When it comes to the Baseball Hall of Fame, it seems every year that they leave people scratching their heads when it comes to voting results. Some players who deserve to be in the hall don’t get in, while others who maybe don’t have the numbers manage to get the votes to receive the call. When it comes to the Boston Red Sox, one of their own should be considered more when it comes to getting into the Hall of Fame. Regarding Dustin Pedroia, he deserves that call to the Hall.
Red Sox Legend Dustin Pedroia is Hall of Fame Worthy
GettyDustin Pedroia 2013 World Series
When looking back over Pedroia’s career with the Red Sox, his resume speaks for why he should be discussed more for the Hall of Fame, and belongs in all things considered. He finished a 14-year career with 51.8 wins above replacement (WAR), 1,805 hits, 394 doubles, 15 triples, 140 home runs, 725 RBIs, 138 stolen bases, 624 walks, 654 strikeouts, and a .299 average. Oh, and his slash line over that time was .365/.439/.805, along with a 113 OPS+. Furthermore, his wRC+ for his career was 115, according to FanGraphs.
All of that doesn’t even count for what he did in the postseason that saw Pedroia win two World Series with the Red Sox. In six seasons, which saw 11 series over that time, he played in 51 games accumulting 48 hits, 14 doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs, three stolen bases, 23 walks, 32 strikeouts, and a .233 average. His slash line over that time was .313/.374/.687. When glancing at his World Series numbers, Pedroia went 10-for-42 with three doubles, one home run, five RBIs, and an average of .238. His slash line was .289/.381/.670.
Over the course of his career, Pedroia won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2007, following that up with an MVP season in 2008 after leading MLB in hits (213) and doubles (54). Pedroia was also a Silver Slugger that season, while finishing with an American League-leading 118 runs. He finished in the Top-10 for the MVP in 2011 (9th) and in 2013 (7th). His seventh-place MVP voting was during the season in which he claimed his second World Series with the Red Sox. Not bad to win two World Series titles at 23 and 29 years old. He also finished as a four-time All-Star and claimed four Gold Glove awards for added measure.
When it comes down to it, Pedroia has the stats and the hardware to show he is worthy of a Hall of Fame call, even despite not being himself following an incident where Manny Machado spiked him in 2017, derailing his more obvious Hall of Fame resume. That said, why should he be considered more, especially compared to others who are already in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
Time to Make a Call
MLB.com’s Ian Browne put it perfectly about why Pedroia should be representing the Red Sox in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He stated, “With his self-proclaimed “laser show” of a bat and his elite glove, Pedroia seemed on a runaway train to Cooperstown.” Between 2007 and 2016, Pedroia had a slash line of .303/.368/.447 with 869 runs, 371 doubles, and four gold gloves. He was on pace to eclipse 150 home runs, maybe even closer to 170, and around 1,000 RBIs, if his career wasn’t spiked into the ground.
After his first year on the BBWAA ballot, he finished with 47 votes for 11.3%. He has to make over 5% to stay on the ballot, which he will do this time around. But could he get the 75% of votes to make it in for 2026? It will be tough, but the case will continue to grow for the second baseman from Woodland, CA, and an Arizona State alumnus.
Browne also went on to make some comparisons to make a case for why Pedroia should be in the Hall of Fame. When discussing players who made it, despite injuries shortening their seasons, he referenced Kirby Puckett. Puckett finished with a 51.1, which is less than Pedroia’s 51.8. Furthermore, he took a look at Jeff Kent, who made it into the most recent class through the era committee. He finished with a WAR of 55.4, which is only 3.6 more WAR than Pedroia. Kent, through the first two years of the ballot, finished with 15.3 and 14%, before tapping out at 46.4 in his 10th year. Overall, Pedroia has made the case against other guys who’ve made the hall through the ballot and/or the era committee.
GettyBoston Red Sox’s Dustin Pedroia
Even compared to Red Sox legendary second baseman Bobby Doerr, who is also in the Hall, Pedroia has the stats to back up his case. Browne stated, when comparing the two, “Pedroia’s .299 career batting average was 11 points higher than Doerr. Pedroia had way more stolen bases (138 to 54), a slightly higher OBP (.365 to .362) and a comparable OPS+ (Doerr was 115 compared to 113 for Pedroia). This isn’t to say Doerr shouldn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. It only makes a case that the top two second basemen in Red Sox history should both have plaques in Cooperstown.”
After it’s all said and done, Pedroia has made the case to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, it seems that he is still not being considered enough for the call, despite being one of two players ever in baseball history to have won a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, as many as two World Series titles, and four Gold Glove Awards. The other player is Johnny Bench. At the end of the day, Dustin Pedroia is Hall of Fame worthy.
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