Jimmy Rollins
The case for Rollins largely rests on his longevity and "good-guy" status. He played 17 seasons, and for 14 of those was a fixture in the middle infield of a highly successful Phillies franchise alongside Chase Utley.
He won the 2007 MVP, led the Phillies to the 2008 World Series title, at various times led the NL in steals and runs scored, was a three-time All Star, won four Gold Gloves, and like Beltran, was a Clemente Award winner.
If the voters were limited to the testimonials of the guys he played with, Rollins would be in.
Yet in his fourth year on the ballot, Rollins has yet to get above 15 percent. What’s holding him back?
The answer is, for lack of a better term, a mediocre bat. Rollins was a career .264 hitter who never reached .300. With a .324 OBP, his on base skills were so-so. And, of course, he lacked game-changing power, swatting just 231 home runs (roughly 16 per 162 games played).
Add it all up, and you get a career 95 OPS+ on a scale where 100 equals MLB average. Among 22 position players on the ballot, Rollins ranks 21st in that synoptic category.
You’re a voter. You get 10 votes. Are you going to use one of them on hitter who was five percent worse than the average player during his time in the league?
For most voters, the answer appears to be ‘no.’