An early look at Phillies on 2020 Hall of Fame ballot
By John Town
Raul Ibanez
By the time Ibanez got to Philadelphia, he already had plenty of major-league experience under his belt. His career started off unspectacularly, failing to eclipse 100 games played or an OPS+ over 100 until 2001, six seasons and two teams into his major-league career.
In the first 12 years of his career, Ibanez had a .286/.346/.472 line, 113 OPS+, 182 home runs, 794 runs batted in, and 2261 total bases. He finished 21st in MVP voting in 2006 and 20th in 2008.
Ibanez earned the first All-Star appearance of his career upon reaching Philadelphia in 2009, posting career-highs in home runs (34), OPS (.799), and OPS+ (132). He finished his three seasons in Philadelphia with 70 home runs, 260 runs batted in, and a .798 OPS.
Ibanez rounded out his career bouncing around the league, spending time with the Yankees, Mariners, Angels, and Royals. Altogether, Ibanez finished his 19-year major-league career with 2161 games played, 2034 hits, 305 home runs, 1207 runs batted in, a .272/.335/.465 line, and 111 OPS+.
Perhaps the best thing Ibanez has going for him is that he eclipsed the 300 home run and 2000 hit club. Old-school voters tend to value these benchmarks heavily, which could offer a bump in votes when the full results come out. The fact that he remained an effective hitter well into his 30s also helps his case.
On the other hand, Ibanez ranks poorly in JAWS. His 20.4 career WAR, 20.1 seven-year peak WAR, and 20.2 JAWS all rank well below the average Hall of Fame left fielder. Ibanez ranks lower in JAWS than Monte Irvin, the lowest-ranked Hall of Fame left fielder who spent most of his career in the Negro Leagues.
Expect Ibanez to receive at least some Hall of Fame votes, especially from older voters who don’t publish their ballots. He likely won’t get much support from newer voters who tend to value JAWS and WAR. Given this, it’s highly unlikely Ibanez winds up in the Hall of Fame and questionable if he even makes to another year of voting.