Making a case for former Texas Rangers on the 2022 HOF ballot

10 former Texas Rangers have found their way onto the 2022 Hall of Fame ballot, but of the 10, who has the best shot at receiving baseball’s highest honor?

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is a place every baseball fan,  player and coach dreams of seeing, whether that’s donning the walls on a plaque or perusing the hundreds of years of baseball history.

Only the most elite of the nearly 20,000 men to step foot in the major leagues, the top one percent, even sniff the walls of the hall.

In 2022, the Texas Rangers are well represented on the ballot. From defensive wizards Omar Vizquel and Andruw Jones to the big boppers of the early-2000’s Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa.

Guys like Prince Fielder, Joe Nathan and A.J. Pierzynski are all former Rangers on the ballot for the first time. Then you’ve got Manny Ramirez and Tim Lincecum, two greats who signed with the Texas Rangers on MiLB deals, but never saw big league action.

Leaving out the latter two, I’m here to make a case for those eight players who have a legitimate shot of garnering some votes. Are they Hall of Fame worthy? Not all of them, maybe none, depending on your stance on steroids, but should definitely see some consideration.

We’ll begin with the guys that have the most to lose. Players like Vizquel, Jones and Sosa, who are ballot veterans that know their time is ticking away.

Omar Vizquel- Texas Rangers, 2009

Out of all the former Rangers on this list, Omar Vizquel has gained the most votes over his five years on the ballot. In 2021, he received 49.1% of the writer’s approval, but after recent sexual assault allegations from his wife and former bat boy, his chances may be growing slim.

Deemed one of the game’s greatest defensive players, Vizquel played a huge role in the development of some young Texas Rangers in his one year in Arlington. Vizquel worked with Elvis Andrus closely, playing alongside Ian Kinsler and Michael Young as the veteran presences for the young shortstop. He also played a huge role in the life of Rougned Odor, who switched his number to #12 in honor of his childhood hero.

While he was a subpar utility player in Texas, slashing .266/.316/.345/.660, his leadership on the diamond was invaluable.

However, looking at his career numbers, there is reason to believe he could get in. According to Baseball Reference and Bill James’ Hall of Fame monitor, which measures how likely a player is to get elected, Vizquel ranks 20 points above average (120). The rough scale says that if a player is over 100, he is likely to get in, and with five years left, Vizquel should receive some more votes.

He will be an interesting case moving forward with all of the assault allegations shadowing his Illustrious career, but will undoubtedly go down as one of, if not the best defensive shortstop of all time.

Andruw Jones- Texas Rangers, 2009

Jones is another former Ranger in his fifth year on the ballot, receiving 33.9% of the votes on last season’s ballot.

Much like Vizquel, Andruw Jones quickly became one of the greatest defensive center fielders in baseball history. Jones won 10 Gold Gloves consecutively over his 17 year career.

Jones only saw one season in Arlington, sharing the field with Vizquel in 2009. That lone season in the Lone Star State wasn’t his best showing, either.

32-years old in 2009, Jones hit a whopping .214/.323/.459/782 over 82 games with the Rangers. Although, he was stellar defensively during his 25 games in the field, playing all three outfield positions and first base.

Overall, the question with Andruw Jones’ career is whether he consistently hit enough to get in the Hall of Fame. He was among the league’s best players from 1996-2006, but saw a major drop off in production on the back half of his career.

One thing to note, as well, Jones was arrested in 2012 on battery charges after a dispute with his wife.

Using Bill James’ Hall of Fame monitor, Jones barely sits above that 100-mark (109). Does he deserve to get in? Did he play his way out of the Hall of Fame? Does that arrest hinder his chances? We’ll have to wait and see.

Sammy Sosa- Texas Rangers, 1989, 2007

Oh Slammin’ Sammy, a Texas Ranger product through and through. Sosa was signed by the Rangers out of the Dominican Republic in 1985. Just four years later, he was in the bigs and played all of 25 games with Texas before getting dealt to the White Sox for Harold Baines.

A career filled with controversy over PED usage, he became one of the league’s greatest power hitters in the early 90’s and 2000’s.

The 7x All-Star, MVP and Home Run Derby champion had a career .273 average, 609 homers and even stole 234 bases. He was everything you could ask for in a player, and then some.

Those 609 homers are best for ninth all-time.

As for his time in Texas, Sosa’s most memorable moment was blasting his 600th career home run in 2007 for the team that gave him his first opportunity. A pretty remarkable way to put an exclamation point on his career.

But the downside for Sammy Sosa is he has never eclipsed 20% of the BBWAA votes and is in his 10th and final season on the ballot. Last season, he received 17% of the votes, which is the highest vote total he has ever received. However, 58% of the votes will be a tough hill to climb in one season.

Unfortunately, Sammy Sosa’s Hall of Fame chances are looking bleak, but he’ll always be remembered as one of the greatest sluggers to set foot on the baseball field.

First Timers on the Ballot

Alex Rodriguez- Texas Rangers, 2001-2003

Now we move on to the first ballot guys, a pretty recognizable list of All-Stars that dominated the 2000’s and 2010’s across Major League Baseball.

We begin the first ballot side with arguably the most controversial and hated player on the ballot.

It’s hard not to look back on A-Rod and think about the PED usage and how that may have affected his career, but taking another step back, this dude was the greatest player on the field in the early-2000’s.

3x MVP, including one in Texas, 14 All-Star appearances, two Gold Gloves, 10 Silver Sluggers, a batting title and was a 3x MLB Player of the Year.

The guy was elite, as much as you hate to say it.

After 22 years in the big leagues, Rodriguez finished with a .295/.380/.550/.930 slash line, 696 homers, 2,086 RBIs, 329 stolen bases and over 3,000 hits.

Over his three seasons in Texas, Rodriguez was a .305 hitter, had an OPS of 1.011 and hit 156 bombs. He appeared in three straight All-Star games as a Ranger, won an MVP, two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. Did I mention he was also the highest paid player in franchise history as a shortstop? Not anymore… I’m looking at you, Corey Seager.

Bill James’ Hall of Fame monitor suggests that Rodriguez should get in three times based off of his career statistics, landing him at 390 on the scale. Remember, right at 100 means they are “likely” to get in.

Had it not been for the PED usage, including his suspension in 2014, there is no doubt in my mind A-Rod would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. But as we’ve seen with Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, the writers tend to lean away from putting PED guys in. Understandably so. However, what he did on the baseball was still incredible, and I believe he deserves votes. We’ll see how the next decade pans out for him and guys like Big Papi, David Ortiz.

Prince Fielder- Texas Rangers, 2014-2017

One of the saddest moments in Texas Rangers history was watching Prince Fielder’s retirement announcement, as tears rolled down the big first baseman’s face, hanging his cleats up after a devastating neck injury that led to two spinal-fusion surgeries.

Before being traded to Texas in 2013, Prince Fielder never saw time on the disabled list. From 2009 to 2013, Fielder missed only one game.

Early in his career, Prince was one of the most feared power bats in the National League, but wasn’t afraid to slap the ball the other way or take his walks.

During his injury-ridden time in Texas, Prince hit a respectable .269/.350/.410/.760, clubbing 34 homeruns, 158 RBIs and drawing 121 walks. He only played in 42 games in 2014, 89 games in 2016, but won the American League Comeback Player of the Year for his 2015 performance. He hit .305, 23 homers, 98 RBIs and had an OPS+ of 126 in 2015.

Over his career, Fielder hit .283/.382/.506/.887 and had an OPS+ of 134. He finished his career with 319 homeruns, 1,028 driven in and 1,645 hits.

The 6x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 2x Home Run Derby champ and All-Star MVP had his career cut short, but has a chance to gain the votes needed to stay on the ballot for one more year. Does Prince eventually get into the Hall of Fame? I doubt it, but it would be great to see him garner enough interest to stay alive past his first year.

Joe Nathan- Texas Rangers, 2012-2013

The only pitcher to make the list, Joe Nathan had a great career that spanned 16 seasons. The Houston native began his career in the starting rotation, before joining the Twins and moving to the bullpen where he would make a name for himself.

An odd signing for the Texas Rangers in 2012, the then 37-year old Nathan became the lockdown closer the Rangers believed he could be. Coming off a 2011 season that saw his ERA sit just under 5, Joe Nathan dominated in Arlington.

Over two seasons with the Rangers, Joe Nathan racked up 151 strikeouts, 80 saves in 133 games while sporting a 2.09 ERA. He appeared in two All-Star games for the Rangers, and finished the 2013 season with a 1.39 ERA.

Across his 16 big league seasons, however, Nathan had a 2.87 ERA, going 64-34 with 377 saves and 976 strikeouts with an ERA+ of 151.

By no means was Joe Nathan the most dominant, late inning reliever of his time, but he was a reliable option for sure. The six-time All-Star and Rolaids Reliever of the Year had a fine career, but his numbers just don’t cut it when stacking them up to other Hall of Famers.

A.J. Pierzynski- Texas Rangers, 2013

The last player on this list is former big league catcher, A.J. Pierzynski. The 2x All-Star, Silver Slugger and 2005 World Series Champion spent parts of 19 years in the big leagues before making his way to the broadcast booth.

Pierzynski became known as a great teammate, but a fierce competitor, hated by anyone on the opposing team.

Pierzynski spent one season in Arlington, getting paired with Geovany Soto as the Rangers catching tandem. The left-handed hitting Pierzynski hit .272 over 134 games for Texas, hitting 17 homers and driving in 70.

However, over his 19 seasons, he hit .280/.319/.420/.739 and finished his career with 188 homers, 909 RBI and over 2,000 hits.

While Pierzynski was one of the most fun players to watch in his prime, his numbers don’t reflect that of a Hall of Famer. While it is quite an honor to be on the ballot, I don’t see Pierzynski getting the needed 5% to stay on following the 2022 season.

Final Thoughts

No doubt all of these guys had incredible big league careers, spanning decades, All-Star appearances galore, MVP’s and more. Some could even be considered the best at their position during their careers.

However, many are shadowed by assault allegations and the ever-haunting PED usage. While we as fans will never know if they used or not, we can only assume the worst based around previous users, as well as tests brought to light by the league.

Players like A-Rod, Sammy Sosa, Andruw Jones and Omar Vizquel are all deserving of Hall of Fame consideration, however time ticks away faster and faster for those guys and their previous allegations.

But in my opinion, only one player gets in on this list of former Texas Rangers and that’s Mark Teixeira. We’ll see how well he fairs after his first year.

Are there more former Rangers that realistically get in on this list? Should the alleged PED users, like Sosa and A-Rod, get considered?

Let us know what you think. Find us on Twitter @NolanWritinFS and @PTylerHenderson.