Is Michael Young a Future H.O.F'er?

[bobbledude25]

I know I know he's a Texas Ranger.....After the 5th inning at todays Brewers vs Texas game when Michael Young was done playing in the 5th inning he stood and signed autographs for an entire inning!! I'm guessing 100-150 autographs! Pretty incredible. He has been a tough signature, pretty sure that won't be happening again anytime soon. I was lucky enough to get him on a ROMLB on the sweetspot.

 

That brings me to this question: Do you think he will eventually make the HOF?

 

Lifetime .304 hitter, 2,061 hits, 6 time all-star, 1 Gold Glove, All-Star game MVP, age 35

[dlk9s]

Autograph Hall of Fame, maybe.

[RockCoCougars]

I'd say no unless he gets to 3,000 hits. This could happen if he finishes out his career in a big way a la Paul Molitor.

[bobbledude25]

I'd say no unless he gets to 3,000 hits. This could happen if he finishes out his career in a big way a la Paul Molitor.

 

Good call. I wonder if he finishes just short of 3,000 but gets a ring if he'd get in then

[RockCoCougars]

I'd say no unless he gets to 3,000 hits. This could happen if he finishes out his career in a big way a la Paul Molitor.

 

Good call. I wonder if he finishes just short of 3,000 but gets a ring if he'd get in then

 

Young is the type of player who probably wouldn't get in if he had 2,999 hits. I'm of the belief that any clean 3,000 hit guy is going to get in though. Young has really snuck up (to me, at least) with his stats, but since he's 35, the odds of 3,000 are long. He's going to need to put 2-3 years together that are close to what he did last year, and then hang around as a full time player (DH) for a few more... like I said, long odds. That said, if you get out your 1992 Paul Molitor Baseball card, and look at the career stats, I bet that they are very close to what Young has now (except for steals).

[Ennder]

He doesn't deserve it. He might sneak in when he doesn't deserve it like Puckett or Rice, Dawson or Blyleven.

[TooLiveBrew]

My answer: absolutely not

My guess: he'll play long enough, a la Craig Biggio, to pile up the counting stat of 3,000 hits, & get voted in undeservedly

 

I do want to say, though, that I love these types of discussions.

[endaround]

He doesn't deserve it. He might sneak in when he doesn't deserve it like Puckett or Rice, Dawson or Blyleven.

 

One of those is not like the others

 

And Young doesn't even belong in the discussion of HoF. His wRC+ on his career is 107. Which makes him a decent hitting SS who isn't great in the field.

[Baldkin]

If Johnny Damon gets to 3,000 hits, the number will no longer be magical.

 

Much like when Dave Kingman hit 400 HRs.

[Ennder]

He doesn't deserve it. He might sneak in when he doesn't deserve it like Puckett or Rice, Dawson or Blyleven.

 

One of those is not like the others

 

And Young doesn't even belong in the discussion of HoF. His wRC+ on his career is 107. Which makes him a decent hitting SS who isn't great in the field.

 

I assume you mean Blyleven but he still isn't much of a slam dunk in my book.

[Invader3K]

On the face of it, no, I don't think he should be a Hall of Famer. He's never been seen as one of the best at his position, or a huge game changing type player. I don't think he sticks around to get to 3000 hits anyway, which would give him an outside shot.

[rwa12]

I think he's somewhat unappreciated, but not a HOFer. He's kind of Texas' version of Geoff Jenkins. He was their anchor for a long time. Obviously, he has better stats than GJ, but that's who I lump him in with in my mind.

[bobbledude25]

Wow, the Michael Young haters are out in full affect! lol. To say "absolutely not" and he "doesn't deserve it" I think is a bit of a stretch. He's the 3rd fastest right-handed hitter to ever reach 2,000 hits. Imagine if played in NY or Boston his entire career. Who ever said you have to play great defense to get in the Hall of Fame? I'm not here to defend the guy and yes, I agree right now he shouldn't get in but the possibility of him making it in can happen. I checked google for "michael young and hall of fame" and found this article (a little dated) which I thought was pretty good:

 

http://www.bbtia.com/home/2011/2/16/michael-young-the-hall-of-fame.html

 

and

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/3993/is-the-coop-in-michael-youngs-future

[Outlander]

As a hitter he kind of reminds me of Steve Garvey, a guy that will get votes but never seriously considered. I would say his chances of getting 3,000 hits are slim to none. Saying he doesn't belong in the HOF isn't hating it is just being realistic.

[dlk9s]

Imagine if played in NY or Boston his entire career.

 

Then he'd be overrated.

 

I like him. He's really good. Just not a HOF'er.

[Ennder]

When your argument for HOF hinges on getting a lot of hits you are basically saying he isn't a HOF guy.

[Outlander]

I knew I remember reading something about this recently and saw this from Joe Posnanski back in October:

 

*Maybe this is bothering me because the Michael Young deification is driving me up the wall. Young has been a good player in his career. Not a great player. Not close to a great player. But a good player. A solid player. He won a batting title. He’s a .300 hitter who doesn’t walk, has played several positions, but none of them especially well, he has shown a little pop in large part because he has had the good fortune to play his entire career in a great hitters’ ballpark. He gets a lot of points for leadership, and he might indeed be a Patton-like leader in the clubhouse, but I also know that Young has twice complained loudly and publicly when the Rangers moved his position. His career WAR, at this moment anyway, is almost exactly the same as Dave Henderson’s and Melvin Mora’s. His career 106 OPS+ is the same as those of Don Money and Bill Doran and David DeJesus. All of this seems to place him firmly in the “good but not close to great” column.

[bobbledude25]

I knew I remember reading something about this recently and saw this from Joe Posnanski back in October:

 

*Maybe this is bothering me because the Michael Young deification is driving me up the wall. Young has been a good player in his career. Not a great player. Not close to a great player. But a good player. A solid player. He won a batting title. He’s a .300 hitter who doesn’t walk, has played several positions, but none of them especially well, he has shown a little pop in large part because he has had the good fortune to play his entire career in a great hitters’ ballpark. He gets a lot of points for leadership, and he might indeed be a Patton-like leader in the clubhouse, but I also know that Young has twice complained loudly and publicly when the Rangers moved his position. His career WAR, at this moment anyway, is almost exactly the same as Dave Henderson’s and Melvin Mora’s. His career 106 OPS+ is the same as those of Don Money and Bill Doran and David DeJesus. All of this seems to place him firmly in the “good but not close to great” column.

 

 

That's a good summary. I agree with that. I'd like to see what Joe has to say again in like 5 yrs

[JohnBriggs12]

Are you guys serious? He's had 6 seasons of at least 200 hits. He's a 7 time All Star. He won a Gold Glove as a SS, and he's a right handed career .304 hitter. This notion that he doesn't walk enough is silly. Yount had a career OBP of .342. Molitor was .369. Young is between those too, and for most of his career, he's been a middle infielder.

 

It's a no-brainer if he gets to 3,000 hits. He's on pace to match Paul Molitor in virtually every offensive category other than stolen bases. Plus he's played more defensively too. Now Molitor remained productive until he retired at age 42. If Young does that, he's not only a HOFer but he's a first ballot HOFer.

 

If Young played in New York or Boston he'd be on the same level as Jeter for gosh sakes.

[dlk9s]

It would be really funny if Michael Young became a first ballot HOF'er. At no point in his career have I ever watched him and thought, "Wow, this is one of the greatest players in the 130 year history of baseball."

[Baldkin]

Molitor had a career 122 OPS+. He was really, really really good at hitting.

 

Young's is 106. He's a good, but not great hitter.

Young has had 3 seasons with a better OPS+ that Molitor had for his CAREER.

[JohnBriggs12]

It would be really funny if Michael Young became a first ballot HOF'er. At no point in his career have I ever watched him and thought, "Wow, this is one of the greatest players in the 130 year history of baseball."

 

 

A lot of people said the same thing about Yount and Molitor too. It was only later in their careers did people start really appreciating them fully. Heck look at Pete Rose too. Rose started early and played until he was 45, but as a player if you take away the Rose persona, they are pretty similar players. Rose certainly would have been a first ballot HOFer, and deservedly so and so will Young be if (and it's a big if), he remains productive at a level close to his career numbers for 5 or 6 more seasons.

[JohnBriggs12]

Molitor had a career 122 OPS+. He was really, really really good at hitting.

 

Young's is 106. He's a good, but not great hitter.

Young has had 3 seasons with a better OPS+ that Molitor had for his CAREER.

 

 

At age 33, Molitor had made 3 All Star teams. 3. He had some of his best seasons (strictly as a DH) after turning 34. Let's see what Young does. At the age Young is at now, Molitor had fewer HR (148 vs. 169), and fewer doubles (369 to 388) than Young.

 

Young is really, really good at hitting too.

[jerichoholicninja]

According to Baseball Reference...probably not.

 

Hall Of Fame Statistics

Player rank in (·)

 

Black Ink Batting - 11 (216), Average HOFer ≈ 27

Gray Ink Batting - 81 (292), Average HOFer ≈ 144

Hall of Fame Monitor Batting - 120 (119), Likely HOFer ≈ 100

Hall of Fame Standards Batting - 36 (205), Average HOFer ≈ 50

[bobbledude25]

JohnBriggs12 - I like it man. I like it