Dave Parker, Billy Wagner and the newest members of the MLB Hall of Fame will formally take their place in Cooperstown this weekend, with induction ceremonies scheduled for Sunday (1:30 PM EST, broadcast on MLB Network).
This week, Yardbarker’s MLB writers looked at identifying one player from each NL club who deserved more HOF consideration.
NL East
Oct 17, 2021; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves former player Dale Murphy throws a ceremonial first pitch before the Braves game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the 2021 NLCS at Truist Park.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Atlanta Braves (43-55) | OF Dale Murphy | One of only 14 players in MLB history to win back-to-back MVP awards (1982-83), Murphy was a seven-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove Award winner and four-time Silver Slugger during 15 years with the Braves. Across 18 seasons, he accrued 46.5 bWAR, ending his career with a .265 batting average, .815 OPS and 398 home runs.
Miami Marlins (46-52) | OF Gary Sheffield | Playing for eight different teams in 22 seasons, Sheffield hit 509 home runs during his career, alongside a 60.5 bWAR and a .292 batting average. PED speculation may have hurt his Hall of Fame chances, but it’s hard to argue against a batting champion, nine-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger in the elusive 500-homer club.
New York Mets (56-44) | RHP Dwight Gooden | At 20 years old in 1985, Gooden put together a 12.2 bWAR season, going 24-4 and pitching to a 1.53 ERA with 16 complete games and 268 strikeouts over 276.2 innings en route to the NL Cy Young Award, pitching Triple Crown and ERA title. The 16-year MLB veteran was the 1984 Rookie of the Year, a two-time World Series champion, four-time All-Star and Silver Slugger.
Philadelphia Phillies (56-43) | RF Bobby Abreu | One of the most underrated hitters of his era, Abreu put together seven straight seasons of 20+ home runs with the Phillies from 1999-2005, slashing .305/.415/.522 and notching 294 doubles, 34 triples, 675 RBI and 215 stolen bases during that span. Although career accolades are slim, Abreu was a five-tool player, earning a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, two All-Star Game appearances and a Home Run Derby crown.
Washington Nationals (39-60) | RHP Steve Rogers | Spending his entire 13-year career with the Montreal Expos, Rogers pitched to a 3.17 career ERA, accumulating 1,621 strikeouts in 2,837.2 innings, racking up 129 complete games and 37 shutouts. He was a five-time All-Star and earned an ERA title in 1982 when he went 19-8 with a 2.40 ERA in 35 starts, putting up a MLB-best 7.6 bWAR. — Lauren Amour
NL Central
Apr 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals former manager Tony La Russa shakes hands with former player Jim Edmonds before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium.
Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Chicago Cubs (59-40) | SP Rick Reuschel | One of the most durable pitchers in MLB, Reuschel was a three-time All-Star and won 214 games, finishing his career with a 3.37 ERA. His 68.1 WAR is higher than notable Hall of Fame pitchers like Jim Palmer, John Smoltz, Roy Halladay and Bob Feller.
Cincinnati Reds (52-48) | OF George Foster | Foster was a five-time All-Star, the 1977 NL MVP, led MLB in RBI in three straight seasons and is the only Red to hit 50 home runs in a season. He also helped lead the Reds to two World Series titles.
Milwaukee Brewers (59-40) | 1B Cecil Cooper | Cooper played 11 seasons with the Brewers, where he was a five-time All-Star, won three Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves and placed in the top five in MVP voting three times. He led MLB in RBI twice and batted over .300 for seven straight seasons.
Pittsburgh Pirates (39-61) | 1B/OF Al Oliver | Oliver was a seven-time All-Star who collected 2,743 hits and 1,326 RBI in his career. He won a World Series title with Pittsburgh in 1971 and hit .300 or better in 11 of his 18 MLB seasons.
St. Louis Cardinals (51-49) | OF Jim Edmonds | Edmonds combined elite defense — winning eight Gold Gloves — with strong power at the plate, boasting a .903 OPS and 393 home runs. Despite a 60.4 career WAR, his Hall of Fame candidacy was along a crowded ballot, which held him out of Cooperstown. — Taylor Bretl
NL West
Nov 1, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A mural of Los Angeles Dodgers former pitcher Fernando Valenzuela by Robert Vargas is painted in Boyle Heights.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Arizona Diamondbacks (50-50) | OF Luis Gonzalez | The hero of the 2001 World Series, Gonzalez finished his career with 2,591 hits and 354 home runs, joining a select group of players who have reached those numbers. He received just five votes in the 2014 voting and fell off the ballot.
Colorado Rockies (24-75) | OF Matt Holliday | Holliday lasted just one year on the Hall of Fame ballot, gathering just four votes in 2024. Playing portions of 15 seasons, Holliday hit 316 homers and finished his career with a .299 batting average and a career OPS+ of 132.
Los Angeles Dodgers (58-42) | LHP Fernando Valenzuela | The centerpiece of “Fernandomania” in the early 1980s, Valenzuela was on the BBWAA ballot for two years (2003 and 2004) before falling off with just 3.8 percent of the vote. If there was a case of numbers mattering more than the impact on the game in the eyes of voters, it’s Valenzuela.
San Diego Padres (54-45) | RHP Jake Peavy | The right-hander didn’t receive a vote in his one year on the ballot in 2022, despite logging 152 wins and earning the 2007 NL Cy Young Award. Peavy also pitched for a pair of World Series winners (Boston in 2013 and San Francisco in 2014) and won MLB’s ERA title in two different seasons (2.27 in 2004 and 2.54 in 2007).
San Francisco Giants (52-48) | 2B Jeff Kent | Never elected during his 10 years on the Hall of Fame ballot, Kent spent six seasons in San Francisco, the most of any stop during his 17-year MLB career. Voted as the 2000 NL MVP over teammate Barry Bonds, Kent slashed .334/.424/.596 with 33 homers and 125 RBI to win the honor in a season where he also grabbed one of his four Silver Sluggers.
