Eli Cash - contributing reporter
Another refresher for those who missed the Part 1 - particularly the primer for a detailed explanation of the three scoring system we use. As a quick reminder, a sure thing for a hitter is 60/130/500, for a starter its 60/130/420 and for a reliever (who doesn't use the Test Score) is 130/250.
SP
This is Jair 'JJ' James' first year on the ballot. Does he have enough to be a first ballot HoF? There will be many who think James was greatly boosted by playing the majority of his 15 year career in the pitcher haven of OKC; but I'd point out his Ks and how he limited HRs and BBs as to why he'd have similar numbers in any home park. It's surprising that he falls 16 Wins short from that milestone but must not have always been on his side. He ties for 3 most all time in number of seasons with 200+ K and second in Cy Young's with 5. For starters, he ranks #2 all-time in WHIP, but depending on how Gregor Lopez finishes his career he might take the #1 spot for starters. James also owns a .705 win %.
Jimmie Hartman - received Eli Cash's vote
Surpasses the 250 Win mark with a 66% win rate. His 1.09 WHIP and 2.84 career ERA ranks him near the top with other HoF Starting Pitchers. Hartman turned in 12 seasons, winning 15 or more games though only once topped 200 K. He helped his franchises by winning 14 playoff games, secured 2 Cy Young awards and appeared in 7 All-Star games. With 15 votes last season, this writer thinks we should see Hartman in the Hall soon if he doesn't get it this year!
Juan Galvis
Lots to like about Galvis but given this is his first year on the ballot, I'm holding my vote for him. Surpassed the Wins and Strikeouts milestones. Ended with a .614 win% and just shy of 3500 strike outs. Galvis won 15+ games an amazing 17 times; that's more than any other Hall of Fame starter with 7 seasons with 200+ K and managed 4 Ws in the playoffs and 3 All-Star appearances. The downside of Galvis is the higher than HoF standard in WHIP and ERA. Only Edgar Cortez who was elected during Season 24 has a higher WHIP. His 3.49 ERA would also be 3rd highest among all HoF starters.
Don Martin, Jeffrey Randall, Lynn Mortensen, Adrian Simon, and Chick Tollberg
These guys will not likely garner any votes and should be happy to be on the ballot. With ERAs above 3.50, WHIPs above 1.25, and K/9 below 7.1 they relied on the position players behind them to help them out of jams. Not a single Cy Young between the group and Don Martin accounts for 5 of the 6 All-Star appearances they had. Randall however did prove useful in the playoffs with 12 W/SVs and nearly 3,000 K. If you are going to vote for any of them, he should be the one.
RP
Relief pitchers have it tough, I'm not sure how Sammy Felix got in, but maybe it was easier back in the early years when pitching strategies were a little different. Often times in these current times, the best RPs are used for more games and not as the closer but higher leverage situations.
Jace Sale - received Eli Cash's vote
This guy knew how to close out games. Not only is he the All-Time Saves leader but by nearly 200 saves. He pitched for 18 seasons as a closer and every single one of them he closed out and saved more than 30 games. He owns 5 Fireman of the Year Awards and only missed the All-Star game 3 of the seasons he played. He saved 12 games over the 7 years Boston made the playoffs. His Monitor Score ranks among the top, even for starting pitchers. I surprised to see he only had 8 votes last season, but maybe that's because of the amount of talent on the ballot last season.
Tomo Hayashi
Owns the 4th best ERA of All-Time, depending on how Gregor Lopez finishes his career he could move back into 3rd best. His rates are top tier as well, coming in at 9.1 K/9, 3.8 K/BB, and a 1.08 WHIP. We've discussed that he wasn't given the closer role but his manager preferred to use him for numerous innings out of the bullpen day after day. He tied HoF Felix with 18 saves/wins in the playoffs while taking home 1 Fireman of the Year and 7 All-Star appearances. Eli Cash wants to throw his vote his way and needs to decide between a few names to see who gets his final vote.
Eduardo Jose
Pretty good numbers across the board, but are they better than the names above and enough to get him into the Hall? His Monitor Score has him above our only HoF relief pitcher, Sammy Felix.
Artie Stone
How did this guy get on the list? He must have Dizzy's PR team! Of those eligible he has the lowest K/9 and K/BB but the highest WHIP and ERA. Sure he saved 455 games and added 15 more saves/wins in the playoffs. Never won a Fireman of the Year but did happen to appear in 6 All-Star games over the course of his career. I'd enjoy having him on my team, but I wouldn't select him over Sale or Hayashi.
There you go folks, S53 possible Hall of Famers. Let's see if anyone gets in this year!