second World Series title in three years.

Far from a temporary peak, Posey maintained a metronomic baseline of elite multi-dimensional excellence over the next half-decade. He functioned as a dangerous, high-efficiency threat in the middle of the order while serving as a premier, defensive hand behind the dish. He successfully navigated the pitching staff to another Fall Classic crown in 2014—securing a historic "Even Year" dynasty of three rings in five seasons—and routinely posted batting averages hovering north of the .300 threshold.

His exceptional spatial awareness and framing metrics earned him a Gold Glove Award in 2016, along with two Wilson Defensive Player of the Year honors and five Silver Sluggers, affirming his status as the definitive exemplar at his position. After electing to abstain from the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to safeguard his newly adopted twin daughters, the veteran catcher returned to play for one final, poetic chapter in 2021. At the age of 34, demonstrating remarkable zone discipline, Posey experienced a remarkable late-career resurgence. He achieved a commendable batting average of .304 with 18 home runs over 113 games, leading a record-breaking 107-win season. He received his second career Comeback Player of the Year award, was selected as an All-Star, and earned a spot on the All-MLB Second Team, thereby confirming that he continued to perform at the highest level of the sport.

Instead of lingering past his prime, Posey retired in November, shocking baseball by leaving on top. He ended with 1,500 hits, 293 doubles, 158 home runs, 729 RBIs, and a .302/.372/460 slash line in 1,371 games, all in one uniform.

This was a little surprising.

One of the top Catchers of the last decade, Buster Posey, is expected to announce his retirement tomorrow.

A former fifth overall pick, Posey debited in 2009 and was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2010 and helped lead the Giants to a World Series win.  Two years later, he won the MVP, and again took San Francisco to a World Series title.  A seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger, Posey won a third World Series ring in 2014.

After opting out of 2020, he had a comeback year in 2021, leading fans to feel that there was plenty left in Posey’s tank, making this retirement an unexpected one.

Posey will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2027, and with a career bWAR of 44.9, he is lower than the average HOF Catcher, but he does have the MVP and multiple World Series Rings.  He is also retiring on his own terms, and probably could have compiled the advanced metrics, as well as traditional stats that would make him a likely Hall of Famer, but as of now, he feels like an on-the-fence candidate.  He also retires with a lifetime Batting Average of .302 with 1,500 Hits and 158 Home Runs.  

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Buster Posey the best in his post-playing career.