Scott Rolen – third year on ballot (17.2% in 2019)
Simply stated, Scott Rolen was one of the best third basemen in the history of the game.
Rolen was a solid all around player, a power hitting third baseman who also had excellent speed on the basepaths. He was brilliant defensively, winning eight Gold Glove awards while ranking sixth in MLB history with 140 runs saved at the hot corner. While his glove may have been his greatest tool, his overall ability places him amongst the best players to ever line up at third.
It is hard to argue with his production and resume. The 1997 NL Rookie of the Year, Rolen was a seven time All Star, and finished as high as fourth in the 2006 NL MVP vote. Overall, he posted a .281/.364/.490 batting line, hitting 316 homers and 517 doubles while stealing 118 bases.
During his career, Rolen was overshadowed by other top third basemen, from Chipper Jones to Alex Rodriguez when he made the move to the hot corner. That lack of recognition reflected in his vote totals, as his 17.2% last year is laughable. However, he did gain nearly 7% of the vote last year on a solid ballot. With this one containing just one sure fire Hall of Famer, that percentage should rise once more.
Scott Rolen has a lot of ground to make up to be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame, but his resume and production make him a more than worthy candidate.