Jaffe: Larry Walker’s Hall of Fame case by JAWS
From SABR member Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs on November 30, 2018:
A three-time batting champion, five-time All-Star, and seven-time Gold Glove winner — not to mention an excellent base runner — Larry Walker could do it all on the diamond. Had he done it for longer, there’s little question that he’d be en route to a plaque in the Hall of Fame, but his 17 seasons in the majors were marred by numerous injuries as well as the 1994–95 players’ strike, all of which cut into his career totals.
Yet another great outfielder developed by the late, lamented Montreal Expos — Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Vladimir Guerrero, and Tim Raines being the most notable — Walker was the only one of that group actually born and raised in Canada, though he spent less time playing for the Montreal faithful than any of them. He starred on the Expos’ memorable 1994 team that compiled the best record in baseball before the strike hit, curtailing their championship dreams, then took up residence with the Rockies, putting up eye-popping numbers at high altitude — numbers that, as we’ll see, hold up well even once they’re brought back to earth.
Walker’s relatively short career, high peak, and extreme offensive environment put the JAWS system to the test.
Read the full article here: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/jaws-and-the-2019-hall-of-fame-ballot-larry-walker/
Originally published: November 30, 2018. Last Updated: November 30, 2018.