When George Springer put pen to paper on a historic six-year, $150 million blockbuster contract in January 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays weren't just purchasing elite outfield production; they were buying an architectural foundation. The franchise needed a proven, battle-tested standard to lead a highly talented but unproven young core out of the rebuilding wilderness and into October relevance. Over his first five seasons north of the border, the charismatic, high-velocity outfielder has delivered on that mandate, serving as the definitive cultural bridge and top-of-the-order lightning rod at Rogers Centre.

Springer's journey through Toronto has been a striking mix of exceptional talent, resilience, and a remarkable late-career transformation. His early seasons with the team showcased explosive productivity when he was healthy. Despite struggles with persistent lower-body injuries during a disrupted 2021 season, he still used his powerful right-handed swing to hit 22 home runs in just 78 games, giving fans a dazzling debut. In 2022, he truly found his rhythm as the team's regular center fielder and key offensive force, earning an American League All-Star nod after scoring 89 runs, hitting 25 homers, and leading the pace of a 92-win postseason team.

As he entered his mid-thirties and the physical strain from his aggressive style increased, Springer smoothly moved to right field. There, his technical route-running and top-tier positioning kept his defense at an high standard. Although the 2024 schedule revealed a difficult, extended summer slump that challenged the patience of Toronto fans, his inner resilience laid the groundwork for a remarkable, historic comeback.

The remarkable comeback in the 2025 season was a true masterpiece. Springer defied aging with his best season in a Blue Jays uniform, dominating opposing pitchers with a career-high .309 batting average—fourth in Major League Baseball—alongside 32 home runs and 84 RBIs. His exceptional plate discipline was evident in a .399 on-base percentage and an impressive .959 OPS, highlighted by a dominant late-summer streak reminiscent of legendary players of the past. This 140-game performance earned him his third Silver Slugger Award and delivered a powerful message across the junior circuit.

Springer maintained his intense momentum into a remarkable 2025 postseason, leading Toronto to Game 7 of the World Series. Revitalizing his reputation as a clutch October performer, he posted a solid .284 average over 16 high-stakes playoff games. He energized the Blue Jays' offense with 19 hits, 14 runs scored, and showcased his postseason power with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs, providing vital sparks at the top of the order as Toronto bested the Yankees and Mariners to reach the Fall Classic.

Springer enters this season looking to maintain the momentum he has built north of the border.

1998 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you to all who participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are still determining what that is, we treated the PFHOF as having its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the first 50 years.

For “1998,” a Preliminary Vote with over 100 players whose playing career ended by 1992. We also follow the structure in which players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, and the top 25 vote-getters were named Semi-Finalists.

A week later, voters will be asked to select 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, then choose five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process every week until we catch up to the current year.

Please note that a significant change occurred “years ago,” allowing voters to submit fewer than the allotted number of spots. 

32 Votes took place.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates they have been removed from future ballots

This is for the Senior Era

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1998 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

When Zack Littell arrived in St. Petersburg in mid-2023 as a waiver claim from the Red Sox, he was seen as a journeyman middle reliever. Having bounced through Minnesota and San Francisco, few expected him to become a Tampa Bay pitching success. Yet, the Rays saw elite strike-throwing potential they could develop into more.

Faced with a severe influx of injuries to their starting rotation, the coaching staff asked Littell to step up and take a starting role—a challenge he accepted with notable efficiency. Throughout the latter half of 2023, he stabilized an underperforming pitching staff, delivering precise, high-leverage strikes to achieve a 3.93 ERA across 14 starts, thereby providing Tampa Bay with the essential mid-season boost necessary to secure a wild-card position.

He demonstrated that the transition was not merely a transient occurrence by consistently occupying the role of a full-time starting pitcher throughout a resilient and highly reliable campaign in 2024. Utilizing a precisely aimed four-seam fastball, a formidable slider, and a newly refined splitter, Littell established himself as the definitive "strike-zone filler" for a team that emphasizes pitching efficiency. He made a career-high 29 appearances, covering 156.1 vital innings, and achieved 141 strikeouts while only issuing 31 walks, resulting in an impressive record of 8–10 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.63.

Littell returned to the Tampa Bay rotation for the 2025 season, maintaining his role as a reliable strike-thrower. As the Rays began retooling, they traded Littell to the Cincinnati Reds before the July deadline, ending his productive stint in the American League East. With the Rays, he posted a 16–21 record, 3.76 ERA, and 1.20 WHIP. He ate up 299.1 innings, striking out 257 batters while walking only 51.

Regular visitors of notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives. We will eventually extend that to the major universities, and thus it is important to us that the University of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 Class. 

The six-person class will be inducted on September 25.

The inductees are:

Paul Calhoun, Football, 1981-84.  Calhoun played at Defensive Back and Punter and was an All-SEC Selection twice.  He helped lead the Wildcats to two straight Hall of Fame Bowls and was selected to the All-Time Kentucky Team in 1990.

Tim Duckworth, Men’s Track & Field, 2015-18.  Duckworth was a two-time NCAA Champion, winning the 2018 Indoor Heptathlon and 2018 Outdoor Decathlon.  A three-time All-American, Duckworth was the 2018 SEC Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.

Leah Edmond, Women’s Volleyball, 2016-19.  A four-year All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year, Edmond holds the school record for most kills with 1,978.  While she played at UK, the Wildcats had a 103-28 record and won three SEC Championships.

Patty Jo Hedges-Ward, Women’s Basketball, 1980-83.  Hedges-Ward is still the all-time Wildcats leader in Assists (731) and had 1,176 points over her collegiate career.  Her teams had a combined 85-33 record and won the 1982 SEC Tournament.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Men’s Basketball, 2012.  Kidd Gilchrist was a significant member of the 2012 National Championship Team and, individually, an All-SEC Selection.  He went on to play eight years in the NBA.

Asia Seidt, Women’s Swimming & Diving, 2017-20.  Seidt collected a staggering 21 All-American honors, eight of which were First Team.  She won 15 SEC Medals (four Gold, five Silver, and six Bronze), and in 2020, Seidt was named the NCAA Woman of the Year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the University of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.