With the end of the season and all the awards officially handed out, let's take a look at where some active players are on their way to the Hall of Fame.
Mike Trout has already done enough to secure his plaque, but it's kind of annoying that he can't add much to his resume without getting hurt. He was leading the Majors in homers after 29 games before suffering a season-ending meniscus tear; as it stands he's only played 266 games in the past four seasons. I'd love to see him produce one or two more all-star seasons, but his Hall of Fame candidacy doesn't depend on it.
Justin Verlander was simply dreadful this year, posting a 5.48 ERA across 17 starts. Heading into his age-42 season with 262 career wins, it seems highly unlikely that he'll get to 300, but he'll still make the Hall of Fame with little trouble.
Max Scherzer battled through injuries to turn in a 3.95 ERA in nine starts, proving that he can still compete but not at his highest level. Currently a free agent, Scherzer plans to pitch next season, but he could retire right now and make the Hall on his first ballot.
Clayton Kershaw had a rough 2024 season (4.50 ERA in seven starts) that was plagued by injuries and, perhaps, signs of age finally catching up to him. With the Dodgers loading their starting rotation beyond imagination this offseason, it's hard to predict what role Kershaw will play next year, but he secured his place in Cooperstown long ago.
Likely Candidates
Freddie Freeman had a bit of an off year by his standards (.282 / .378 / .476 slash line) but made up for it by capturing the World Series MVP Award on the strength of his four homers and 12 RBI's. While he still has a little work to do to round out his Hall of Fame case, he's only 35 and playing at a level high enough where I think he can get there.
Nolan Arenado's production slid this year but didn't skid (.272 average, 16 homers in 152 games), showing that he can still contribute but that he's not what he once was. Given the strength of his peak and his defensive prowess, he'll probably be able to finish up a Hall-worthy career.
Manny Machado had another fine year in 2024 (.275 average, 29 homers), capturing a Silver Slugger award. At age 31 he should have plenty of time for his counting statistics to come around, barring anything unforeseen.
Mookie Betts spent some time on the IL with a broken hand, but still wound up with a relatively productive season (19 homers, 75 RBI's in 116 games) while playing three positions. At 32 he should have no trouble putting together a Hall-worthy resume; however, I wouldn't vote for him due to his involvement in the Red Sox's sign stealing scandal a few years ago. Cheaters don't deserve to be immortalized, whether they could have made it otherwise or not; unfortunately, given Carlos Beltran's momentum on the current BBWAA ballot, I'd say that opinion is small and unheeded.
Jose Altuve is a little bit of a different story. While Betts has been forgiven and lauded for his exploits in the years since the scandal, there are still some who love to hate Altuve. However, there may be reason to believe that Altuve wasn't in on the scandal, and if he's treated with the same clemency as Betts when the time comes, he should be on track to get in.
Bryce Harper turned in another 30 homers this year en route to his eighth all-star game. At age 32 he seems to be still at the top of his game, and should be able to put together a Hall of Fame career.
Aaron Judge captured his second MVP in 2024, clubbing 58 homers (his third 50 homer season) and driving in 144 runs to run away with the award. Although he is short on counting statistics heading into his age-33 season, he's just so dominant that I think he'll be able to sail into Cooperstown even without the traditional counting stats.
Corey Seager hit 30 homers for the third straight season in 2024, bringing him to an even 200 through his age-30 season. He still has work to do but certainly has the youth and stamina to round out his case.
Francisco Lindor had a career season this year, ultimately finishing second behind Ohtani in the NL MVP race. Much like Seager, he has a ways to go before he can be considered Hall-worthy, but he has the talent to get there.
Juan Soto hit a career-best 41 homers this year, teaming with Judge to form a pair comparable to Ruth and Gehrig. It is still early in his career but it looks like Soto will be one of the greatest players of his generation.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a strong season in 2024, batting .323 with 30 homers and 103 RBI's and earning his fourth straight all-star selection. He's still young and has only been playing for six seasons, but there's certainly a chance that he could join his old man in Cooperstown someday.
Ronald Acuna Jr. struggled to build on his 2023 MVP campaign, batting .250 with four homers in 49 games before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. He has already shown that he has the talent to be a Hall of Famer; whether he has the consistency to be one remains to be seen.
Shohei Ohtani is the most profitable athlete in history, as his fame truly spreads around the world. He took home his third MVP this year with 54 homers, and should be pitching again next year. He'll make it to Cooperstown on his first ballot.
Chris Sale turned back the clock with his masterful performance in 2024, winning the NL triple crown with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA, and 225 strikeouts en route to his first career Cy Young Award. Heading into his age-36 season, he has 138 career wins, but he can obviously still pitch and perhaps piling up wins aren't as important to the Hall as they used to be. That said, I'd say he'll probably end up in the Hall of Fame eventually.
Gerrit Cole battled through injuries to post a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts in 2024, capping off his season with a strong World Series. Much like Sale, he has 153 wins and some fuel left in the tank, which should be enough to secure his plaque in the next few years.
Wait And See
Paul Goldschmidt had a rough 2024 season, hitting just .245 with 22 homers at the age of 36. He looked like a likely future Hall of Famer a couple years ago, and he can still make it if he comes back with one or two more strong seasons, but if he is indeed finished as a productive player, it'll be tough for him to get in with his current record.
Giancarlo Stanton hit 27 homers this year, bringing him to 429 for his career. At age 35 I can see him reaching 500 homers, but given the BBWAA's recent rejection of Gary Sheffield and the strength of Stanton's overall resume, I can't be sure that it'll be enough to lock in his plaque.
J.T. Realmuto produced when healthy in 2024, batting .266 with 14 homers in 99 games. Through his age-33 season, his overall counting statistics are pretty slim, but given the greatness of some of his individual seasons and his elite defense behind the plate, I think he has a shot to get in. I sure hope he does.
Salvador Perez turned in another strong season at age 33, batting .271 with 27 homers and 104 RBI's and making his ninth all-star team. He was a key player in the Royals' amazing turnaround this season, and has always been a franchise player, winning a ring with the small-market club in 2015. Given his low OBP and general lack of counting statistics, I'm nervous that he'll end up short, but I think he can and should make it to the Hall eventually.
Trea Turner had another strong season in 2024, batting .295 with 21 homers in 121 games and making his third all-star team. Heading into his age-32 season, his counting stats are still pretty short, but he has time and ability to produce a few more strong seasons and secure his spot in the Hall of Fame.
Jose Ramirez had arguably the best season of his career this year, clouting 39 homers en route to his fifth career Silver Slugger. Like many of the others, he still has work to do, especially in the counting stats department, but he's only 32 and has a good shot to finish up his career as a Hall of Famer.
Dansby Swanson had another solid season in 2024, banging out 16 home runs for the Chicago Cubs. His totals are a little skimpy through his age-30 season, and the Hall is becoming less appreciative of his type, but Swanson is still a star player and has time to fill out a Hall-worthy resume.
Ozzie Albies struggled with a wrist injury this year, but still managed to be semi-productive (.251 average, 10 homers in 99 games). He seems to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory but a serious wrist injury could affect his power output for the wrest of his career, potentially jeopardizing his case.
Jacob deGrom returned from Tommy John surgery in time to start three games near the end of the season, turning in a 1.69 ERA. There is no doubt to his pitching ability, both currently and throughout his career, but he still has only 84 wins through his age-36 season. If he can stay healthy and get to the century mark in victories, every win past that will help his chances at induction.
Zack Wheeler had an outstanding 2024 season, going 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA as the NL Cy Young runner-up. He has 103 wins and a 3.34 ERA through his age-34 season, but if he can put together a few more solid seasons, he could have a chance to earn a plaque someday.
Aaron Nola also had a strong season in Philadelphia, winnning 14 games and posting a 3.57 ERA as an integral part of the Phillies' playoff team. He has 104 wins and a 3.70 career ERA through his age-31 season, so he should have time to add to the win total and put together a Hall of Fame case.
After a horrid start to the year, Blake Snell turned on the jets in July, posting a 1.33 ERA for the rest of the season and ultimately finishing at 3.12 in 104 innings. The two time Cy Young Award winner inked a lucrative five year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers last week, clearly setting some high expectations. While he has been up and down during his career, the ups have typically outnumbered the downs, and if he can fufill his contract, I think the Hall will be calling his name.
Craig Kimbrel was, quite simply, bad in 2024 (5.33 ERA, 1.36 WHIP). He looked like a surefire Hall of Famer a few years ago, but his lack of innings and recent ineffectiveness are making me question that. A lot of his case could hinge on how Billy Wagner fares on his final BBWAA ballot. If Wagner gets in, that could be good for Kimbrel, assuming he rebounds next season; if Wagner is left out, then there is little hope for his apprentice.
Kenley Jansen is in much the same boat as Kimbrel, except he's pitching a bit better right now (3.29 ERA, 27 saves). A couple more good years and a plaque for Billy Wagner would bode well for Jansen, but anything else probably won't do it.
Unlikely Candidates
Christian Yelich looked a little like his old self this year, slashing .315 / .406 / .504 in 73 games and making his third all-star team before going down with an injury. He's not terribly old (he turns 33 tomorrow) and he can still be productive, but he'll need to stand out for the next few seasons if he wants to save his Hall of Fame candidacy.
Xander Bogaerts was mediocre in 2024, slashing .264 / .307 / .381 in 111 games. A declining bat over the past few years and never much of a fielder, he too was involved in the Red Sox's cheating scandal, putting his Hall of Fame chances in dangerous territory. Bogaerts has another nine years left on his contract, so he has time to turn things around, but I'm not counting on it.
After a horrendous first season in the Twin Cities, Carlos Correa produced when healthy in 2024, slashing .310 / .388 / .517 in 86 games. Due to his inconsistency (and his own part in the cheating scandals), I'm not counting on him making it, but his ceiling is high enough where anything can happen.
Yu Darvish may not be what he used to be, but he proved that he can still pitch, posting a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts this season. At age 38, he has 110 wins and 2,007 strikeouts, making him a longshot candidate at best, but I won't completely discredit his chances.
Shane Bieber won both his starts this year without allowing a run before undergoing Tommy John surgery. If he returns to form, he'll have a chance to pick up where he left off and make a Hall of Fame case, but you just never know for sure how a pitcher will recover from elbow surgery.
Aroldis Chapman was somewhat productive again in 2024 (3.79 ERA, 14 saves), with the highlight of his season being a 105.1 mph fastball he unloaded on August 7. While he's still lighting up the radar guns (and has a chance to surpass Hoyt Wilhelm as the all-time strikeout king among relievers), he's not the complete pitcher he used to be, and his overall resume is short of what one would expect from a Hall of Fame closer. However, his fastball exploits are truly impressive, as he became the hardest thrower of all time and helped usher in a new era of pitching smoke. That contribution to the game, plus a 2.63 ERA and 336 saves (16th on the all-time list), make me think he has at least a shot at eventual induction.
Fallen Out Of Contention
J.D. Martinez couldn't get a contract until March 23, and he didn't live up to it with the Mets (.235 average, 16 homers). It was going to be tough for him to make it as a DH, and with his stats I'd say his Hall of Fame chances are nearly zero.
Whit Merrifield had a miserable 2024 season, dealing with injuries, ineffectiveness, and an outright release on July 12. After a late start to his career, he's beginning to slide at age 35, and what he's done in the meantime is not nearly enough for induction.
Retirees
Zack Greinke hasn't exactly announced his retirement, but he didn't pitch and 2024 and almost surely won't pitch again. One of the greatest (and most colorful) pitchers of his era, the 2009 Cy Young Award winner collected 225 wins and nearly 3,000 strikeouts along with a reputation as one of the best hitting pitchers in the game. He should make it to the Hall with no issue.
Evan Longoria was a dynamic player in his youth and made it to the World Series in his first and last seasons, but other than his 342 homers, his batting stats simply aren't up to par for a Hall of Fame third baseman. His defense was truly spectacular, but one needs to be Brooks Robinson to make it as a defense-first player at third base. As much as I'd like to see it, there's little chance of him getting inducted.
Elvis Andrus showed up to spring training with the Diamondbacks this year, but didn't end up playing in the Majors. Even with outstanding defense at shortstop, Andrus's batting stats (.269 / .325 / .370, 102 homers) likely won't be enough to sway most voters.
Joey Votto attempted a comeback with the Blue Jays this year, but never made it out of the high minors after an ankle injury. Although he is a little short on a few major counting statistics (e.g. 2,135 hits), he owns a career slash line of .294 / .406 / .511 and 356 homers, which (I hope) should be enough for his induction.
Rickey Henderson (1958-2024)
