Sunday Notes: Pondering Pedroia, Wright, and a HoF Ballot Dilemma

Plus Baltimore's Matt Blood on draft decisions, a 2005 conversation with Brian Bannister, Tomoyuki Sugano, Jeremy Zoll on Minnesota's promotions, facts and stats galore, and more.
Mr. Luella Gottlieb · about 4 hours ago · 2 minutes read


HoF Hall of Games: Pedroia vs. Wright

Dustin Pedroia vs. David Wright: Hall of Fame Chances

Who had a more significant career, Dustin Pedroia or David Wright? A recent poll revealed Pedroia's edge over the former New York Mets third baseman. But their place in Cooperstown's Hall of Fame remains a subject of debate.

"Both are on the Hall of Fame ballot I will be filling out," wrote FanGraphs writer Jay Jaffe. "Each is a strong consideration for a checkmark."

Injury Impact and Career Highlights

Pedroia and Wright were on track for stardom before injuries disrupted their promising paths. Despite missing out on counting stats, each boasts an impressive 10-year stretch:

Dustin Pedroia (2007-2016)

  • .303/.368/.447 slash line
  • 118 wRC+
  • 45 WAR
  • Four All-Star selections
  • Twice named Rookie of the Year and MVP
  • Member of two World Series-winning teams

David Wright (2005-2014)

  • .298/.379/.492 slash line
  • 134 wRC+
  • 48.1 WAR
  • Seven All-Star selections
  • Two Gold Glove Awards
  • "Wright is the greatest position player in Mets history," according to Jay Jaffe.

Weighing the Candidates

While Pedroia and Wright are strong HoF contenders, they face competition from other deserving players like Félix Hernández. Jaffe acknowledges the dilemma facing voters, noting, "Should I opt for A-Rod and Manny, or two of Pedroia, Wright, and Hernández?"

Time and the voting process will determine who secures their place in baseball's history books.

Random Hitter-Pitcher Matchups

Some unexpected stats:

  • Christian Vázquez has a .583 batting average against Alex Cobb.
  • Christian Yelich has a .405 batting average against Jacob deGrom.
  • Hank Greenberg was 11 for 14 against Larry Jansen.

Collegiate Baseball Evolves

The NIL era in college sports is impacting baseball. "Signing players drafted out of high school to professional contracts will presumably become more and more challenging going forward," writes Jaffe. "There are more options for what they want to do," says Orioles Scouting VP Matt Blood.

Ivan Rodriguez's Catching Record

Trivia answer: Ted Simmons, with 2,472 hits, is the second-most prolific hitting catcher behind Ivan Rodriguez.