Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

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Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by RonCo » Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:16 pm

**** ADDED NOW BECAUSE HE WAS MISSED WHEN HE RETIRED ****

Here's the place to talk about the career of:

Lewis "Friar" Stephens

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Catcher

Active Career: 2014-2029 (16 seasons)
1,815 hits, 402 HR, .246/.343/.458, 60.4 WAR
Landis Winner: 2022
Zimmer Diamond Glove: 2015

Hall of Fame Metrics: (average HoF)
JAWS: 48.1 (43)
Black Ink: 0 (23)
Gray Ink: 54 (112)
HOF Standards: 48 (54)
HOF Monitor: 117 (128)

Hall of Fame Voting History:
YearScore
204431.0%
204325.8%
204220.6%
204111.8%
204015.2%
203916.1%
# Stephens was a superior defensive catcher with great power. Essentially, managers of Halifax (Nashville), Atlantic City, and a few others just pencilled his name into th elineup and waited for 4-6 WAR to come in. This lasted for about a dozen seasons.

As a catcher, his counting numbers may be down a bit. His absoulte peak was a 6.7 WAR season in 2016, but otherwise the topp-end numbers aren't as gaudy as a few others might be. Still, you wonder how much extra to count the defensive acumen of a catcher. And he did lead the league in isloated power in 2016, and showed up on several leaderboards--a fact that shows up on his Black/Gray Ink scores. His other Metrics are a bit split, but probably suggest inclusion (the JAWS of 48.1 vs. HoF average for catchers of 43 suggests he raises the bar for future classes).

Bottom line, though, a really great catcher for a lot of years.

Comparison to Hall of Fame Catchers:
Stephens.PNG
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by 7teen » Fri Jun 07, 2019 3:47 pm

Only 1 Zimmer Award for a defensive catcher?

That alone knocks him out. I don't focus as much on that side of things like I probably should but don't even see him being really all that close. Short of 2,000 hits. 400+ homeruns is impressive but that isn't enough to put him in.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by RonCo » Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:28 pm

He was a odd mix, it looks like. No contact, all power and walk offensive guy
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by Ted » Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:05 pm

I think I'm leaning yes. When you take into account the decreased amount of PT catchers get, those counting stats are pretty impressive for a catcher. With regular position playing time, he'd be like 2000 hits, 450 homers, 65 or so WAR. That's not top tier hall of fame, but good enough in my mind to get in, especially given that we elect so few catchers. He's a cut about the guys we've dithered on the last few years. a career 340 OBP/.800 OPS and 120 wRC+ out of a catcher is a pretty amazing hitting C.

ON the other hand, if elected, he'd be a below average HOFer. But still, that's how averages work. Not everyone elected can be better than the average, if you don't want to the Hall to get more and more elite.

Randy, can you give us the comparison to the average C for Stephens?
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by usnspecialist » Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:21 am

I plan on doing the spreadsheet for all names on the ballot (even those who don't get their own discussion thread). Hope to have it up in the next day or 2.
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League Champion- 34
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JL Southern- 34
FL Pacific- 37, 39
Wild Card- 33, 35, 36, 40, 43

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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by RonCo » Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:30 am

All the HoF metrics scores are scaled by position, if that matters.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by usnspecialist » Sat Jun 08, 2019 11:22 am

Here is the stat breakdown of Lewis Stephens compared to all catchers (both individually and against the total mean). Players are sorted by total JAWS score, and any bolded names are on the HOF ballot this year. The mean listed does NOT include anyone on the ballot, just guys who have actually been elected to the HOF.
C 2039.PNG
Lewis Stephens 2039.PNG
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Havana Sugar Kings/San Fernando Bears: 32-50 (1608-1481)
Des Moines Kernels: 52-

League Champion- 34
JL Champion- 34
FL Champion- 36, 37
JL Southern- 34
FL Pacific- 37, 39
Wild Card- 33, 35, 36, 40, 43

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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by Ted » Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:56 pm

Better than average WAR compared to the catchers that are in. Should end the argument. Sure, he had a long career. Who cares. He's a catcher. Put him in.

Well, that's what I was going to say, but then I forgot about how Dickey Brinkman pulls the avearge down. Tell you what. Let's just vote in Stephens, and as an added benefit, we can swap in Hurley Reyes for Brinkman.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by 7teen » Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:14 pm

The guy struck out more times than he got a hit.

No thanks!
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by RonCo » Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:28 pm

Stephens received 16% of the vote last year. He has 6 remaining.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by RonCo » Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:15 pm

Stephens started at 16% of the ballot, faded to 15%, then barely hung on last year at 11%. He has four seasons left, assuming he sticks.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by aaronweiner » Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:17 pm

4 WAR players at age 37 deserve a longer look than this.

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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by RonCo » Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:26 pm

Very good for a long time.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by jleddy » Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:51 pm

7teen wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:14 pm
The guy struck out more times than he got a hit.

No thanks!
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by usnspecialist » Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:14 pm

Bumping to discuss the candidacy of Lewis Stephens. Voting history and positional comparison available in first post.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by usnspecialist » Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:53 am

Bumping for HOF discussion
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by bcslouck » Wed Aug 26, 2020 11:48 am

I think I voted for this guy and will probably do it again.
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by CTBrewCrew » Mon Aug 31, 2020 9:14 pm

RonCo wrote:
Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:26 pm
Very good for a long time.
Is this the very good HOF? 😜
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by jleddy » Sun Nov 22, 2020 5:30 pm

Bump for 2045 HOF candidate discussion
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Re: Hall of Fame Candidate Thread: Lewis Stephens

Post by aaronweiner » Sun Nov 22, 2020 6:12 pm

I'm hoping that some day we're having the same conversation about Manuel Marino.

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