The Launch Angle

We saw that Bill Dahlen and Alex Rodriguez were head and shoulders above the other shortstops waiting to get into the Hall of Fame. Of course, that begs the next question. Where do they rank with those that are already in? In this case we will condense the list down a bit. Normally, we would compare these guys with all of the Hall of Famers within 20 percent of the Hall of Fame median.

However, the shortstop Hall of Fame group is different. There are more of them in general and more of them in that 20 percent zone. So, we are condensing the list down to the 10 percent within the median. That gives us ten Hall of Fame shortstops to compare these two players to.

As we have done with the other infield positions, we are looking at WAR seasons, their real offensive value and bases per out, and their total runs. This is in addition to all of the other tests we have previously looked at for these guys. The idea is to get a preponderance of the evidence.

Shortstop WAR Seasons

Normally, we would go into some high minded analysis and break these numbers down, but we really don’t need to. ARod is vastly superior to all of these guys. In point of fact, he would be number two on the shortstop list if he were in the Hall of Fame. As for Dahlen, he finishes near the top of the list here. He wouldn’t be quite elite, but he would be towards the top of the list.

Shortstop is a fascinating position in terms of the Hall of Fame. Most positions have four to six guys that exist above the 20 percent zone. Shortstop has Honus Wagner and Cal Ripken. That is it. When you include ARod that would end up being three guys. Dahlen probably comes closer to a George Davis who would have been a contemporary and exists near the edge of that 20 percent zone.

There is no good reason to keep him out of the Hall of Fame. Obviously, ARod has the specter of PEDs going against him. How good would he have been without the drugs? First, we would need to know exactly what he took and what effect that has on players. Secondly, we would need to know when he started using and whether he ever stopped? There are just too many unknowns.

Shortstop ROV and BPO

There is a reason we don’t rely solely on the index. There are too many examples where it just doesn’t apply. Pee Wee Reese spent three years serving his country in World War II and it was following a six win season. So, if he had continued to play he might have played an extra 15 wins in those three seasons. That changes his index considerably.

So, we look for other indicators to see where guys should rank. We look at offensive numbers, fielding numbers, playoff numbers, and awards voting. Obviously real offensive value and bases per out have issues. The primary issue is that they are not normed based on what was going on in the league. Dahlen played towards the beginning of the 20th century when power numbers were suppressed.

However, even given those limitations, his BPO and ROV was well within Hall of Fame standards. In fact, the only two people out of step on the lower end were already in. ARod comes in far superior to anyone here. In fact, given that Wagner also played in the Dead Ball Era, his numbers are likely the very best at the shortstop position.

Shortstop Total Runs

ARod may not be the greatest player in the game’s history, but his numbers would put him in the top ten. It becomes a conundrum when we consider cases like his and Barry Bonds. Were they really that great? I suppose we will never know the answer to that question, but the likely answer is no. Would they have been Hall of Fame level players without the drugs? I think the likely answer is yes.

There is no such debate on Dahlen. Dahlen fits in perfectly with this group on this mark and that is considering how depressed the offensive time period was for him. He is not in the Hall of Fame because it would be inconvenient for him to be added. It wouldn’t add any fans. It wouldn’t sell tickets. There would be no one compelling to give the address.

Anyone with an ounce of public relations savvy knows why they are doing it this way. However, adding him can still be done in addition to adding some other living players. As for Arod, the answer is not as simple. I get the nightmare that steroids causes. You don’t want to reward cheaters. However, it is also bordering on ludicrous to keep players like him out. Set up a separate wing or make sure the plaque features everything.

Originally published in Thoughts from A Native Texan on March 28, 2026. Feature photo courtesy Pixel Pete.