Minnesota Twins No. 3 Hall of Fame Candidate: Joe Nathan
Now, let’s get to a candidates with a realistic shot at the Hall of Fame. No. 5 on the list the last time around, Joe Nathan has a pretty accomplished profile for a closer. Nathan is a six-time All-Star that wrapped his career with a 2.87 ERA, 1.120 WHIP, and 976-344 K-BB ratio. That doesn’t even get into his saves.
Nathan finished his career with 377 saves, an incredible number that land him eighth all-time. Those are excellent numbers for a player who only was a full-time closer for nine seasons. Of the seven players ahead of him on the saves list, four are in the Hall, one is up to 46.4% on the Ballot, and one isn’t eligible yet.
Nathan doesn’t have a World Series on his resume, but he had a strong enough career to put him on this list and earn a more serious look at the Hall. He shouldn’t get in his first try, but once Billy Wagner gets in, Nathan should get his phone call.