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5 hours ago
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The St. Louis Cardinals have had some incredible players come through their organization in recent years who have strong Hall of Fame cases. Albert Pujols is all but in the Hall of Fame, while Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright also have solid cases to make it. But one statistic makes a very strong case for third baseman Nolan Arenado.
In an article from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Nightengale points out how Arenado has a strong case for the Hall of Fame, thanks to one telling statistic.
"Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is certainly making a case for the Hall of Fame by becoming one of only seven players in history to hit at least 350 homers with 10 Gold Gloves," Nightengale writes. "Joining Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt as the only infielder to accomplish the feat."
A lot of the time, Hall of Fame cases or stats are brought up to make a case for a player being among the best in one area. But this isn't one of those times. Reaching either milestone is a huge deal, and to do both is even more incredible.
Schmidt is one of the greatest infielders ever, and joining him as one of the only infielders to do something is a tell-tale sign that it's a huge accomplishment. Not only is Schmidt the only infielder, but the other players to accomplish the feat are also incredible.
The other players to reach that milestone, of 350 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves, are catcher Johnny Bench, outfielders Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Al Kaline, and Andruw Jones. Each of those players is are incredible player in MLB history, and only Jones isn't in the Hall of Fame, despite deserving to be in.
Nightengale bringing up this statistic shows how incredible Arenado's accomplishments are. He's won 10 Gold Gloves, hit 351 home runs, 1,171 RBIs, 1,893 hits, and scored 979 runs. Arenado is approaching 2,000 hits, 1,000 runs scored, and 1,200 RBIs. He's also two doubles shy of 400 in his career.
During his 13 years in the MLB, Arenado has made a very strong case to make the Hall of Fame. With how great he's been during his entire career, including down years, he's likely making a strong case to enter Cooperstown once he retires.
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