Chase Utley: HOF?

16 seasons
65.8 WAR
118 OPS+
1,874 hits
259 HRs
.276/.359/.467
6-time All-Star
0 top five MVP finishes
6 consecutive OPS+ above 123
5 consecutive 7+WAR seasons
5 consecutive top 5 WAR finishes in the N.L. (2005-09)
4 Silver Slugger Awards
JAWS 9th all-time 2B

My first instinct was "no." But he had a really tremendous peak from 2005 through 2009, and probably did not get the award love he merited. I would have to look and see who did win each year, but I'm fairly surprised with no Gold Gloves or top five MVP finishes. I suspect that wouldn't happen now.

 

But he went to Long Beach Poly ... Home of Scholars and Champions. Gotta count for something.

 

No.

-30-

 

I wonder if Cano being out helps nudge Utley in.

 

Yup, he will go in right after Kent, Grich and Willie Randolph.

 

A few years ago, I started a Carlos Beltran HOF thread, and everyone got angry about it. A few years later, now that it looks like he will be a HOFer, I bumped it back up. People still got triggered.

In other words, I can't win. I am unappreciated in my own time here.

 

If he goes in, he will barrel-roll through the doors and “accidentally” tear someone’s knee to shreds.

 

Utley had a five-year period where he was one of the best players in baseball, then hung around another decade as a role player.

He's his generation's Bobby Bonilla or Fred Lynn.

So, no.

 

Not looking at the numbers, but Utley was better than Bonilla and Lynn at their peaks.

 

It's astounding that Utley has accumulated 35+ more WAR than Bonilla in 500 less PAs, because their overall offensive numbers are pretty similar. Shows you how valuable it is to play second base and play it well, while also not sucking at hitting.

 

Any case that’s built on the strength of defensive stats is going to wither over time. I don’t think anyone believes those stats, especially the ones from late ‘00s/early ‘10s that were complete guesswork.

 

Maybe Bonilla, but not Lynn, who had an MVP and led league in WAR once and finished second another time.