MLB: Top 25 Players Not in Baseball Hall of Fame

Jul 19, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds (25) watches from the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 19, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds (25) watches from the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Baseball Hall of Fame is a place where the greatest players in baseball history are immortalized, their place in history certain. However, some of the best in MLB history remain outside those hallowed walls.

As the MLB is set to celebrate the careers of Ken Griffey Jr and Mike Piazza today, the focus of the baseball universe has shifted once again to Cooperstown, New York. There, in the alleged birthplace of the game that we know and love, the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is ready to accept the two latest players to be immortalized.

And yet, while the Hall of Fame houses quite a few stellar players from the history of the MLB, there are those who have yet to be inducted. Those players who, over the course of their careers, broke records, won awards and even changed the complexion of the game. Yet, they remain outside of Cooperstown.

So, let us look at those 25 best players who are eligible for the Hall of Fame, but are not yet enshrined. Before we do – a few guidelines. Each of these players has either appeared on the ballot, or is currently listed. This means that recently retired greats like Derek Jeter and active players like Albert Pujols are not eligible for these rankings.

Likewise, this leaves Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Ciccotte off the list. Until the time comes when they are reinstated by the MLB, something that may never happen, they cannot be inducted. While they were great players, they are also, unfortunately, ineligible for the list. Each player will be listed with notable statistics, as well as the highest vote percentage they received during their time on the ballot.

Now that the criteria are out of the way, let us take a trip through baseball history and look back at some of the greatest players left outside of the Hall of Fame.

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