Fansided

Each MLB team’s current Hall of Famer

By Benjamin Chase

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 27: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Albert Pujols (5) and center fielder Mike Trout (27) head for the dugout after both scored on an Angels hit in the seventh inning of a game against the New York Yankees played on April 27, 2018 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 27: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Albert Pujols (5) and center fielder Mike Trout (27) head for the dugout after both scored on an Angels hit in the seventh inning of a game against the New York Yankees played on April 27, 2018 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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MLB Hall of Fame
With the Commissioners Trophy in the foreground, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester (34) hugs former Cubs catcher David Ross after Ross threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field Wednesday, April 12, 2017 in Chicago. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester

Many would likely expect to see one of the many young hitters the Cubs have in this space, but for various reasons on each of them, and the fact that his career line has been incredibly underappreciated, Jon Lester ends up the first pitcher I will mention here.

Lester, like Molina, has a ton of narrative around his career. Sure, he’s made just 4 All-Star teams and never won a Cy Young. He’s also never won 20 games. He has, however, come back from cancer to pitch in 3 World Series, pitch to a 2.55 ERA in 148 postseason innings over his career, and even won an NLCS MVP during the Cubs run in 2016.

Lester is in his age-34 season. In his first three seasons with the Cubs, he averaged 14 wins, 196 innings, and 195 strikeouts per season. If you add that pace into his career numbers through the end of the 2017 season for the rest of his Cubs contract (ends after 2020), he’ll climb over 200 wins, over 2,700 innings, and over 2,500 strikeouts. That would put him in the top 25 in innings and wins among left-handers all-time and also in the top 5 with strikeouts.

The other piece with those projected numbers is that Lester would be in a group of just 30 pitchers in history that have achieved all of those numbers. Nearly all of them have made the MLB Hall of Fame or been very hard guys to cut from the ballot. Add in the narrative that Lester has, and he should be planning a Cooperstown visit, as a member, not a tourist.

Next: Diamondbacks

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