The pros and cons of Scott Rolen making it into the Hall of Fame.
Nearly every year when the Hall of Fame announcements are there is some sort of controversy. Whether it’s a player who many disagree belongs in Cooperstown or a voter who didn’t check off the box for an absolute legend, the MLB Hall of Fame debate is an annual event made even more popular in today’s world. We have social media, access to numbers, and our own personal opinions to share. People have a lot to say about Scott Rolen.
Rolen is one of those debated players and the lone guy going into Cooperstown in 2023 on the ballot. Some numbers say he belongs. Others say he doesn’t.
By the numbers, these are the pros and cons of Scott Rolen heading into the Hall of Fame.
The pros of Scott Rolen making the Hall of Fame
Whenever someone like Rolen goes in, more doors open for old snubs. Keith Hernandez is one of those guys who never got much attention on the Hall of Fame ballot and yet he has some similarities to Rolen. Both were good hitters consistently in their careers with Gold Glove defense. A player like Hernandez has an even stronger case with Rolen going into the Hall of Fame. One of the main reasons why Rolen is going is because of what a well-balanced player he was. Hernandez won more championships and took home an MVP.
Other gifted hitters and defense players — here’s looking at you Andruw Jones — can feel pretty good about their chances right now.
Rolen’s time in the big leagues did span the height of the Steroid Era so he doesn’t quite measure up offensively with others. Although he won only a single Silver Slugger, the third basemen during his peak were either Hall of Famers, benefitting from PEDs, playing at Coors Field, or a combination of these factors. The standard for Cooperstown for hitters during this time period is continuing to be defined. A little over 2,000 hits and 300 home runs on the back of his baseball card doesn’t quite seem to measure up to what we think of as a Hall of Fame player.
Among Hall of Fame players, Rolen ranks 125th in hits, 51st in home runs, 59th in WAR, and 83rd in OPS. It’s easy to pick and choose statistics to make or break a case. What we find with Rolen is someone who did a little bit of everything well.
When we look specifically at WAR, Rolen’s 70.1 is tied for 103rd all-time along with Carlos Beltran, a guy whose case for the Hall of Fame is similar. It’s greater than many others already in the Hall of Fame. Only a small number are ahead of him in this statistic and held out of Cooperstown. Many of them have a reason why they aren’t in Cooperstown.
There is no reason to be upset about Rolen getting voted in. However, it’s fair to say there are some cons.
The cons of Scott Rolen making the Hall of Fame
Some of the same pros can be flipped around into cons. If Scott Rolen gets in, it’s unfair for Keith Hernandez or Andruw Jones not to. What about Bobby Grich who amassed a greater lifetime WAR being held out, too?
There are fans who prefer a “small hall” where only the most elite players ever make it in. This creates a harder line of division. It’s also far too late to turn back time and start removing players simply because new metrics suggest they weren’t as good as the voters used to think they were.
Rolen making the Hall of Fame does take away from players whose cases were built on major awards. He only finished in the top 10 of MVP voting once in his career. It doesn’t seem like a Hall of Fame player when we look at this.
Anyone who prefers the smaller Hall of Fame will scream about Rolen’s inclusion until next year when someone else they feel doesn’t deserve to get in makes it. It’s fair. He never had the same luster as Chipper Jones. His peak wasn’t as great as David Wright. There weren’t too many seasons where he had Vinny Castilla numbers.
Rolen’s Hall of Fame case only grew as years went on. The appreciation for the lost art of playing tremendous defense and hitting in the middle of the order lives on with some players. One final con might be an over-appreciation of defense. Let’s see if voters take it too far and elect too in favor of defensive stars while ignoring their bats.