Who are Baseball Hall of Fame locks over the next 5 years?

These players are Cooperstown locks in the next five years

SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 6: Barry Bonds #25 of the San Francisco Giants watches the ball fly during game three of the National League Western Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on October 6, 2002 at the Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California. The Giants won 8-3. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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Boston’s David Ortiz acknowledges the fans after one of his homers in Tuesday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on September 20, 2005. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /

2022

David Ortiz, Minnesota Twins/Boston Red Sox (20 seasons, 541 home runs, .286 average, first year on ballot)

On paper “Big Papi” is a sure Hall of Famer. He was part of three World Series champions with the Boston Red Sox, and was the leader of the team in 2013 as they brought a title home to a city still reeling from the Boston Marathon bombing. In that year’s World Series he batted .668 and won MVP. He finished his career with 541 home runs, 632 doubles (11th all-time) and 1,768 RBI (22nd all-time). The case against Ortiz: he was implicated in the Mitchell Report as a PED user in 2003. He also spent most of his career primarily as a DH. But after Edgar Martinez got in, the perception of designated hitters changed and Ortiz will follow him into the Hall.

Omar Vizquel, Seattle Mariners/Cleveland Indians/San Francisco Giants/Texas Rangers/Chicago White Sox/Toronto Blue Jays (24 seasons, 2,877 hits, .272 average, fifth year on ballot)

Vizquel’s Hall of Fame credentials rest mainly on his glove. For his 24-year career he was the premier defensive shortstop in baseball. His defensive WAR ranks seventh all-time among shortstops. He won 10 Gold Gloves and led the league in fielding percentage six times. On the offensive side, Vizquel collected 2,877 hits and stole 404 bases. He is one of only 11 players with 2,800 hits and 400 stolen bases. Vizquel was mostly a sub-par hitter for his career, however. He finished with just a .272 average and a 82 OPS+, 18 points worse than an average hitter. His defensive capabilities, however, overshadow his offensive shortcomings and lead him to Cooperstown.

Falling short: Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira

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