Are these 3 Phillies legends Hall of Famers or just Phillies legends?

Is former Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

Jonathan Papelbon is an interesting study. He spent more time in Boston than Philadelphia but achieved different great things with each team.

A fourth-round pick by the Red Sox in 2003, Papelbon made his debut with Boston in July 2005, and finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2006 – he lost to Justin Verlander – when he posted a career-best 0.92 ERA over 59 games, including closing 49 and earning 35 saves. It was also his first of four consecutive All-Star seasons.

The following season, he was a key piece in the Red Sox’ 2007 championship, their second in four years. Over seven years in Boston, he compiled a 2.33 ERA over 396 games, 334 games finished, and 219 saves. He struck out 509 batters over 429 1/3 innings.

Joining the Phillies at the tail end of their Golden Era, Papelbon led the National League in games finished in 2012, and set a career-high with 64, the second and final time in his career that he’d close more than 55 games. He was an All-Star for the fifth time that year, one of two All-Star seasons with the Phillies.

The Phillies traded him to the Nationals in 2015, and he ended his career with a 2.31 ERA over 234 appearances, 204 finishes, and 123 saves. Given how long the Phillies have been around (since 1883), it’s crazy to say that Papelbon is their all-time saves leader, but he is. His 386 career saves rank tenth on the all-time list; he was recently moved down the list by none other than fellow former Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel (372 and still pitching).

Of the top-ten saves leaders in MLB history, the top three, Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), and Lee Smith (478) are all in the Hall of Fame, as is Dennis Eckersley (390), currently the sixth man on the list.

Rollie Fingers helps Paplebon’s case for Cooperstown; he’s in the Hall with only 341 career saves, though Fingers also won a Cy Young and three World Series, to name a few of his other achievements.

Papelbon is probably an eventual Hall of Famer, but he’ll be wearing a Red Sox cap on his Cooperstown plaque.