Jamie Moyer – 1st Year on Ballot
Jamie Moyer lasted so long in the majors that he actually put together decent enough stats to make a case for the MLB Hall of Fame.
Just the fact that he pitched as long as he did was a surprise. He was a borderline player into his early 30s, and spent his entire age 29 season in the minors. However, a move to the Mariners at 33 years old set his career in motion, as Moyer become a dependable option in the back of the rotation. He made his only All Star Game at 40 years old in 2003, and pitched for another eight seasons afterwards, becoming one of 29 players to appear in four different decades.
In his 25 year career, Moyer managed to use his low 80s fastball to great effect, given his solid command. He posted a 269-209 record, along with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.322 WHiP. In his 4074 innings, he had 2441 strikeouts, while issuing only 1155 walks. Moyer may not have been a star, but he was a solid piece for the Mariners for over a decade.
For the most part, Moyer’s Hall of Fame case comes down to his wins total. he does have more wins than Bob Gibson or Carl Hubbell, for example, and the 250 win mark does tend to make a pitcher a strong candidate for enshrinement. However, Moyer was someone who managed to stay around for a quarter of a century, and was never really dominant. Most Hall of Fame metrics have him far below the average for induction, and his high ERA shows that he was not a dominant arm.
Jamie Moyer had an impressive career, and may hang around the ballot. However, he is not a Hall of Fame caliber player.