Here's the place to talk about the career of:
Lewis "Friar" Stephens
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:
Year | Score |
---|---|
2044 | 31.0% |
2043 | 25.8% |
2042 | 20.6% |
2041 | 11.8% |
2040 | 15.2% |
2039 | 16.1% |
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: