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12.0k voters

The Best Baseball Players NOT in the Hall of Fame

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated February 7, 2020 263.7k votes 12.0k voters 106.2k views511 items

List RulesOnly players who have not been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The best baseball players not in the hall of fame are here on this list, though the 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has room for some of these stars. In order to be considered as slighted by the baseball hall of fame, a player must be non-active and have had the ability to appear on the hall of fame ballot at least once. Some of these men are considered to be among the greatest baseball players of all time, yet remain off of the "official" list of the best MLB players ever at the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown.

What keeps a player out of the baseball hall of fame? Some of these players- like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire- have been involved in PED (performance enhancing drug) scandals, others broke the cardinal rule of not betting on the sport (Pete Rose), and still others were involved in a baseball player scandal, like Shoeless Joe Jackson who is said to have contributed to his team throwing the World Series. Some of the best baseball players are simply not on the list because they haven't yet acquired the 75% vote necessary for induction.

Who should be in the baseball hall of fame? What top baseball players are not in the hall of fame? Who are the best players not in the baseball hall of fame? These are the questions addressed here in the list of the greatest baseball players not in the hall of fame. If your favorite player isn't on the list, make sure to add them so others can agree or disagree.

If you're keeping track of the best current baseball players make sure to check on that list and vote for your favorite baseball all-star.

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1
5,022
849
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Outfielder
Birthplace: South Carolina
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Naps, Cleveland Indians
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#8 of 25 MLB Players Whose Careers Ended Too Soon#30 of 66 The Most Controversial Athletes in Sports History
2
5,654
1,602
Pete Rose
Manager, Outfielder
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds
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3
2,915
1,266
Fred McGriff
First baseman
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Tampa, Florida
Teams: San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays
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#13 of 106 The Best Atlanta Braves Of All Time#8 of 20 The Worst In-Season MLB Trades Ever Made
4
2,712
1,273
Dale Murphy
Right fielder, Outfielder
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies
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#22 of 174 The Greatest Center Fielders of All Time#252 of 428 Here's a List of Every Known Republican Celebrity
5
3,603
1,847
voting closed at #5
Larry Walker
Right fielder, Outfielder
Nationality: Canada
Birthplace: Maple Ridge, Canada
Bats: Left-handed
Teams: Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020

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#8 of 12 Baseball Players With The All Time Weirdest Superstitions#1 of 64 The Best Canadian MLB Players Ever
6
3,981
1,937
voting closed at #6
Edgar Martínez
Designated hitter, Third baseman
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Teams: Seattle Mariners
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019

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#4 of 76 The Greatest Puerto Rican MLB Players Of All Time#20 of 152 The Greatest Hispanic MLB Players Ever
7
2,099
1,081
Dave Parker
Designated hitter, Right fielder
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Calhoun City, Mississippi
Teams: Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds
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#15 of 104 The Greatest Throwing Arms of All Time#30 of 50 The Greatest Designated Hitters of All Time
8
1,525
676
voting closed at #8
Lee Smith
Relief pitcher, Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Jamestown, Louisiana
Teams: Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals
Inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2019

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#9 of 100 The Best Closers in Baseball History#34 of 134 The Greatest St. Louis Cardinals of All Time
9
3,400
2,013
Don Mattingly
Manager, First baseman
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Evansville, Center Township, Indiana, United States of America
Teams: New York Yankees
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#213 of 273 The Top Current Baseball Players#22 of 116 The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Time
10
3,022
1,436
Roger Maris
Right fielder, Outfielder
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Hibbing, Minnesota, United States of America
Teams: Kansas City Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees
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#484 of 753 People We Wish Were Still Alive#18 of 149 The Greatest New York Yankees Of All Time
11
1,857
1,046
Tommy John
Starting pitcher, Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees
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#20 of 50 The Best Pitchers In New York Yankees History#14 of 30 The Best Athletes Who Wore #35
12
2,000
997
Gil Hodges
First baseman
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Patoka Township, Princeton, Indiana, United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Mets
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#18 of 207 The Greatest New York Mets of All Time#6 of 175 The Best Los Angeles Dodgers of All Time
13
2,485
1,502
voting closed at #13
Jack Morris
Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
Teams: Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018

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#19 of 107 College & Professional Athletes Who Were Raised Mormon#15 of 140 The Best Minnesota Twins of All Time

14
3,484
2,243
Roger Clemens
Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
Bats: Right-handed
Teams: Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, New York Yankees
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#11 of 20 The Most Intimidating Athletes in Recent Memory#58 of 71 Athletes Who Spark the Most Fan Arguments
15
2,331
1,407
Thurman Munson
Catcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio
Teams: New York Yankees
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#10 of 149 The Greatest Catchers of All Time#63 of 143 Athletes Whose Careers Ended Too Soon
16
3,408
2,315
voting closed at #16
Alan Trammell
Shortstop
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Garden Grove, California, United States of America
Teams: Detroit Tigers
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018

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#13 of 132 The Greatest Shortstops of All Time#15 of 158 The Best Detroit Tigers of All Time
17
1,419
889
Jim Kaat
Starting pitcher, Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Zeeland, Michigan, United States of America
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees
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#13 of 118 The Greatest Left Handed Pitchers of All Time#21 of 80 The Best Baseball Announcers of All Time
18
3,425
2,727
Barry Bonds
Left fielder
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Riverside, California, United States of America
Bats: Left-handed
Teams: San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates
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#27 of 39 Longest Hitting Streaks in Baseball#550 of 583 The Greatest Entertainers of All Time
19
1,915
1,424
Lou Whitaker
Second baseman
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Teams: Detroit Tigers
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#22 of 148 The Greatest Second Basemen of All Time#60 of 316 The Greatest Left Handed Baseball Players of All Time
20
2,087
1,442
Orel Hershiser
Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America,Germany
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York, United States of America
Teams: San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets
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#39 of 177 The Best Cleveland Indians Of All Time#149 of 164 The Best San Francisco Giants Of All Time
21
1,803
1,079
voting closed at #21
Mike Mussina
Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Teams: Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019

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#157 of 278 The Best Starting Pitchers of All Time#8 of 109 The Greatest Baltimore Orioles of All Time
22
1,970
1,330
Curt Schilling
Starting pitcher, Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros
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#66 of 150 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative#845 of 904 Celebrity Death Pool 2021
23
4,290
1,201
voting closed at #23
Derek Jeter
Shortstop
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Pequannock, New Jersey
Bats: Right-handed
Teams: New York Yankees
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020

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#153 of 210 Celebrities Who Should Run for President#260 of 260 The Greatest Male Celebrity Role Models

24
1,622
1,361
Steve Garvey
First baseman
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Tampa, Florida, United States of America
Teams: San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers
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#218 of 582 The Greatest Baseball Players Of All Time#248 of 708 The Best Hitters in Baseball History
25
2,191
655
voting closed at #25
Mariano Rivera
Relief pitcher, Pitcher
Nationality: Panama
Birthplace: Panama City, Panama
Bats: Right-handed
Teams: New York Yankees
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019

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#25 of 25 Longest Pitching Streaks in Baseball #121 of 255 The Best Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame