MLB History: The best player from each franchise not in the Hall of Fame

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. January 20, 2020.01202020 Cooperstown Kc15
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. January 20, 2020.01202020 Cooperstown Kc15 /
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Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Best MLB players not in the Hall of Fame: Boston Red Sox, Dwight Evans

WAR value: 66.5

Dwight Evans ranks fourth all-time in Boston Red Sox history when it comes to WAR. So why is he not in the Hall of Fame? Well, sometimes longevity can hurt players if they never hit any notable career benchmarks.

Evans spent 19 seasons with the Red Sox and made three All-Star Games, while also winning eight Gold Gloves. He also hit 379 home runs in a Red Sox uniform.

Evans played more games in a Red Sox uniform than Ted Williams and by WAR alone, belongs in Cooperstown. He may end up being a player who gets in via a separate voting committee, far too long after he deserved recognition.

The outfielder finished top-10 in AL MVP voting four times and likely would have been enshrined easily if he was a part of a title winner in Boston. Instead, he is one of the more glaring omissions from the Hall that plenty agree should be in by now.

For reference, Evans’ WAR in Boston is nearly 14 points higher than David Ortiz. And it appears the latter is a lock once he is eligible.