Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones’ place in the Hall of Very Good
By Tim Boyle
There’s the Hall of Fame and there’s the Hall of Very Good. Adam Jones is one player who definitely belongs in the latter.
Baltimore Orioles’ outfielder Adam Jones is in his 12th MLB season. Since joining the Orioles for the 2008 season, he has been a core member of the roster whether batting in the middle or at the top. Although he’ll forever have a place in Orioles’ history, his limited abilities will only ever land him in the Hall of Very Good and not the one of Fame.
Through some ups and downs, Jones has always remained consistent with producing home runs. During the last seven seasons, Jones has hit 25 or more home runs each season for the Orioles. This consistency over nearly a decade is a noteworthy accomplishment many have failed to notice. Because the Orioles haven’t made it to the World Series in his stint with the club, many of Jones’ best seasons were wasted.
Jones’ most recent home run was number 250 for his career. At 32-years-old, he can come close to 400 before it’s all said and done. As far as the Hall of Fame goes, this is not a noteworthy statistic to guarantee placement.
Power is definitely a big part of Jones’ game. However, it’s not what he is best known for.
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Jones is a more rounded player who has won four Gold Gloves and been selected to five All-Star games. Earlier in his career, speed also played a factor.
One consistent weakness throughout his career has been his poor plate discipline. Jones strikes out on average 127 times per 162 games. We can accept this total if he was actually able to draw a walk. Unfortunately, his career high walk total is 39.
After all of the home runs, all of the RBI, and the other notable accomplishments, it’s Jones’ impatience which will keep him far away from Cooperstown no matter how the last years of his career play out. He owns a .318 OBP. Only twice in his career has he finished the season with one over .330. He’s not about to change this, either. Players don’t just suddenly start taking pitches in their 30s. They are what they are and Jones is an impatient player looking to save the game with a big hit.
In a different era, Jones might have more of a chance at the Hall of Fame. At his current age, Jones has a similar slash line to Andre Dawson and a few more home runs.
The difference: Dawson played primarily in the 1980s when sabermetrics were for only the biggest baseball nerds. Plus, Dawson exploded in his age 32 season with 47 bombs. It’s hard to believe Jones will suddenly find his power stroke next year when he’s already on the decline.
Jones helped define this era of Orioles’ baseball. The “very good, but never good enough” teams they put together match his own career quite well. While it’s not completely over for Jones or the Orioles, the former looks ready to begin his descent with the latter needing a rebuild sooner than later.