Detroit Tigers Represented on 2018 Hall of Fame Ballot

Detroit Tigers fans will see familiar faces on the 2018 Hall of Fame ballot. Three newcomers with Detroit ties join returner Gary Sheffield on the quest for Cooperstown.

The Detroit Tigers are represented well on the 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot.

While no one on this ballot would go into the Hall of Fame wearing a Tigers hat, two players joining the ballot this year played a small portion of their careers in the Motor City.

The two newcomers, outfielder Johnny Damon and first baseman Aubrey Huff, will join holdover Gary Sheffield on the 33-man ballot.

Sheffield is entering his fourth year on the ballot.

He earned 13.3% of the votes last year, his highest total thus far. He has quite the uphill battle ahead of him to reach the 75% threshold necessary for induction into Cooperstown.

In addition to Damon, Huff and Sheffield, former Tigers first base coach and 24-year veteran Omar Vizquel will hit the ballot for the first time.

Vizquel spent the majority of his career with the rival Cleveland Indians, accruing 2,877 hits and winning 11 Gold Glove Awards.

The full ballot, according to MLB.com, is listed below:

Barry Bonds
Chris Carpenter
Roger Clemens
Johnny Damon
Vladimir Guerrero
Livan Hernandez
Trevor Hoffman
Orlando Hudson
Aubrey Huff
Jason Isringhausen
Andruw Jones
Chipper Jones
Jeff Kent
Carlos Lee
Brad Lidge
Edgar Martinez
Hideki Matsui
Fred McGriff
Kevin Millwood
Jamie Moyer
Mike Mussina
Manny Ramirez
Scott Rolen
Johan Santana
Curt Schilling
Gary Sheffield
Sammy Sosa
Jim Thome
Omar Vizquel
Billy Wagner
Larry Walker
Kerry Wood
Carlos Zambrano

Let’s take a look at the group of former Tigers and their chances for the Hall of Fame.

Aubrey Huff

Every year, players are chosen for the Hall of Fame ballot simply because they played ten or more seasons in Major League Baseball. These players rarely get a vote for the Hall of Fame, but they get their name briefly back in the spotlight as their career is acknowledged.

Aubrey Huff is one of those players.

According to Baseball Reference, in his 13-year career Huff won one Silver Slugger Award and finished top-10 in MVP voting once.

He was never an All-Star, never led the league in any offensive category and falls considerably short of what a traditional Hall of Fame first baseman’s career looks like.

Huff broke into the bigs with Tampa Bay in 2000 and spent seven years with them before a brief stint in Houston with the Astros. From there he spent a few years with the Orioles before being traded in August of 2009 to the Tigers for minor leaguer Brett Jacobson.

Huff hit .189 with two home runs in 106 at-bats with the Tigers before signing with the San Francisco Giants, where he retired in 2012 after winning his second World Series ring.

Huff finished with 242 home runs and a 20.2 bWAR and might not come anywhere close to reaching the 5% threshold necessary to remain on the ballot.

Gary Sheffield

Gary Sheffield is entering his fourth year on the ballot, having earned 13.3% of the vote last year. He earned 11.7% in 2015 and 11.6% in 2016.

The likelihood of his support increasing from 13% to 75% over the next six years are slim. Sheffield might have to wait for the Veteran’s Committee to give him a chance at induction.

Sheffield played for eight different teams across 22 seasons, blasting 509 home runs and slashing .292/.393/.514 in his illustrious career.

The outfielder and designed hitter joined the Tigers in November of 2006 in a trade with the New York Yankees. The Tigers surrendered three prospects in the deal; Anthony Claggett, Humberto Sanchez and Kevin Whelan.

Sheffield spent two years in the Motor City, hitting .247 with 44 home runs, 31 stolen bases and a .788 OPS.

He was released after the 2008 season and signed with the New York Mets to close out his career.

Sheffield’s lack of support from voters could stem from an overcrowded ballot. Voters are only allowed to vote for 10 players. With a plethora of talent on the ballot, some players might not get as many votes.

Sheffield was one of the greatest power hitters of his generation, but has a long road ahead of him before he sees his name on a plaque in Cooperstown.

Omar Vizquel

While not technically a Tiger, Omar Vizquel was hired in November of 2013 to be the Detroit Tigers first base coach.

Under former manager Brad Ausmus, Vizquel also served as the Tigers infield and base-running coach.

He resided in that role through last season, but won’t return as part of the new Detroit coaching staff.

Vizquel is certainly qualified to coach infield and baserunning, two areas he excelled at in his 24-year career.

Vizquel opened up his career in Seattle, playing five seasons there and winning one Gold Glove.

He then spent 11 season as a member of the Cleveland Indians, winning eight Gold Glove Awards and making three All-Star games.

Vizquel won two more Gold Glove Awards in his four years with the Giants before bouncing around the Rangers, White Sox and Blue Jays to finish out his career.

Vizquel’s 11 Gold Glove Awards are tied for sixth all-time among position players, second only to Ozzie Smith among shortstops. His 28.4 dWAR is 10th all time.

There is no doubt that Vizquel is one of the greatest defensive players in the history of baseball, but is he Hall worthy?

His 82 OPS+ is substantially below average. His 2,877 hits is nice but his 80 home runs and 404 stolen bases are both not up to par for Hall of Famers, even at shortstop.

Next: Ian Kinsler replacements if the second baseman is traded

Vizquel will get plenty of votes for the HOF, but a crowded ballot may keep him short of induction in his first season. However, there is a good chance he will eventually wind up in Cooperstown.