HOF Candidates for Season 23

In Season 22, there were a lot of strong candidates that were deserving of the HOF, but only two former Seattle players managed to reach the necessary votes to be enshrined.  A season later, there's even more competition.  Let's break down some of the top candidates for Season 23:

Should Be A Lock

Jose Terrero - A 3-time Cy Young champion, Jose Terrero was one of the aces for the Toledo Bend and was a big reason why they won two World Series in a three-year span.  He only won one of his Cy Young awards there, but manged to win two more in Charlotte/Augusta in a very competitive American League (think all the Seattle pitchers).  Terrero is currently 4th all time in strikeouts (although he's going to be passed by Cookie Figaro in the first month of the regular season), has a career 3.17 ERA and made it to 8 All Star Games in his career.  He has the best resume of anyone up for the HOF and should be a lock in his first year of eligibility. 

Probably Makes It

Aramis Cortazar - He doesn't have quite the resume that Jose Terrero does, but Aramis Cortazar was still an excellent pitcher that is likely destined for the HOF.  He is 4th all time in wins (274), a 6-time All Stat, and has 3 Cy Young awards to his name.  His ERA isn't as impressive as you would like for a HOF pitcher (3.51), but when he was on his game, he was one of the best in the league.  I'll be curious to see if his ERA holds him back, but I think he will get into the HOF either this year or in the future thanks to those wins and Cy Youngs.   

Could Go Either Way

Joakim Fernandez - A long-time Seattle player, Fernandez has the award history you would expect from a hall of famer.  He won AL Rookie of the Year in Season 5, appeared in 9 all star games, was a silver slugger winner 5 times, and won 2 gold gloves in LF.  He doesn't have an MVP award which I think puts him a notch below being a lock, but he does have 2,404 hits and 489 HRs for his career history, and his numbers likely would have been more impressive in a more hitter friendly ballpark.

Trey Munro - I think I am a little bit higher on Trey Munro than most, but I think he should be in the HOF.  Unfortunately for him, he hasn't gotten the votes needed in his first few years of eligibility.  Early in his career, he didn't play on some of the best teams and I think that affected his numbers.  He really hit his stride when he signed with Charlotte in Season 9.  That's where had had 4 of his 5 all star appearances, won his only Cy Young and threw his only No Hitter.  He finished his career with an ERA of 3.12 and is 2nd all time in strikeouts with 3,063.  He is also 3rd all time in quality starts with 340 despite only starting 500 games for his career.

Chadd Kendrick - Kendrick is someone that I and some others have overlooked, but I think he deserves consideration for the HOF.  His 536 saves are 5th all time, and he finished his career with a staggering 2.19 ERA which is 2nd all time, only to the great Cookie Figaro.  His .907 save percentage is the best of all qualified pitchers in league history.  He is also a 10x all star and a 4x Fireman of the Year.  The only knock on him is his innings pitched, as he had only 915 for his career, but he was dominant in those innings.  Considering how hard it is for a closer to win Cy Young, I think he has done enough to get the nod for the HOF.

Charles Payton - Another player that some may have overlooked, Payton has come close to the HOF getting 11 votes a couple years ago and 12 votes last year, but hasn't gotten over the hump yet.  He has a career slash line of 0.308/0.376/0.537 along with 2,458 hits and 461 HRs.  He won Rookie of the Year, was an all star 7 times, silver slugger 5 times, and won 2 MVP awards.  He did have the benefit of playing in some hitters parks such as Toronto and Texas, but his numbers are still good enough to warrant consideration for the HOF.

Sean Turner - Despite playing over half his career in Seattle, Sean Turner's numbers were very good for playing so many games in a pitcher's ballpark.  He finished with 547 HRs. 2,285 hits, and a career 0.886 OPS.  He was also a 3x silver slugger, 2x all star and most impressively, a 2x MVP.

Livan Guerrero - Another excellent reliever, Livan Guerrero is the all time saves leader with 691.  He also has a whopping 10 all star game appearances and 6 Fireman of the Year awards.  He also has two seasons pre-merger, so it's very possible/likely he has over 700 saves for his career.  The knock however is on his ERA which finished at 3.80.  Thus, I have to put Kendrick over him in terms of closers, but Guerrero is someone I could see making the HOF in the future.

Socrates Russell - Of all the hitters up for the HOF this season, no one has a better career OBP or OPS than Socrates Russell.  Russell had a career 0.399 OBP, thanks to his world leading 1,366 walks and he hit the impressive 500 HR mark.  He was mostly a C/DH in his career and won 5 Silver Slugger awards.  His hit total (2,094) isn't as high as some of the other candidates on this list, but he still deserves consideration for his other excellent offensive numbers.

Jimmie Pena - A good all around player, Jimmie Pena was a home run machine (578, tied for 5th all time), but also was a solid defender (3x Gold Glove winner).  He only made it to 3 All Star games, so it will be interesting to see how much the voters like his HR numbers, which were helped later in his career playing in New York.

Good Stats But Lacking Accolades

Peter Donald - A pitcher who falls firmly into the polarizing category, Peter Donald was a strikeout machine, but his ERA was lacking.  He's the world's all time leader in strikeouts with 3,243 and his 265 wins are currently 5th all time, but his ERA barely starts with a 3, at 3.99.  Despite that ERA, he has the most quality starts in league history with 374, so when he was on he was hard to hit.  However, he had only 3 all star games to his resume, and no other awards.  I think if he managed to win a Cy Young or two, he would be a lock, but it's hard for me to see him make the HOF with an almost-4 ERA.

Del Matsumoto - He is 3rd all time in saves with 596, has 6 all star games and 1 Fireman of the Year award along with a 2.91 ERA for his career.  I debated putting him in the either way category, but I felt like the other closers on this list were more deserving based on their award history.

My votes:

• Jose Terrero
• Aramis Cortazar
• Trey Munro
• Chadd Kendrick
• Joakim Fernandez