There are 10 players eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame who have the Mets on some portion of their resume. Next up is a top reliever from the past 25 years who had an eventful experience in New York—with some good moments and some forgettable ones.
Francisco Rodríguez did not enter the major leagues discretely. There he was at the end of the 2002 season as the Anaheim Angels were making a run at their first title. He made his big league debut in September 2002, at 20 years old.
Over 10 days, he made five regular-season appearances. Rodríguez faced 21 batters and struck out 13. He stayed unfazed during the postseason, fanning 28 of the 70 batters he faced—including three in the eighth inning of Game 7 as the Angels won the World Series. He had earned the nickname that would be tied to him for the rest of his career and beyond.
He had a lot to live up to after but did a terrific job at being a top-flight reliever. From 2004-2008, Rodríguez led the AL in saves three times, capped off by a record-setting 62. During that span, he posted a 2.23 ERA and 200 ERA+, was among the top four in Cy Young Award voting three times and made three All-Star appearances. The Angels were a perennial playoff team with Rodríguez anchoring the bullpen.
The consistently outstanding numbers K-Rod put up made him a valuable asset once he became a free agent. The Mets’ generosity was to Rodríguez’s great benefit, as they signed him to a three-year, $37 million deal.
He did not last the duration. Rodríguez made 165 appearances, saving 83 games to a 3.05 ERA and a 129 ERA+, and was traded to Milwaukee in the middle of the 2011 season (for his first stint with the Brewers).
Looking back, Rodríguez did not live up to the contract. And what occurred away from the mound was more disturbing. In August 2010, he was arrested for assaulting the father of his then-girlfriend in an incident in which he repeatedly punched the man and tore ligaments in his right thumb.
Later, after leaving New York, there were more off-the-field issues. He was arrested again in September 2012—this time for domestic violence and battery against his fiancé.
Rodriguez spent his final seven seasons with four teams at various spots in the bullpen hierarchy. He retired in 2017, but not before earning two more All-Star bids during a second stint with Milwaukee that included 126 saves in a three-year period.
Although he didn’t come close to election on his first try at the Hall of Fame, his 42 votes give him a chance to stay on the ballot. But does Rodríguez deserve to stay and, more so, deserve added consideration?
The Case For
Rodríguez’s 437 saves are the fourth-most all-time (a save was not an official stat until 1969). That’s behind three Hall of Famers: Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601) and Lee Smith (478). Rodríguez is one of eight pitchers to post at least seven seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA and at least 60 games pitched. He has had a sub-3.00 ERA plus 40 or more saves in a season four times. Only three other pitchers have done that: Rivera (nine), Hoffman (eight), and Craig Kimbrel (five).
JAWS, an advanced metric for measuring a player’s Hall of Fame worthiness, accounts for career and peak performance. Rodríguez ranks 12th among relief pitchers. The top five are all in the Hall of Fame: Rivera, Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley, Hoyt Wilhelm, and Goose Gossage. Rodríguez ranks ahead of the other three inducted relievers: Smith (13th), Rollie Fingers (19th), and Bruce Sutter (23rd).
Compared to the eight in Cooperstown, Rodriguez has the second-best ERA+ at 148. Of note, Billy Wagner has a better number than K-Rod.
The Case Against
Among all others is the lack of relievers in the Hall of Fame. Wagner is waiting for his chance to reach the 75% mark and is someone many feel should’ve already been in. Other bullpen aces like John Franco and Jeff Reardon haven’t come close.
The trajectory for Wagner’s balloting offers hope for modern-day closers in the coming years. But in 2023, Rodríguez barely eclipsed the five-percent barrier needed to be on this ballot, and early indications are that it’s not a guarantee he will continue. Plus, he compares poorly against Wagner’s career statistics.
A better comparison is Joe Nathan, a one-and-done on the ballot. Nathan became a closer in 2003, the season after K-Rod started. They retired one year apart. Rodríguez pitched more innings, had more strikeouts, and had more saves. Nathan’s JAWS is higher, thanks mainly to a higher WAR.
While Rodríguez was elite—at times historic—for over six seasons, the longevity factor is lacking when compared to other Hall of Famers. And on top of that, the black marks on his character have certainly pushed away many voters.
Final Thoughts
Just being a relief pitcher puts you at a disadvantage. Rodríguez was at a Hall of Fame clip through his first six-plus seasons. Afterward, not so much. However, he made two All-Star appearances later on. The arrests that marred the end of his career and beyond certainly do him no favors. But it’s of little importance here. The standard to which someone out of the bullpen must be and maintain to make the Hall of Fame remains very high. K-Rod had it for a time, but not long enough. It’s only a matter of how long he remains on the ballot.
