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Who could be the next Diamondbacks representative in the Hall of Fame?

By Jake Oliver |
COOPERSTOWN, NY - JULY 29: Hall of Famer Randy Johnson is introduced during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center on July 29, 2018 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
COOPERSTOWN, NY - JULY 29: Hall of Famer Randy Johnson is introduced during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center on July 29, 2018 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Who might be the next player to represent the Diamondbacks in the Hall of Fame?

The Hall of Fame ceremony is Wednesday, September 8th, 2021. It will encompass the 2020 Hall of Fame class comprised of Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Marvin Miller, and Ted Simmons. It would include the 2021 class as well if anyone had been selected. To the surprise of everyone, not one retired player that is eligible got over the 75% voting threshold to achieve admission to the Hall of Fame. The last, and only, Diamondbacks player to wear the hat of the Dbacks was Randy Johnson back in 2015.

I’m going to cover the ones that played for the Diamondbacks but weren’t with the team long enough to actually consider them a possibility to wearing the Dbacks cap in the Hall of Fame below. Additionally, there will be a brief section on each of them as to why I believe that they will make the Hall of Fame. If you want to just see who I think will actually represent the Diamondbacks in the Hall of Fame, go-ahead to the next slide.

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Potential/Probable Future Hall of Fame’rs that played for the Diamondbacks

  • Max Scherzer (Probable): Max got drafted by the Diamondbacks in the First Round of the 2006 Amateur Draft. He developed through the Dbacks system and reached the Majors in 2008. He pitched with the Dbacks from 08-09′ in which he put up a stat-line of 9-15, 3.86 ERA, 226.1 innings, 84 walks, 240 K’s, and a 117 ERA+. Sigh, I guarantee the Diamondbacks regret trading Max to the Tigers in the three-team trade that brought Ian Kennedy to the desert. While Ian did lead the team to the playoffs in 2011, Max went on to have 2 All-Star appearances, 1 Cy Young, and lead the league in multiple categories during his time with the Tigers before he hit free agency. He signed with the Nationals and continued to put on dominant stats. He’s considered one of the best pitchers of all time and you have to wonder what he could’ve done for the Dbacks had they not traded him. Nonetheless, he is a guaranteed Hall of Famer at this rate.
  • Adam Jones (Potential): Adam Jones only played one year with the Dbacks, 2019, but quickly became a fan favorite. He’s not officially retired from the MLB as he is playing in Japan, but it’s highly doubtful he will play in the MLB again. Adam made his mark with the Orioles where he clobbered 263 HR’s, 866 RBI’s, and obtained 5 All-Star awards, 4 Gold Gloves, and 1 Silver Slugger award. He led the O’s to the playoffs multiple years. He’s a fan favorite across the MLB. It’s not likely he makes it to the Hall of Fame, but you can’t outright say no either.
  • Madison Bumgarner (Likely to make it): Madison Bumgarner had one of the best pitching peaks ever in terms of the success it brought to his team. The man who willed the Giants to a World Series win is now with a former rival, the Dbacks. From 2009-2019, MadBum had 3 World Series team wins,  4 All-Star awards, 2 Silver Sluggers, and 5 top-10 Cy Young vote years. He was a model of consistency as 7 of those years had him pitching more than 200 innings. Over that time period, he had 119 wins and a 3.13 ERA. This is only his regular-season stats too. His playoff stats over that time were dominant. He went 8-3, 3 shutouts, 1 save, 2.11 ERA, 102.1 innings, 18 walks, and 87 K’s. He’s one of the best postseason pitchers of all time in my eyes. The Hall loves players who can perform in the postseason. He won 2 postseason MVP awards in 2014. Don’t forget his hitting prowess too. He’s hit 19 home runs during his career so far. His WAR total on just his hitting alone is 4.8. Add that to his pitching WAR of 33.0 and you get 37.8. That’s not a huge amount, especially when compared to pitchers of the past. However, he’s only 32, has multiple years left in him, and has showcased himself to be an elite performer in his past. Right now, it’s about counting stats. He needs to keep pitching well and build up his stat-line. If he can have a few more pretty good years and make it to the postseason again, he should get in eventually. He’ll be wearing a Giants’ hat though.
  • Fernando Rodney (unlikely but maybe): The former Archer and closer who helped lead the Dbacks to the playoffs in 2017 is retired now. He had a long career though. He pitched in the MLB for 17 years with the same crooked hat-look. Over his 11-team career, he fired off 327 arrows, er, I mean saves. He had 943 K’s in 933 innings along with a 3.80 ERA. He also has the lowest ERA ever for a pitcher with more than 60 innings pitched when he was with the Rays in 2012. In that season, 74.2 innings, 48 saves, and 76 K’s, he had a 0.60 ERA. He made it to the All-Star that year as well as two other years. It’s highly doubtful he ever makes it to the Hall but it’s still nice to remember how good he was.
PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 07: Brad Ziegler #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch in the eighth inning of the MLB game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field on August 7, 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 07: Brad Ziegler #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch in the eighth inning of the MLB game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field on August 7, 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Brad Ziegler, if in, would represent the Dbacks

Brad Ziegler is a cult favorite in Diamondbacks history. He’s one of the best relief pitchers to have ever played for the team. He’s also one of the best humans to have played for them as well. He’s known for his multiple charitable efforts, especially in Arizona in which he was involved with veterans.

He had two different stints in the desert, the first being from 2011 to mid-2016. From that time, he appeared in 358 games, 344.2 innings pitched, 234 K’s, and 66 saves. The sidewinder had a sparkling 2.45 ERA while his pitches were hit into the dirt. He then came back in 2018 after a mid-season trade with the Marlins. The Dbacks got him for their playoff push that came up just short. He ended up retiring with the Dbacks after that season.

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His final stats for his 11-year career were 22-12, 105 saves, 717.1 innings, 479 K’s, and a 2.75 ERA. Now, these stats won’t make it into the Hall of Fame, unfortunately. However, if by some miracle he makes it, I bet he would wear the Dbacks hat in it. After all, he was voted by Dbacks fans to the 20th Anniversary team as one of the two best relief pitchers in team history.

Brad, thank you for all you have done for the state of Arizona and your career in Arizona.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JUNE 01: Zack Greinke #21 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first-inning pitch against the New York Mets at Chase Field on June 01, 2019, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JUNE 01: Zack Greinke #21 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first-inning pitch against the New York Mets at Chase Field on June 01, 2019, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

Zack Greinke possibly could wear a Dbacks hat when he goes into the Hall of Fame

I won’t hide my fandom or adoration for Zack Greinke. He’s one of my favorite players to have played for the team ever. He changed the world of baseball for me showing that a player can be reserved, quiet, “awkward”, and be himself in front of thousands of fans, cameras, and players. He didn’t change anything about himself no matter the circumstances.

That’s why I was absolutely shocked the team paid up to get him in free agency. It was exciting and enthralling. I couldn’t believe my small-market team paid to get him. If only our owners hadn’t forced us to get rid of him in 2019, even though I still love the return that we got for him from the Astros.

Greinke pitched with the team from 2016 to mid-2019 after being traded to the Astros. That’s the 2nd longest stint he has had with any team in his 18-year career. The only longer portion was his Royals tenure with which he debuted. That would be the only other team that I consider to be more a threat to the hat he wears. During his time with the Royals, he did win a Cy Young award and make the All-Star team once.

Yet, 3 out of the 4 years he was with the Dbacks resulted in him making the All-Star team. This period is also the most awarded year in his career. From 2016-19, he won 4 Gold Gloves, 1 Silver Slugger, a 4th place finish for Cy Young, and 3 three All-Star selections.

He helped mentor and lead a rotation of himself, Robbie Ray, and Patrick Corbin to the playoffs and contention for multiple years. He turned his career around after a miserable debut year with the Dbacks in 2016.

His overall stats for his long career that isn’t over yet, are 219-131, 3.38 ERA, 17 complete games, 5 shutouts, 1 save, 3098.2 innings, 708 walks, 2799 K’s, and a 3.42 FIP. He has a lengthy award list: 1 CY Young, 5 top-10 CY Young vote finishes, 6 All-Star selections, 6 Gold Gloves, 2 Silver Sluggers, and 1 top-10 MVP vote finish.

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If that isn’t enough for you, he has 69.1 WAR and 5.1 batting WAR. Combined, those are good for 74.2 WAR. That’s enough career WAR according to JAWS for a pitcher to make it to the Hall of Fame. It says that the average for a pitcher in the Hall is 73.3 for their CAREER. Zack is still pitching!

If you want another metric, you could say that Zack’s a HoF’er based on the Hall of Fame Monitor which says that if you have a score of around 100, you’re likely to get in. Well, Zack has 115. Again, he isn’t done playing yet either.

Zack’s a free agent at the end of this season and I sincerely hope that he somehow finds his back to the desert. It would truly be awesome. At the very least, I really hope he decides to rep the Dbacks in the Hall when he eventually gets in. He’s been excellent for so many years and will surely get in.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling winds up during the 1st inning of Game 4 of the World Series in Yankee Stadium 31 October 2001. The Arizona Diamondbacks lead the series over the New York Yankees 2-1. AFP PHOTO/Timothy A. CLARY (Photo by Timothy A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling winds up during the 1st inning of Game 4 of the World Series in Yankee Stadium 31 October 2001. The Arizona Diamondbacks lead the series over the New York Yankees 2-1. AFP PHOTO/Timothy A. CLARY (Photo by Timothy A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) /

Curt Schilling will make it to the Hall of Fame

Now, whether or not you like Curt for his off-field and post-playing-career antics, you can’t argue that he doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. He highly likely gets into the Hall next year on his final year on the ballot. He may not have won a CY Young award, but he was a 6-time All-Star, 2-time postseason MVP, and won 2 World Series. He helped the Red Sox break their Bambino Curse.

He helped the Dbacks make history in their 01′ World Series Win. He played with Arizona for 4 years. His most famous years were with the Phillies and Red Sox. Yet, he could enter the Hall of Fame with a Dbacks hat. It’s doubtful but it’s not like it would be unexpected. One could say his best years in the MLB were with the Dbacks. He made the All-Star team twice, won the World Series, and was a part of one of the most dominant duos in recent baseball history.

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Curt got 71.7% of the vote in 2021. He should get the final 3.3% to make it into the Hall next year. It will be a happy time for Dbacks fans as this will be the second prominent player to have played a lot of years with the team and make it into the Hall of Fame. I still like Curt and think he deserves to make it to the Hall of Fame.

Whether it’s by the voters or the Veteran’s committee, Curt will be in the Hall someday. Hopefully, he’s wearing a Dbacks but if not, I’m still thankful and proud that he was a Diamondbacks player during his outstanding career.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 20: Paul Goldschmidt #44 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats in an MLB baseball game against the New York Mets on May 20, 2018, at CitiField in the Queens borough of New York City. Mets won 4-1. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 20: Paul Goldschmidt #44 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats in an MLB baseball game against the New York Mets on May 20, 2018, at CitiField in the Queens borough of New York City. Mets won 4-1. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /

America’s First Baseman hopefully represents the Dbacks in the Hall in 15 years or so

Who else did you expect to most likely represent the Dbacks in the Hall of Fame than the man who defined the Dbacks for an entire generation of fans? Paul Goldschmidt redefined the notion of “don’t let what others say affect you”. He was told during the draft time and early minor league career that he wasn’t going to be good enough. He just didn’t have the talent.

So, what did he do? He worked harder and tirelessly until he reached the MLB as an unknown prospect. Then, he continued working even harder while in the MLB. He redefined the modern first baseman in the MLB. He combined speed, power, contact, patience, and fielding into being a first baseman, the position that usually has the guys who can’t field or run.

He led the Dbacks for 8 years. In those 8 years, he hit .297, .398, .532 with 209 HRs, 710 RBI’s, 124 SB’s, 267 Doubles, 655 walks, and 1059 K’s. Steals were no issue as he stole over 30 in a single season. The OPS+ was 145. Goldy had 6 All-Star selections, most of which were starting selections, 5 top-11 MVP voting (including 4 top-6 finishes), 4 Silver Sluggers, and 3 Gold Gloves. That 8-year peak gave him 39.9 WAR. It’s clear that he absolutely had his best years with the Dbacks.

That’s not to say that he’s fallen off since going to St. Louis. Over his 3 seasons (technically 2 1/2 due to 2020), he’s hit .277, .360, .478, 170 walks, 326 K’s, 64 HR’s, 200 RBI’s, and 65 Doubles.

With probably 5+ years left in the Majors, he should have no issues reaching 400+ HRs and 1200+ RBI’s. Goldy is basically Jeff Bagwell 2.0 as their numbers from their age 23-30 season are insanely similar. In case you forget, Bagwell is a Hall of Famer.

According to JAWS, he’s only about 17 WAR away from being a certain Hall of Famer. Hall of Fame Monitor says he’s only 27 points below being a Hall of Famer. I’m almost positive that Goldy will be in the Hall of Fame. Hopefully, he represents Arizona. I have faith he will.

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Now, you may be wondering why I didn’t include Ketel Marte. He just hasn’t shown nearly enough yet. Give him a few more years.

May there be many more Hall of Fame-caliber players to come to the Dbacks soon.

As always,

May the Force be with You…

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