Last year voting percentage: 60.6%
Have I voted for him? Yes I did last season.
3B Tony Frost
In 2050, Frost was coming off his first championship victory with the Nashville Bluebirds, securing Finals MVP. At this point the recently turned 30 year old was coming off his third straight 7+ WAR season. Already at 53.8 WAR and numerous accolades, it all seemed certain Frost would walk right into the hall of fame whenever he decided to call it a career. But then the struggles started. His roughly .300 AVG in 2050 dipped to .260 in 51, .240 in 52, to a bad .225 in 53 and 54. His 30+ Homeruns streak came to an end as he was struggling to get above 20, and the All-Star appearances all but stopped. Suddenly it looked like Frost was going to have no shot at the Hall despite his stellar career his first ten seasons.
Then, he was traded from the team that drafted him to the Vancouver Mounties, who was home to arguably the hardest park in the league for hitters. It looked all but over for Frost's HOF hopes. Instead, he rebounded and became arguably the face of the 2055-2058 Mounties. In those four years he acquired 19.8 WAR, three more All-Star selections, and a diamond glove, all while managing to hit above .250 each year. While it did not lead to a championship in Vancouver, there was no doubt he had become a crucial piece to their three playoff appearances. However by 2059, his age 38 season, we saw the beginning of his final decline. Despite that he capped off that year being traded to the Portland Lumberjacks and helping them win their first ever title. His final two years saw him split time with Long Beach and Vancouver in a role player capactity to try and reach certain milestones, but was very below average and ultimately, came up just short on both the 3,000 hit milestone and 500 HR milestone.
Arguments for enshrinement:
2048 League MVP
2050 Finals MVP
2-time Champion
9-time All-Star
5-time Golden Bat
81.9 career WAR
Finished top 10 in WAR eight times
7th in All-time WAR among 3B
Career OPS+ of 119
Has roughly the same WAR, JAWS and HOF standard score as other 3B in the hall
Arguments against:
Failed to reach 3,000 hits or 500 HR (short by 12 and 4 respectively)
Was below average from 2051-2054
Never lead the league in any statistic
Only hit above 100 RBI three times
Just one 40+ HR season
Hit above .300 three times
My honest opinion:
I truly believe if Frost didn't struggle those four years from 2051-2054, he would've been a no-doubt hall of famer. He's a champion, MVP and was always among the best hitters in the league during his prime in Nashville even if he never did lead any categories. I guess a lot of it comes down to if you value milestones more than anything else.
