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Next winter, Joe Mauer's name will appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Let's look ahead at the players that may join him in the hunt for Cooperstown. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports There are a variety of ways to examine a player’s Cooperstown case. JAWS is one way to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness as it averages their career WAR with their seven-year peak WAR. Jay Jaffe developed it to compare players' Hall of Fame candidacy across different eras. Some positions have fewer players currently elected to the Hall of Fame, which can skew the averages. However, JAWS provides a solid baseline for comparing a player's candidacy. Hold-Overs from 2023 Currently, voters are considering candidates for the 2023 voting cycle, and Ryan Thibodaux does a masterful job of tracking the publicly available ballots. Players must be listed on 75% of ballots submitted to be elected. Scott Rolen and Todd Helton are the two players tracking above 75%, but their support is not overwhelming. Rolen ranks as baseball's tenth-best third baseman, according to JAWS, while Helton ranks 15th among first basemen. Both players likely fall short of 75% as more ballots become available, resulting in both remaining on the ballot for the 2024 voting cycle, with some other strong candidates joining them. Strong First-Ballot Considerations In recent years, some strong players have fallen off the ballot, but Mauer will join the ballot with some other players that will be Hall of Famers. Adrian Beltre is a lock to be elected next year. His accolades are nearly endless, and he is the only player in big-league history with at least 3,000 hits and 450 home runs among players who appeared in at least 50% of their games at third base. According to JAWS, Beltre only ranks behind Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, and Wade Boggs among third basemen. Beltre should be a nearly unanimous selection. Chase Utley doesn't have the open and shut case like Beltre, but he is still among the all-time best second-basemen. He was one of his era's best players with some tremendous Phillies teams. His resume includes being a six-time All-Star and a four-time Silver Slugger with over 30 home runs and 100 RBI in multiple seasons. JAWS ranks him as baseball's 12th-best second baseman, with multiple players ranked behind him already inducted to Cooperstown. He won't be a unanimous selection, but he is a Hall of Fame-caliber player. Catching Counterparts For Mauer to be elected, many voters will compare him to other top catchers of his era. In recent years, Buster Posey and Yadier Molina have retired, and each has a strong case for the Hall of Fame. According to JAWS, Mauer (7th) ranks significantly higher than Posey (14th) and Molina (22nd). Molina's JAWS ranking has him behind catchers like Jason Kendall and Jorge Posada, who didn't get significant support in their HOF voting cycles. Like Mauer, Posey retired earlier than some of the all-time great catchers. However, he will likely garner enough support when he appears on the ballot for the first time in 2027. Mauer's accolades were significant during the years he could stay behind the plate. He was a six-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger while winning three Gold Gloves. He is the only catcher in big-league history to win three batting titles, and he finished in the top 10 for AL MVP in four seasons, including winning top honors in 2009. He is the only catcher who started his career after 1930 to top the .400 mark in OBP in six seasons. Concussions forced him to move out from behind the plate, but his case is still strong enough for induction. Do you think Mauer will be a first-ballot induction to the Hall of Fame? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Twins acquired LHP Devin Smeltzer from the Dodgers last July, with Luke Raley and Logan Forsythe, in exchange for Brian Dozier. The trade looks good at this point. Luke Raley has been raking in Rochester. Smeltzer returned to his role as a starter and has been lights in in five Double-A games and now three games for the Red Wings. He also has a great story to tell and a great cause that he is trying to help. In this 23 minute podcast, you can Get to Know Devin Smeltzer.Podcast link here (or direct download below). Devin Smeltzer will be 23-years-old throughout the 2019 season. He's been through a lot in his baseball career. Drafted out of high school, he went to Florida Gulf Coast University before transferring to a junior college so he could get drafted a year sooner. The Dodgers drafted him in the 5th round in 2016 and last July they traded him to the Twins. He had been moved to the bullpen by the Dodgers and pitched in that role for the Twins over the final month of the 2018 season. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League. And over the offseason, it was determined that he would get another shot as a starting pitcher. He has taken advantage of that opportunity. In five starts in Pensacola, he posted a 0.60 ERA (2 ER in 30 IP), with just three walks to go with 33 strikeouts. He was promoted to AAA Rochester where he went 15 innings over his first two starts without giving up an earned run. When he gave up four runs in his start on Friday night, it tripled his season earned run total (from two to six). But Smeltzer has been through a lot off the field too. When he was nine years old, he was diagnosed with pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of cancer. After surgery and chemotherapy, Smeltzer has been in full remission since 2012. And now he is giving back, and you can help. Recently, he announced that proceeds from his Catch Cancer Looking t-shirts will go to Katie's Krusaders. The organization is something that Smeltzer is very close to because he was helped by them. They provide funds to help defray some of the costs for families of childhood cancers that are not covered by insurance or other needs. Please listen to the 23-minute podcast. We talk mostly about baseball but to hear Devin Smeltzer explain why this organization and bringing awareness to childhood cancer is so important to him. (Subscribe to the Get To Know 'Em podcast on iTunes here.) Topics in the podcast include: Growing up a Phillies fan.Getting traded from the Dodgers to the TwinsHis transition to the bullpen.The decision for him to move back into a starting roleWhat has helped him to be so successful on the mound in 2019.Similarities between him and an All Star starting pitcher.What pitches he throws, and what is his best pitch.Moving up to the Red Wings.Catch Cancer Looking t-shirtsKatie's KrusadersBeing just one step away from the big leagues. Click here to view the article