Five players who could lock in their Hall of Fame resume in 2020

Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer is similar to Kershaw in that the run of dominance is there, but there still may be a question of longevity. The 35-year-old Scherzer also has twelve years of service time, and right now he’s actually in the middle of a run similar to Kershaw’s from 2011 to 2017.

Scherzer was a relatively late bloomer compared to Kershaw: His run of dominance started at age 28 in 2013. Over the past seven years, the right-hander has finished in the top five of Cy Young Award voting every year, including winning it three times. In that time, he’s led the league in wins four times, WHIP four times, strikeouts three times, and innings pitched twice. 2019 was the first year that he didn’t make 30 starts (27) since 2008, so health has been in his favor.

Scherzer’s career WAR of 60.3 falls a little short of the other pitchers discussed in this article, so he may still have some work to do to get in; the 170 wins isn’t enough in the eyes of many. Yet while Kershaw is 32 and still has a lot of time to add to his resume, Scherzer is closer in age to Greinke and Verlander, who have already written most of their resume.

Because of this, 2020 might be more important to Scherzer than anyone else in this article. I think he’s going to need two more really good years to get in. I certainly wouldn’t bet against him, however, as it appears that, unlike most pitchers, he’s actually gaining strength as he moves into his mid-30s.