Chicago Cubs: Will Jon Lester go into the Hall of Fame as a Cub?
In a recent interview, Jon Lester said that, as of now, he’d go into the Hall of Fame in a Boston Red Sox cap if he were voted in. What more has to happen with the Cubs for his plaque to say Chicago Cubs?
To get it out of the way: I know Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester is by no means a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. But his pitching so far this season and his comments to Barstool Sports brought the thought to mind.
In a recent interview, Jon Lester suggested that the greater part of his legacy will be in Boston. But he’s still in Chicago for another four years, so that’s still subject to change.
The case for the Boston Red Sox
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It’s a pretty easy case to make. Lester pitched in Boston for almost nine years. He was selected for the All-Star Game three times and won a World Series as a Boston Red Sox player.
Of his nine seasons there, he gave them over 200 innings in five of them. He threw his first and only (so far) no-hitter there in 2008 against the Kansas City Royals.
At this point, it’s almost absurd to suggest he’d go in as a Cub despite all the value he’s provided for them. He was in Boston for much longer.
Building a case for the Chicago Cubs
Lester has already had a pretty impressive Chicago Cubs career. The 2016 World Series speaks for itself, especially with his background having been in Boston.
He probably heard fans and teammates talk about their World Series victory to end a drought for his whole Boston career. Lester’s 2.44 ERA that season was good for an All-Star Game appearance and second place in Cy Young voting too.
But what he’s done so far isn’t doesn’t take away the fact that his legacy with the Red Sox. He—and the Cubs—need to continue to do well throughout Jon Lester’s contract. Fortunately, Lester’s contract roughly spans the Cubs’ expected window of contention, so he should expect to be back in the postseason with the Cubs a few more times. He’s also pitching as well as he ever had so far in 2018.
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If Jon Lester continues his solid work for a few more years, he has an excellent chance to make it to Cooperstown. For now, his legacy is with the Boston Red Sox, but that could change over the next few years.