Despite setting the franchise record for hits, doubles, runs, total bases, walks, and RBI, making eight All Star Game appearances, and winning two Gold Gloves, is David Wright a future Hall of Famer?

Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is one of sports greatest debates. Who should be in? Who shouldn’t be?

On Tuesday, Scott Rolen was elected to the Hall and will be inducted this summer alongside Fred McGriff, who was selected by a 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee.

Closer to home, former Mets closer Billy Wagner inched closer to induction (68.8%) and Carlos Beltran continues to struggle to generate support, not because of his production as a player, but in light of his intimate connection to the Houston Astros sign-stealing controversy.

Next year, Mets fans will watching with even more interest because David Wright and Jose Reyes are expected to be added to the ballot. Will either Wright or Reyes — the cornerstones of the franchise for most of the 2000s — receive enought support (75% or more) for induction? It’s unlikely.

I typically don’t debate a player’s qualifications. Such discussions often turn into an exercise in comparing one player to another. For example, comparing David Wright to Scott Rolen or vice versa is not fair to either player.

March 14, 2013

Each player on the ballot deserves — and has earned — the right to receive fair consideration based solely on their own merit and against the rules of the game. According to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), “voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

Those are the rules of the game; the criteria to which each player on the ballot should be judged.

Which brings us closer to the real question: Are the rules of the game fair? Do the rules of the game reflect the values of today’s game?

Remember, the criteria for Hall of Fame voting were written long before the designated hitter, pitch counts, closers, etc., all of which has had a major impact on how the game is played.

In my opinion, the current voting criteria is antiquated. For example, define a “player’s record.”

What is the baseline criteria used to determine ? a “player’s record?” Is it defined by how many games the player played? Batting average? Home runs? What if a new generation of voters values modern statistics to determine a players value?

“Baseball is losing a couple generations of great players that were the best in their era because a couple non-voting stat folks keep comparing those players to players already voted in from generations past and are influencing the votes.” – Jeff Kent

And what about pitchers? The role of the starting pitcher has dramatically changed. The running joke on social media is, “What is a complete game?” The complete game has become more of an anomoly primarliy due to pitch counts. The same applies in many ways to a pitchers won/loss record.

I don’t believe the current Hall of Fame voting process has ever figured out what to do with closers and designated hitters.

The relievers who are inducted into the Hall of Fame are few, and those who are, have otherworldly qualities (Mariano Rivera, Bruce Sutter, Dennis Eckersley, Lee Smith, Rich Gossage, Rollie Fingers are among them).

Eight years into his bid for induction, Billy Wagner is still struggling to get the support needed for induction. He pitched 16 MLB seasons and is sixth all-time in saves (422). Wagner had nine seasons of 30+ saves and two seasons of 40+ saves.

So, tell me, what is the criteria for induction for relief pitchers?

Tom Verducci explained it this way:

He (Wagner) did not reach 1,000 innings and his postseason résumé is short and poor. But Wagner, a one-inning closer, was a Hall of Famer because he dominated hitters like no one else. Among all pitchers who threw 900 innings, Wagner ranks first in strikeout percentage, batting average against, WHIP and hits per nine innings … you judge a player on what he was asked to do, not what might have been.

Before I get too far down the rabbit hole, let’s get back to Wright, the subject of this post.