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...Beltre has nothing going for him except being an above average hitter and a solid defensive 3B.
Yes, because being in the top-ten in nearly every meaningful statistical category for 3rd basemen is equal to "above average hitter and a solid defensive 3B". Other than being Mike Schmidt offensively and Brooks Robinson defensively, what do you need from the guy to consider him a Hall of Famer?
Yes, because being in the top-ten in nearly every meaningful statistical category for 3rd basemen is equal to "above average hitter and a solid defensive 3B". Other than being Mike Schmidt offensively and Brooks Robinson defensively, what do you need from the guy to consider him a Hall of Famer?
MVPs , postseason success , key numbers , dominance at something... Any one of those things. He can get to a key number.
Ryan
Simply put, dominance in his era. He's been an all-star one of out every 4.5 years he's been in the league. If you're going to say he's a superior hitter, I'm going to compare him to superior hitters of his generation, if you're going to say he's a superior defenseman I'm going to compare him to the best defensive players of his generation. For a 3B he ranks decent in gold gloves and solid in hitting if your benchmark is hits and HRs - but which statistic jumps out at you for HOF like today not 3 years from now but today? 2,600 hits? 400 HRs? .284 average? 4/18 ASG appearances? Nothing postseason wise? 4 GG? It's all solid, but nothing to jump out and say wow this guy should be a HOFer.
And? There are things the smelly eyeball test captures about the other guys in that sheet, Beltre has 75 players in MLB history with more hits and 52 in history with more home runs going for him and one of the best defensive 3B in history. He's very good today, my take is not HOF.
Any idea how many 3B in the history of the game have 2,500+ hits with 400+ homeruns?
All-Star game appearances. lol Oh boy.
All-Star game appearances. lol Oh boy.
It matters when it shows he was never dominant.
He doesn't have a stack of AS games to point to , he has 4. Nor does he have a bunch of GGs , he has 4. He doesn't have MVPs to point to , he has 0. This is over 18 years , so you have to find something that will send him over the top , and that's a 500/1500/3000 type number.
Ryan
It matters when it shows he was never dominant.
He doesn't have a stack of AS games to point to , he has 4. Nor does he have a bunch of GGs , he has 4. He doesn't have MVPs to point to , he has 0. This is over 18 years , so you have to find something that will send him over the top , and that's a 500/1500/3000 type number.
Ryan
One of only three 3rd basemen in the history of the game to have 2,500+ hits with 400+ homeruns... and on TOP of that he has the second best defensive WAR for 3rd basemen in the history of the game. But really, what has he done other than lead the league in homeruns, hits and doubles all in different seasons and have two top-five MVP finishes. This guy needs to step up his game.
Yep, and he should easily get to 3,000+ hits. So there's that. He'll join Molitor (who DH'd most of his career), Brett, Boggs and A-Rod (who played short most of his career) as the only 3rd basemen to have 3,000+ hits. I'd call that elite company, but what do I know.
Other than playing 3 years less than Beltre has , Ron Santos average stats / career is about the same as Beltre. And that isn't in the HR era Beltre played in the first half if his career. But regardless , Santo had more GGs , more AS , the same type of MVP voting , and it took 32 years for him to get in after he was eligible.
Ryan
So the only weight you give to his defensive value is gauged by GG awards? Or are you just removing the defensive value all together to go along with his historical offensive numbers at that position?