Sunday saw the game’s greatest closer inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera was enshrined at Cooperstown.
The five-time World Series champion became the first Hall-of-Famer to ever receive 100-percent of the vote, and rightfully so. He holds the MLB record with 652 saves, made 13 All-Star Game appearances, and owned the single-most devastating pitch in a lethal cutter that was deemed untouchable.
Rivera became the 23rd Hall of Famer inducted as a Yankee (fellow 2019 inductee and Yankee Mike Mussina opted to not have a team on his cap). It’s just another aspect in which they outclass the crosstown-rival Mets, who have Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza as their only representatives in Cooperstown.
However, there is a third Met that should have at least garnered more consideration for the Hall than he was given.
Long-time closer John Franco was never really given much of a chance to gain induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Six years after his final game in 2005, Franco was kicked off in his first year of Hall-of-Fame eligibility. Needing five-percent of the vote just to stay on another year, he received just 27 of 581 votes (4.6-percent) in 2011.
He needed just three more votes to stay on the 2012 ballot.
That very same year, Harold Baines was kicked off the ballot for receiving 4.8-percent of the vote.
The steady DH and right-fielder was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Rivera on Sunday thanks to the Today’s Game Committee, which provides an avenue for Hall of Fame consideration to players retired for more than 15 seasons.
It’s a ballot that Franco should at least be considered for in 2021 and beyond based on the numbers.
Franco’s numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet nearly as much as Rivera’s do. However, Franco is still one of baseball’s greatest closers ever.
In a 21-year career, 14 of which were spent with the Mets, the left-hander recorded 424 saves with a 2.89 career ERA and 975 strikeouts.
At the time of his retirement, he ranked second on Major League Baseball’s all-time saves list behind only Lee Smith. Smith was also welcomed into the Hall alongside Baines on Sunday thanks to the Today’s Game Committee.
Franco still holds the MLB record for saves by a lefty and ranks fifth on the all-time saves list.
With Smith’s and Rivera’s induction, the Baseball Hall of Fame has now enshrined eight closers alongside Rollie Fingers, Hoyt Wilhelm, Dennis Eckersley, Trevor Hoffman, Bruce Sutter, and Goose Gossage.
Franco’s stats are more than deserving of being put in such company:
Franco vs. Hall-of-Fame closers: Saves
1. Mariano Rivera- 652
2. Trevor Hoffman- 601
3. Lee Smith- 478
4. John Franco- 424
5. Dennis Eckersley- 390
6. Rollie Fingers- 341
7. Goose Gossage- 310
8. Bruce Sutter- 300
9. Hoyt Wilhelm- 228
Franco vs. Hall-of-Fame closers: ERA
1. Mariano Rivera- 2.21
2. Hoyt Wilhelm- 2.52
3. Trevor Hoffman- 2.87
4. Bruce Sutter- 2.83
5. John Franco- 2.89
6. Rollie Fingers- 2.90
7. Goose Gossage- 3.01
8. Lee Smith- 3.03
9. Dennis Eckersley- 3.50
If you average all eight Hall-of-Famers’ numbers, the averages come out to 413 saves with a 2.86 ERA. Franco’s 424 saves and 2.89 ERA are more than deserving of consideration and should be enough to get him on the Today’s Game ballot in two years.
He won’t come close to being as much of a lock compared to Rivera, but the former Mets captain should be given a better chance at becoming the third member of the franchise to gain access to Cooperstown.
