Carlos Lee – 1st Year on Ballot
Carlos Lee was a steady player, albeit not a spectacular one.
In his first eight seasons in the majors, Lee was able to keep pushing his home run total higher, going from 16 homers as a rookie, to a career best 37 homers in 2006. He was a solid power threat during his career, hitting 20 or more homers 11 times, and driving in 100 or more runs six times.
Lee was a three time All Star and two time Silver Slugger, a solid player, but one overshadowed by the stars of his day. Overall, he produced a respectable .289/.339/.485 batting line, hitting 358 homers and 469 doubles. Although he was not a speedster, Lee stole 125 bases, hitting double digits seven times.
A respected run producer, and a key part of the White Sox and Astros lineups, Lee was an excellent complimentary piece in the lineup. However, he was never quite a star, having only two seasons when he had a WAR of 4.0 or better. Even during his peak, Lee was a starting caliber player, but was never a superstar.
Carlos Lee would make the Hall of Very Good. He is just not a Hall of Famer.