Which current MLB players will be Hall of Famers? Major League Baseball history has witnessed plenty of legends in the last few decades, delivering greats like Randy Johnson, Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. As we look across the game today, there are a few players who stand out as future Hall of Famers.
With the Steroid Era largely in the rearview mirror, we should begin to see voters for the Baseball Hall of Fame become more open to future inductees. It helps that some of the best MLB players of the current generation have the accolades and stats to strengthen their legacies. With that in mind, let’s take a look at 12 players who should be future MLB Hall of Famers.
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the only shame is that injuries kept him from being a true all-time great. Trout has only played in 319 total games since 2020, but he does have 93 home runs with a .958 OPS in that span. Through his first 14 seasons, Trout has a higher career OPS (.991) than Mark McGwire (.9823), Mickey Mantle (.9773) and Joe Dimaggio (.9771). He’s a three-time MVP winner with two All-Star MVPs, 11 All-Star selections and nine Silver Slugger Awards. Injuries truly robbed us of what could’ve been one of the best careers in MLB history.
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Max Scherzer, SP, Texas Rangers
Father Time is undefeated and Max Scherzer, age 40, is racking up stints on the injured list. Scherzer hasn’t pitched 155-plus innings since 2021 and it stands to reason he’ll likely never be able to remain healthy over a full season. He doesn’t need to play again to make the Hall of Fame. Scherzer is tied with Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Tom Seaver, Sandy Koufax, Pedro Martinez and Jim Palmer as three-time Cy Young Award winners. He’s a two-time World Series champion with two no-hitters and over 3,400 strikeouts with more than 200 wins. It should be obvious why he is among the future MLB Hall of Famers who is still playing right now.
Justin Verlander, SP, Houston Astros
Scherzer and Justin Verlander can already plan their families’ trips to Cooperstown. Verlander is a two-time World Series champion with three Cy Young Awards, a Triple Crown, nine All-Star selections and both a Rookie of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year Award. As for the statistics, he is one of just 15 pitchers in MLB history with 250-plus wins and 3,500-plus strikeouts. Health has derailed Verlander’s 2024 season, but he might have just enough left in the tank to pitch at an All-Star level in his age-42 season next year.
Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
There’s an element of “What could have been” with Clayton Kershaw’s career. He last pitched 200-plus innings nearly a decade ago (2015) and he hasn’t even topped 140 innings since 2019. Persistent injuries are the reason Kershaw will likely fall short of joining Verlander on the list of starting pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts and 250 wins. Still, few pitchers rivaled Kershaw’s best. From 2009-2023, he compiled a 2.40 ERA with a 0.984 WHIP across 2,605 innings, posting a 205-87 record in 401 starts. He’s a 10-time All-Star selection with three NL Cy Young Awards and an NL MVP, plus a no-hitter. That’s more than enough on the resume, even with the late-career injuries, to make the Hall of Fame.
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Freddie Freeman certainly boasts the stats and accolades to make a strong case as one of the active future MLB Hall of Famers. He’s an eight-time All-Star with three Silver Slugger Awards, a World Series title and an NL MVP. Freeman has also finished top-10 in MVP voting eight times and landed in the top five on five occasions. Among first basemen in MLB history (minimum 8,500 plate appearances, he ranks 15th in slugging (.513) with a career OPS (.902) higher than Miguel Cabrera (.901) and Fred McGriff. With a few years left in the tank, Freeman might also have a chance at 400 career home runs.
Bryce Harper, OF/1B, Philadelphia Phillies
Only 31 years old, Bryce Harper is one of the youngest future MLB Hall of Famers on our list. He’s a two-time NL MVP with postseason heroics that are fondly remembered and earned him NLCS MVP in 2022. He’s destined for double-digit All-Star selections before his career ends and has an outside shot at hitting 500 career home runs. Even if he falls short of that, two MVPs and the elite production he is still delivering in his early 30s all point to Harper eventually making it into the Hall of Fame.
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Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
With 10 Gold Glove Awards and six Platinum Glove Awards, Nolan Arenado will already go down as one of the best defensive third basemen in MLB history. That’s only the starting point in his case to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Even with Father Time clearly impacting him offensively (sub-.750 OPS in the last two seasons), Arenado is still staring down a shot at 400 doubles and 400 home runs with an OPS well above .800. Throw in six top-10 MVP finishes with his defensive rep and you have a player with a great shot to eventually be inducted into the HOF.
Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
By the time the 2024 season wraps up, Shohei Ohtani will likely be a three-time MVP winner. He’d become just the sixth player in history to win MVP with multiple teams and only the second (Frank Robinson) to win MVP in both the American League and National League. This isn’t even to mention his career 3.01 ERA in 481.2 innings (Babe Ruth and he sports a career OPS well above .900. Ohtani will never have the career numbers because of how long he played in Japan, but there’s no denying his unique talent and impact on the game deserve a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame when he retires.
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Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
Paul Goldschmidt probably won’t do anything in the final years of his career to truly strengthen his case for the Hall of Fame. Turning 37 in September, Goldschmidt hasn’t posted a batting average over .270 since 2022 and he’s been a below-average hitter this year. Still, we’re talking about a career with an MVP, four Gold Glove Awards, seven All-Star selections and five Silver Slugger Awards. The 2024 season will likely deprive him of finishing with a career .900 OPS, but there’s enough on the resume to make it into Cooperstown at some point during his 10 years of eligibility.
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Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees
Aaron Judge didn’t become an everyday player until he was 25 years old, preventing him from making a serious pursuit among the all-time home run leaders. With that said, the fact that he’s averaged over 50 home runs per season in his early 30s bodes well for his chance to finish with well over 400 career home runs. Playing for the New York Yankees, even if they never win a World Series, will also have some sway with voters. If all of that isn’t enough, Judge will presumably retire with multiple AL MVP awards and a career OPS over .900. He might not be a first-ballot inductee, but he should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as long as he maintains his current pace.
Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros
Jose Altuve will never be popular among the majority of baseball fans because of the Houston Astros cheating scandal. We’re going to put that aside, considering some of the people already inducted into Cooperstown, instead focusing on the numbers. Among second baseman with at least 7,000 career plate appearances, Altuve ranks eighth in OPS, he’ll finish top-10 in home runs and he’s got a shot at finishing top-10 in hits at his position. Altuve is also a two-time World Series champion, needs just one more All-Star appearance for 10 in his career and has an AL MVP, ALCS MVP and three AL batting titles with six Silver Slugger Awards. The numbers and accolades earn a spot in Cooperstown.
Mookie Betts, IF/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Personality and likeability matter for Baseball Hall of Fame voters, Mookie Betts has that. He’s also in the midst of his age-31 season and already owns two World Series rings with six Gold Glove Awards, six Silver Slugger Awards and eight All-Star selections. Betts will need to keep playing at an MVP-caliber level in the next four seasons to retire with a career .900 OPS, but he’s a lock for 1,000 RBI, 300 home runs, 200 steals and over 2,000 hits. Plus, with how talented the Los Angeles Dodgers are, there’s a very real chance Betts has a third World Series ring before he retires.
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