Scott Rolen, a consistent power hitter and defensive wizard, is on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the fourth year.
Defensively – both by traditional statistics and advanced measurement – he was one of the best third basemen of his generation, winning eight Gold Glove Awards. Offensively, he ranks in the top 15 among third basemen in home runs (316), RBI (1,287) and slugging percentage (.490).
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A second-round pick by the Phillies in 1993, he made an immediate impact when he reached the majors, unanimously winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1997. The following season, he established himself as a legitimate star with a .290/.391/.532 slash line, 31 home runs and 110 RBI, earning his first Gold Glove.
The seven-time All-Star went on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds before injuries took a toll and he retired in 2012.
During his 17-year career he finished with a slash line of .281/.364/.490 in 2,038 games, ranking fifth in the majors during that span in doubles (517), 11th in extra-base hits (876) and 17th in runs scored (1,211).
In 2006, Rolen was a member of the Cardinals when they won the World Series. He had a clutch performance and slashed .421/.476/.737, going 8-for-19 with three doubles, one home run, two RBI and five runs scored in five games against the Detroit Tigers.
Case For
Rolen could flat out play his position defensively. His eight Gold Glove Awards trail only Brooks Robinson (16) and Mike Schmidt (10) among third basemen in MLB history and are tied with Colorado’s Nolan Arenado. He is also one of 15 infielders ever to win at least eight Gold Glove Awards.
By advanced metrics, Rolen has the ninth best WAR (70.1, Wins Above Replacement according to Baseball-Reference) among third basemen in the history of the game. Seven of the eight players with a higher WAR are already enshrined in Cooperstown. Adrian Beltre, a sure-fire Hall of Famer, is not eligible until 2024.
From 1998-2004, he had at least 25 home runs and 100 RBI in five seasons. Only nine players in the majors had more such seasons during that span, led by players who are linked to PEDs — Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez.
Case Against
Rolen was a seven-time All-Star, but often played in the shadows of his National League counterparts Chipper Jones and Vinny Castilla. Offensively he was very consistent, but over the parts of 17 seasons, he never led the league in any major statistical category. In 2004, he finished second in the NL with 124 RBI, but that came in the best offensive season of his career.
Injuries hampered his career numbers. He played 150 games five times, but never again from 2004-2012. He retired with 2,077 career hits, which by many is a low number. There hasn't been a position player elected with fewer than that total since Johnny Bench in 1989 – and he's considered one of the greatest catchers all time.
Some may also point out his lack of MVP hardware. Rolen had only one top-10 finish and that was in 2004. But, Eddie Mathews, Wade Boggs, Paul Molitor and Ron Santo are also third baseman's who never won the award and are enshrined in Cooperstown.
Voting Trends
Rolen has gained some serious ground during the three years on the ballot. And as of January 17, he sits at 64.6% on Ryan Thibodaux's Hall of Fame Tracker behind Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
In 2020, he more than doubled his support with an 18.1% increase and is on pace for another large jump (29.3% increase) this year. A player needs 75% of the vote to get inducted.
- 2018: 10.2%
- 2019: 17.2%
- 2020: 35.3%
Consensus
Rolen is trending upwards at a serious pace. With the ballot becoming less crowded, he's in good position over the next few years to get the call to Cooperstown.
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