Bobby Abreu Highlights List of Latinos Debuting on Hall of Fame Ballot
There isn’t much intrigue this year as veteran members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America start to turn in their ballots for the 2020 induction class.
Derek Jeter is getting in. Heck, he’ll cruise in. The only question is whether he follows his former teammate Mariano Rivera, a member of the 2019 Hall of Fame class, as only the second unanimous selection ever on the BBWAA ballot.
The rest of the newcomers and holdovers aren’t such clear choices, but Phillies great Bobby Abreu is another newcomer on the 2020 ballot who will eventually earn a place among the immortals in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Let’s look over the Latinos making their debuts on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot, which is the 14th consecutive I’ll fill out. For reference, veteran members of the BBWAA receive Hall of Fame voting status after 10 consecutive years in the BBWAA.
Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Cliff Lee, Josh Beckett, Heath Bell, Eric Chávez, Adam Dunn, Chone Figgins, Rafael Furcal, Raúl Ibañez, Paul Konerko, Carlos Peña, Brad Penny, J.J. Putz, Brian Roberts, Alfonso Soriano and José Valverde will make their debut on the Hall of Fame ballot.
At La Vida Baseball, we celebrate the accomplishments of Latinos in baseball, so we’ll take a special look at the Latino candidates on the 2020 ballot.
Among the players making their debut on this year’s ballot and not named Jeter, Abreu is clearly the most deserving of consideration for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He may ultimately become the second Venezuelan in the Hall of Fame behind the legendary Luis Aparicio.
Bobby Abreu
Abreu, a two-time All-Star, earned one Silver Slugger and one Gold Glove. He also posted a 60 WAR with a .291 average, 2,470 hits, 288 home runs, 400 stolen bases, a .395 and .475 on-base percentage over an 18-year career.
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano played in much bigger markets than Abreu with the Yankees and the Cubs, which explains why some might think that he had a more productive career.
Soriano was a seven-time All-Star, an All-Star Game MVP and a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, yet he finished with a modest 28 WAR while hitting .270 with 412 home runs, 2,095 hits and a .500 slugging percentage over 16 years.
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal, the 2000 National League Rookie of the Year, was a stellar infielder while distinguishing himself with the Braves, Dodgers and Cardinals over his 14-year career.
He finished with a 39.4 WAR while posting a .281 average and 314 stolen bases. In an era full of great shortstops, the three-time All-Star wasn’t often overlooked nationally.
The other four new Latinos on the ballot aren’t likely to get much consideration despite solid careers.
Chavez, Ibañez, Peña, Valverde
Eric Chávez had a much better career than the baseball world will ever appreciate. The former A’s third baseman earned six Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger despite never earning an All-Star bid. He finished his 17-year career with an impressive 37.5 WAR.
Raúl Ibañez finished his career with 2,034 hits, 305 home runs and a 20.4 WAR over 19 years. If he makes it into the Hall of Fame, he’ll likely have to do it as a manager. He’s one of the most promising Latino managerial prospects in the game today, so don’t be surprised if he’s leading a team soon.
Carlos Peña has a sneaky good career, posting a 25.1 WAR with 286 home runs and an unimpressive .232 batting average with a .346 on-base percentage and .462 slugging percentage.
José Valverde was a three-time All-Star and two-time Rolaids Relief Award winner. He’s 32nd on the all-time saves list with 288 over a 12-year career, posting an 11.5 WAR.
It’s an honor to earn a spot on the Hall of Fame ballot. Most of the Latinos on this year’s ballot will likely fall short of the five percent necessary to remain on the ballot, but rest assured that Abreu will get enough support to remain on the ballot and race Omar Vizquel to see if they can be the second holdover to eventually join Aparicio in Cooperstown.
Featured image: The Sporting News