It’s getting closer to the January 21st Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame election. We’ve taken a look at two former Phillies on the ballot, those being Billy Wagner and Bobby Abreu. There’s two players left to examine. Up next, we dive into a fan favorite: Jimmy Rollins.
Jimmy Rollins (Phillies tenure: 2000-2014)
A part of the core of the Phillies that saw them win their first World Series championship in 28 years in 2008, Jimmy Rollins was a catalyst for Philadelphia for 15 seasons, and was a big reason for their success in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s. “J-Roll” was selected by the Phillies in the second round of the 1996 MLB June Amateur Draft from Encinal High School in Alameda, California. Rollins played four seasons in the Minor Leagues before eventually being called up to the Phillies in September of 2000. His first full year in the Majors came in 2001, when in 158 games, he led the National League in triples (12) and stolen bases (46) on his way to making his first All-Star team and finishing third in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting. Not so bad for your first season in the big leagues. He would continue to be a very productive player over the next five seasons, averaging 10 triples, 40 doubles, 32 stolen bases, 106 runs scored and a 3.8 WAR in that span. But, 2007 would be Jimmy’s best year…by far. In a season where Rollins would proclaim the Phils to be the “team to beat” prior to it starting, he would go on to have career highs in almost every offensive statistic, including home runs (30), triples (20), batting average (.296), runs scored (139), and slugging percentage (.531). That year he also became the fourth player to record at least 20 home runs, 20 triples, 20 doubles and 20 stolen bases in the same season. He did all that en route to winning National League MVP and helping the Phillies make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Jimmy would never come close to putting up those types of numbers during the rest of his time with Philadelphia, but he was still productive and instrumental to their postseason success over the next four years. He helped the team win their first World Series championship in 2008, stealing a career-high 47 bases, logging 5.5 WAR and winning his second Gold Glove that season. The Phillies would make the playoffs three more times during his tenure with the team from 2009-2011, including another N.L. pennant in ‘09. J-Roll won another Gold Glove in that aforementioned season winning the pennant, unfortunately only played in 88 games due to calf issues in 2010, and stole 30 bases the final time the Phillies would make the playoffs in Rollins time with the team in 2011. His final three years with Philadelphia were solid, and depending on how much you factor WAR into looking at a player’s value, Jimmy collected 4.1 WAR in his final year with the team in 2014, which was his highest since accruing 5.5 WAR in 2008.
Rest of Rollins’ career
The Phillies traded J-Roll to the Dodgers in December following the 2014 season. He was a part of a team that won 92 games and made the playoffs, but at age 36, was not the same player from his years with Philadelphia. He had career lows in many offensive categories, including hits (116), OPS (.643), and stolen bases (12). His last season in the Majors would be 2016, when he signed as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox. It would be a season to forget for Rollins, as he was DFA’d in June of that season, after garnering a .221/.295/.329 slashline in just 41 games. He signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants in December of 2016, but was released a few days before Opening Day. Jimmy would never play another game in the Majors, and officially retired in 2019.
As a Phillie? Jimmy Rollins had quite a career. He finished with the most hits (2306) & doubles (479) in franchise history. In addition, he ranks second all-time in games played (2090), total bases (3655), stolen bases (453), and extra base hits (806). He’s definitely a future Phillies Wall of Famer. But, a Hall of Famer? Not as much of a slam dunk. While Rollins may have some numbers and accolades that stick out (2455 hits, 2007 MVP, 511 doubles, four-time Gold Glove, 470 stolen bases), he’s short in other key categories and statistics. I’ve mentioned WAR a few times already, a stat that more and more voters are valuing it seems each year. J-Roll’s 47.6 WAR is just over 20 points below the average Hall of Fame shortstop. His WAR7, which takes a player’s seven-highest WAR seasons, is about 10 points below those shortstops, too. His career .743 OPS adjusted for ballpark factors comes to only a 95 OPS+, 5% below league average. And he only owns a .264 batting average and .324 on-base percentage. Great career, but great enough to be immortalized in Cooperstown?
What to expect for Rollins on this year’s ballot
This will be Jimmy Rollins’ fourth year on the BBWAA ballot. His first three years he received 9.4%, 12.9% and 14.8%. Jimmy has gained a good amount of support from Phillies fans since he first saw his name on the ballot in 2022, but not as much noise from the national media. It will be interesting to see how he fares when election results are announced on Tuesday.