Future Hall-of-Famers?

Interesting article (that's unusual for ESPN these days). David Schoenfield ranks the top 20 players from today who will be in the HOF. (Story in the title link.)

Maddux and Glavine are numbers 3 and 4 on the list. John Smoltz is 5th, which I think is way high (and I'm a Braves fan!) but I do think he's a HOF'er as well.

Actually, the writer mentions a reason that Smoltz wouldn't make it: winning percentage. He states that because it's "only" .580, it would hurt his chances. Well, seeing as how Smoltz has a career ERA of 3.24 in 2,846 IP, and that some of the Atlanta offenses he's been supported by haven't exactly been the '27 Yankees, this is just plain wrong.

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Going off on a tangent, how can John Smoltz not make the HOF?

His career accomplishments (in no particular order):
1. Cy Young winner as a starter
2. Rolaids Relief award as a reliever
3. 20 game winner
4. 55 saves in 1 season
5. had a 3.27 career ERA coming into this season in 16 seasons
6. 174 career wins (a lock for 200 wins) in regular season
7. 154 career saves in regular season
8. All-time leader in postseason victories with 14 (14-4 record with a 2.70 ERA in postseason)
9. 2 time league strikeout champion
10. Led the league in innings pitched twice
11. 7 time All-Star
12. Has a W/L decision in the All-Star Game in 3 different decades
13. Led the league twice in winning percentage
14. Had a season in relief with a 1.12 ERA (different year than 55 save year) 15. Had a season in relief with 8 walks all year (different year than 55 save year)
16. Game 7 of the 1991 World Series
17. Game 5 of the 1996 World Series
18. On Bill James' Hall-of-Fame monitor, a probable HOF'er has a rating of 100+, with a 130 number being a shoo-in. Smoltz came into 2005 with a score of 128, and has passed 130 this season
19. Dominant Starter, turned to Dominant Closer, re-converted to a Dominant Starter at the age of 38
20. There are more accomplishments that I cannot think of or find right now. (For the fun of it, you could think of some and list it in comments.)

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Anyways, back to the article. I especially enjoy it when the writer rips Derek Jeter making it just because "he plays the game the right way" according to Tim McCarver. He does mention legitimate points about Jeter getting to the 3,000 hit mark though.

I don't agree with Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera being on his list so early, althoughthe writer admits that it's ridiculous. It's impossible to know how much they'll progress over their careers, regardless of how good they are right now.

Overall though, it's good stuff. You should read it.

The list of #21-40 will be posted there later today. I fully expect Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones to be on that list.