With Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling all off the Hall of Fame ballot, Alex Rodriguez has become the controversial name remaining on the 2023 list of Cooperstown candidates.
But the debate around A-Rod is fairly cut and dry. Statistically, he's one of the greatest position players ever. Either you're willing to vote for him despite his performance-enhancing drug connections or you're not. But no one can make an honest case that the the three-time American League MVP is a fringe candidate based off of his production.
Much more interesting than weighing A-Rod's Hall of Fame bonafides is doing so with the man affectionally referred to as K-Rod, Francisco Rodriguez. One of the most decorated closers in MLB history is a first-year Hall of Fame candidate in 2022 after a 16-year career spent with the Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers.
Rodriguez broke into the league at age 20 in 2002, helping the Angels to win their first World Series title. He would ultimately spend parts of seven seasons with the Halos, becoming one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history. During that stretch, Rodriguez made three All-Star Game appearances and put together three of the best seasons we've ever seen from a reliever:
- 2004: 1.82 ERA, 1.64 FIP, 1.000 WHIP and 3.7 WAR in 69 games while serving as set-up man for Troy Percival. In his age-22 season, Rodriguez finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting.
- 2006: 1.73 ERA, 2.72 FIP, 1.096 WHIP and 2.4 WAR in 69 games. Rodriguez led the AL in saves for the second consecutive season, recording 47 saves in 51 attempts. He again finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting.
- 2008: 2.24 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.288 WHIP and 1.5 WAR in 69 games. Rodriguez set a new MLB single-season record by recording 62 saves in 69 attempts. He finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting, and sixth in voting for the AL MVP.
While the height of Rodriguez's powers came as an Angel, he was an All-Star for the Mets in 2009. He recorded 82 saves between 2014 and 2015 while pitching for the Brewers. He closed out 44 games for the Tigers in 2016.
Rodriguez finished his career as a six-time All-Star and two-time Rolaids Relief Man of the Year. Over the course of his career, Rodriguez may not have been as dominant as someone like Billy Wagner (a deserving Hall of Famer in his own right), but in terms of longevity, it's hard to argue with his results. Rodriguez is fourth in MLB history with 437 career saves, trailing only Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and Lee Smith.
Given the heightened role of relievers in today's game, voters will be forced to consider what separates someone from being one of the better closers of his era and someone who is one of the greatest closers in MLB history. The aforementioned Rivera can't be the standard or another reliever will never be elected to Cooperstown.
If Rodriguez isn't elected to the Hall of Fame at some point over the next decade, it's fair to wonder what that will mean for Craig Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen and any future closers that reach the ballot.
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