That Balls Outta Here
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Phillies: Making a Case for Future Hall of Fame Candidates

By George Stockburger

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June 29, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Jim Thome (25) looks on from the dugout during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE
June 29, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Jim Thome (25) looks on from the dugout during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE /

Jim Thome

The Philllies have two first baseman who both have a case to be in the Hall of Fame, one of whom is Jim Thome. While he played in just four seasons in Philadelphia, he made an impact in that time and over his entire career as well.

The first thing voters always wind up looking for in players are their counting stats, which Thome has plenty of. Through his career, Thome hit 612 home runs, drove in 1,699 runs, and collected 2328 hits. He has the seventh-most home runs of any player, sandwiched between Ken Griffey and Sammy Sosa.

Overall, Thome finished his career with a .276 batting average and .956 OPS. He walked in at least 15% of his plate appearances in nearly every season of his 22-year career, which is considered “excellent” by Fangraphs. Thome also has five All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger, and received MVP votes nine times.

Turning towards advanced statistics, Thome is better than the average Hall of Famer in both Hall of Fame Monitor and Hall of Fame Standards. Thome ranks tenth among all first basemen in JAWS, ahead of Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Eddie Murray along with likely future Hall of Famers in Miguel Cabrera and Todd Helton.

Considering the traditional and advanced stats, which Thome has in spades, it’s hard to deny his place in the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible.

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