Hall of Fame 2023: Gary Sheffield had a rare combination of power, discipline at the plate

One of the most feared hitters to ever step into the batter’s box, Gary Sheffield’s ferocious bat swing and violent swing signaled that his purpose was not simply to make contact with the baseball. He wanted to spray her.

He did just that for 22 seasons after reaching the majors in 1988 at age 19. The No. 6 pick in the 1986 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Sheffield amassed 2,683 hits and hit 509 home runs during his career. . But unlike most power hitters, he had remarkable plate discipline, walking more times than he struck out.

Sheffield posted a career slash line of .292/.393/.514, winning a batting title in 1992, leading the National League in on-base percentage in 1996 and being selected to the All-Star Game nine times. A five-time Silver Slugger winner, Sheffield has never won an MVP award but has finished in the top 10 six times – including third in 1992 and 2004 and second in 2003.

However, his poor defensive skills made him a hot spot in the outfield as he moved from the infield to the outfield early in his career and eventually after spending his first 17 seasons in the Major League National, at the designated shot.

Due in part to his defense and explosive personality, Sheffield played for eight different teams before finally calling it quits after the 2009 season.

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Why Sheffield belongs in the hall

His rare combination of power and on-base percentage made Sheffield a commanding presence in any lineup.

In addition to being one of only 28 players in history to hit 500 or more home runs, Sheffield also ranks in the top 40 all-time in walks (21st with 1,475), RBI (30th with 1,676) and runs scored (39th with 1,636). ).

Although he does not have an extensive postseason resume, Sheffield was one of the cornerstones of the Florida Marlins’ first World Series championship team in 1997, hitting .320 with a .521 on-base percentage and a .540 slugging percentage in 16 postseason games. while the Marlins beat Cleveland in seven games.

Why Sheffield fell short

In short, his defense was terrible. And his teams did their best to limit the damage he could do.

He finished his career with 60.5 wins above replacement, a number that is greatly reduced by his struggles in the field and puts him 10.6 wins below the Hall of Famer’s average, according to Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs.

Sheffield is also affected by its connection to performance-enhancing drugs through the Mitchell Report and the BALCO scandal. Even though he never tested positive for PEDs, he admitted to a grand jury that he unknowingly used a steroid cream provided by Barry Bonds’ personal trainer before the 2002 season.

Voting trends

Sheffield enjoyed a considerable increase in voter support from 2019 to 2021, but remained flat at 40.6% overall last year.

This year, Sheffield’s ninth on the ballot, marks the first time he won’t have to share it with Bonds and Roger Clemens. So he may not be lumped in with others associated with PEDs, and voters may be more willing to consider Sheffield on his own merits.

Of the 156 public ballots revealed so far on Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, Sheffield has received support on 65.4 percent of them.

Previous results:

• 2015: 11.7%

• 2016: 11.6%

• 2017: 13.3%

• 2018: 11.1%

• 2019: 13.6%

• 2020: 30.5%

• 2021: 40.6%

• 2022: 40.6%

Will Sheffield be chosen in the end?

Candidates in their final years on the ballot usually see some increase in support, and Sheffield appears to be following that trend. With Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling no longer eligible, Sheffield received the fifth-highest vote total among returning candidates this year.

However, it may not be enough. As we saw with Bonds, there is still a sizable bloc of voters who prefer to keep anyone associated with PEDs out of the gym. And Sheffield might suffer compared to newcomer Carlos Beltran, who has been a much better player and has a higher career WAR.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gary Sheffield’s case for Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023