Cleveland Indians: Hall of Fame chances for Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel

The 2018 Hall of Fame ballot features two Cleveland Indians all-time greats. But how do their chances of getting into Cooperstown look?

The illustrious Baseball Writers Association of America posted their 2018 Hall of Fame ballot, and the roster is loaded.

Among the 19 newcomers to the ballot are Cleveland Indians legends Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel. Thome is one of the biggest names on this years ballot along with Braves legend Chipper Jones.

Thome and Vizquel both have a decent chance of making it into the Hall of Fame. The biggest question is when. There is some stiff competition on this year’s ballot including Jones, Johnny Damon, and the returns of Barry Bonds and Curt Schilling once again.

Jim Thome’s argument

If you look at most of the opinion articles out there, Thome looks to be a lock. His 72.9 WAR and 612 homers solidify his vote. He is eighth on the all-time home run list and is a five time All-Star.

Thome’s WAR is sixth among the candidates on the ballot. Barry Bonds is the only one on the ballot ahead of him in home runs. Having no accusations of PED usage may also help sway some votes his way.

Thome had some down years toward the end of his career after he left Cleveland due to injuries and simply due to age. Nonetheless, I expect Jim Thome to earn the required 75 percent of the votes he needs in order to enter Cooperstown.

Omar Vizquel’s argument

Omar will have a tougher time trying to make it as a first ballot nominee. His candidacy is based strongly on his defensive play. In fact his offensive play was average at best. His best season offensively was when he posted an OPS of .833 and slugged .436.

Make no mistake, his defense has earned him his spot on this ballot. We’re talking all-time great defense. But defensive metrics just aren’t flashy like offensive numbers. That said, VIzquel still holds the record for highest fielding percentage as a shortstop.

If defense made first ballot hall of famers, Mark Belanger and Barry Bonds would already be in. But with talks of character and PED usage causing chaos amongst voters, Vizquel has a chance. If nothing else he should get enough votes to remain on the ballot for the next few years.

The vote distribution is thing that could prove to be an obstacle for the two. The writers have been known to distribute their votes based on personal opinions rather than career numbers and influence.

The Hall of Fame undoubtedly has a flawed and outdated voting system that keeps a lot of great players out. It tries to hold itself to a moral high-ground that has long been broken. The politics of it cause voters to look beyond play.

Next: Decisions to be made on arbitration-eligible players

The reality of it is that fans want to see good players make it into Cooperstown, and Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel are two players who deserve that honor.