On Friday, Sept. 19, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw took the mound at Dodger Stadium for his final regular-season home start after announcing to the world that he would retire at the end of the season. Then, on Saturday, New York Yankees designated hitter (DH) Giancarlo Stanton hit his 450th career home run (HR), bringing him closer to joining the exclusive 500 HR club. Despite each players’ impressive career, they are often viewed differently in regard to future Hall of Fame status.
Kershaw’s resume is one of the best of all time for a pitcher. Over his 18 seasons in the MLB, Kershaw was an 11-time All-Star selection, the 2014 National League (NL) MVP, three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, a Pitcher’s Triple Crown winner in 2011 and two-time World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is also the 20th pitcher ever to reach 3,000 strikeouts, he holds a career 2.54 earned run average (ERA), which is the lowest in the live-ball era among qualified pitchers and he has the highest career win percentage (.698) for pitchers with 300+ starts. Kershaw’s longevity and dominance all but assure him a first-ballot Hall of Fame (HOF) induction.
But what about Stanton? Throughout his 14 years in the MLB, his career has been marred by inconsistency and his HOF status is a topic of debate among baseball fans. When looking back on his time in the MLB, Stanton, at his best, will be remembered as one of the most powerful and intimidating batters ever. At his worst, he often looked lost at the plate. Propelling him toward the HOF are his NL MVP in 2017, ALCS MVP in 2024, an All-Star Game MVP in 2022, Silver Slugger Awards in 2014 and 2017, and two Hank Aaron Awards in 2014 and 2017. He is a five-time All-Star, a two-time NL Home Run Leader, an NL RBI Leader, and has recorded over 450 career HRs. If (when) Stanton reaches the 500 HR milestone he will be the 29th player to achieve this feat.
Still, when judging anyone’s career you must also consider the lows. Stanton has struggled with high whiff rates throughout his career, often swinging at pitches well outside the strike zone. He has also been a DH since 2019, causing a sharp drop off in his wins-above-replacement (WAR). In 2018, his first full season with the Yankees, Stanton posted a 6.5 WAR across 145 while playing in the outfield. After an injury in 2019 and the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020, Stanton’s first season as a DH in the Bronx saw him post a 2.6 WAR across 139 games. Even though these seasons were similar offensively, Stanton’s shift away from the outfield decreased his value as a player.
The most difficult aspect of a player’s value seems to be the clutch factor; did they perform when it mattered? The postseason is when this question gets answered and, while Kershaw’s accolades may be more impressive, Stanton has proven that he can rise to the occasion during the playoffs. Kershaw has a bit of a reputation for postseason struggles with a significantly higher career playoff ERA at 4.49 compared to his regular-season ERA. He gave up more HRs and had a higher percentage of starts allowing multiple runs. While his overall numbers aren’t always terrible, the contrast with his consistent regular-season dominance and the expectation of greatness makes his underperformance stand out more.
On the other hand, Stanton has established himself as one of baseball’s premier postseason power hitters, evidenced by his 18 HRs and 40 runs batted in (RBIs) in 41 postseason games for the Yankees. During the Yankees playoff run in 2024, Stanton put the team on his back with a dominant stretch, hitting .273 with seven HRs, 16 RBIs, and nine runs scored over 14 games. His seven home runs set a new Yankees record for a single postseason.
In summary, there really isn’t a case against Kershaw. He could’ve been one of the worst postseason performers ever and still been a HOFer. Yet, Stanton’s case is a tricky one. As he inches closer to the 500 HR mark, his HOF resume will only get stronger. And if, somehow, the Yankees make another run deep into the postseason, watch out for Stanton’s production. Another solid playoff showing would just add to the list of reasons that “Big G” deserves serious consideration for a spot in Cooperstown. Not just because of how much he contributed, but when.
