Will Alfonso Soriano be a HOFer?

All The Hype · Jan 7, 2014

Career Numbers (after 2013 season):
.272 avg, 406 HR, 1136 RBI, 288 SB, .301/.524/.825
7x All Star
4x Silver Slugger
40-40 Club

The case for him:
- One of 4 players in MLB history to post a 40 HR 40 SB season.
- Will likely become 4th player in MLB history to join 400 HR 300 SB club.
- Outside shot at 500 HR Club with 3-5 more seasons of 20-30 HR.
- One of the better offensive players in baseball for most of his career

The case against him:
- Zero World Series Rings
- Zero MVP (and only one top 5 finish...3rd in 2002)
- Below average fielder
- Production has fallen way off since his last All Star appearance in 2008 (.252 avg since '08)
- Was only an elite level player for a couple years

What do you think? 500 HR would get him in, but he's unlikely to get there given he's 94 HR away and will be 38 this year. Is the 400/300 club enough?

gmsieb · Jan 7, 2014

I don't think of him as hof.

When would you last say he was great???

kerryfan5 · Jan 7, 2014

Hall of really really good. 500 happens then he's in.

maxe0213 · Jan 7, 2014

If he can pull off 500 Hrs (which I don't think is extremely unlikely playing in that Lineup, especially if he stays in NY for a couple more years.) and if he can end up getting a WS before he retires I think he's in.

But other than that I doubt it. If he would've stayed at 2B he would've had a much stronger case.

vwnut13 · Jan 7, 2014

He hit 17 HR in 58 games with the Yankees last year.

Don't see why 35+ is out of the question for next year.

All The Hype · Jan 7, 2014

vwnut13 said:
He hit 17 HR in 58 games with the Yankees last year.

Don't see why 35+ is out of the question for next year.

Exactly, he has shown that he can hit 30HR in a season still. All it would take is two years of 30-35 and two years of 20 and he'd be at 500. I don't see it as THAT big of a reach, especially in NY as you guys have pointed out. I'm having trouble deciding how I feel about him if he DOESN'T reach 500. He'll almost certainly end up with 450/300, which is quite a feat itself (only Bonds/Mays have done this).

gt2590 · Jan 7, 2014

Nope.

He's a lot better historically than alot of people realize, but not a HOFer...

HPC · Jan 7, 2014

~No way!

Especially since he's played since the tail end of the steroid era, so, I mean, he definitely cheated~

michaelstepper · Jan 7, 2014

If he were to get 500hr I could see it.. When I think of soriano I kinda feel like I do about andruw jones.. So much lost potential there, what happened in the middle of there careers? Almost feel like they took it for granted and eased off.
Yes but most likely no

UMich92 · Jan 7, 2014

While the power/speed combo is nice, I think his overall numbers are lacking for a poor-fielding OF. If he had the same stats as a 2B, I think a better HOF argument could be made. As it is, he compiled a 113 OPS+ and a bWAR of 28.6. Both numbers are quite low when comparing to other corner OF.

Topnotchsy · Jan 7, 2014

He's been a fascinating player to follow for his career. While in NY he was truly a star and had he remained at second base he would have been a really compelling player to consider (. Ultimately though, he is a player who will retire with some pretty impressive counting numbers and in rare company in some statistical categories. He could retire with 2500 hits, 500 doubles 450 homers and 300 steals but I think it is fair to say that despite the impressive totals, there was a hollowness to the numbers. Because he did not walk much his lifetime on-base percentage is only .321 and he was basically an out machine. I think this is reflected in the fact he only had 2 finishes in the top 10 in the MVP voting (3rd place and 6th place respectively). With a couple more seasons he should also catapult himself into the top 10 in career strikeouts. He was also a pretty poor fielder. He's a player I liked to follow and hoped would do enough to make a case for himself, but ultimately I don't think he's deserving.

Topnotchsy · Jan 7, 2014

michaelstepper said:
If he were to get 500hr I could see it.. When I think of soriano I kinda feel like I do about andruw jones.. So much lost potential there, what happened in the middle of there careers? Almost feel like they took it for granted and eased off.
Yes but most likely no

That's an interesting comparison though I don't seem to recall people talking about Soriano dogging it (though I may be forgetting). I actually believe that Andruw deserves to be enshrined. He was an above-average hitter for a long time and a truly great defensive center fielder.

michaelstepper · Jan 7, 2014

Topnotchsy said:
That's an interesting comparison though I don't seem to recall people talking about Soriano dogging it (though I may be forgetting). I actually believe that Andruw deserves to be enshrined. He was an above-average hitter for a long time and a truly great defensive center fielder.

Maybe what in thinking is what's already been mentioned, the poor outfield play. Watched a few games myself and always wondered why they left him out there.

gmsieb · Jan 7, 2014

Was he the very best of his era? Not to me. Too many junk years in the middle and only a few epic seasons. The resurgence at 38 is a little odd too.

matfanofold · Jan 7, 2014

Obviously he has a legitimate shot, but the next few years will be the lynch pin. He could go either way at this point.

All The Hype · Jan 7, 2014

michaelstepper said:
Maybe what in thinking is what's already been mentioned, the poor outfield play. Watched a few games myself and always wondered why they left him out there.

Gotta be the only guy ever who would jump before catching a routine flyball hit directly to him.

gmsieb said:
The resurgence at 38 is a little odd too.

He's been pretty steady between 25-40 homers his entire career, including in his 30s (32 HR in 2012). The only outliers were his 46 HR season at age 30 and his 20 HR season at age 33 (but that was only 117 games). To be honest, he's been far more steady than I expected when I first opened his stats.

ThoseBackPages · Jan 7, 2014

he will get in.

gracecollector · Jan 7, 2014

Fans don't wake up every day of the season hoping a HOFer has been traded.

- Signed, 2009-2013 Chicago Cubs Fans

gmsieb · Jan 7, 2014

I think of him as the guy, I think the yankees thought if him as, a big out waiting to happen.

playoff stats 174 abs 4 hr 213 avg 53k (the anti jeter)

years of war above 2, 5 times
larry walker 14 times (if I counted correctly)
bobby bonds 12 times

He just didnt have enough wowow years

gmsieb · Jan 7, 2014

gracecollector said:
Fans don't wake up every day of the season hoping a HOFer has been traded.

- Signed, 2009-2013 Chicago Cubs Fans

Couldn't have said it better. Most yankee fans I knew, wanted him gone the first go around, very few were upset he was sent packing.

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