Hall of Fame Hats

With Max Scherzer pitching and CC Sabathia being honored at Yankee Stadium today, it got me thinking about the Hall of Fame.  Scherzer especially.  Specifically, which hat will be on Scherzer's plaque when he's inducted?  Or, will he take the Greg Maddux/Mike Mussina cop out route and go logo-less on his hat?

Scherzer's far from the only current or recently-retired future Hall of Famer who'll have a decision to make regarding his hat in Cooperstown.  Players changing teams multiple times in their careers has become so commonplace that the players like Derek Jeter who spend their entire career in one place are an anomaly nowadays.  Sure, you've got the Aaron Judges and Mike Trouts and Clayton Kershaws, but they're the outliers in modern baseball.

For most of those current/recent players who are headed to the Hall of Fame, there's a question of which team's hat they'll wear on their plaque.  It's easier for some than for others.  But, assuming they all have to make a choice when the time comes, here's the hat they should wear.  Whether they actually will or not is a different question.

Max Scherzer (Nationals): Might as well start with Scherzer since he was the inspiration for this whole thing.  He's been on a lot of teams, but the decision really comes down to Tigers or Nationals.  And, frankly, it's not really that tough at all.  Scherzer won a Cy Young in Detroit.  He was the best freakin' pitcher in baseball in Washington and won a World Series with the Nationals!

Justin Verlander (Tigers): Much like Scherzer, Verlander has been on plenty of teams in his career.  Unlike Scherzer, you could make a legitimate argument for either the Tigers or Astros.  Verlander spent his first 12 years in Detroit, won a Rookie of the Year, a Cy Young and an MVP as the Tigers made two World Series appearances.  Then, in one of the best deadline deals of all time, he went to Houston, helped the Astros win two World Series and continued to be his dominant self.  I'm saying Detroit because he was a Tiger longer, but Verlander is one case where the logoless hat would be warranted.

Bryce Harper (Phillies): I'm not saying Harper is definitely Hall of Fame-bound.  But he's certainly on that track.  And, should he continue on this trajectory, he'll have spent the majority of his career with the Phillies and reached all of his major milestones while playing for Philadelphia.  Assuming the Phillies also have some team success between now and when his contract expires in 2031, there really won't be a question.

Zack Greinke (Royals): The recently-retired Greinke is probably the most borderline Hall of Fame candidate of those I'll present here.  I do think Greinke makes a compelling case and will eventually be elected, though.  And which team he'd represent is just as big of a question.  Greinke played for a lot of teams, but was a Royal the longest and won his only career Cy Young in Kansas City.  The longest he spent anywhere else was 3 1/2 years in Arizona.

Mookie Betts (Dodgers): Betts is on a Hall of Fame track.  I don't think there's anyone who doubts that.  He was great on the Red Sox, winning an AL MVP and a World Series ring in Boston.  He's been just as great with the Dodgers, with whom he's won two more World Series rings (so far).  Mookie has also signed a long-term deal to stay in LA (and is actually only being paid until the end of his contract), so there's plenty more to come for him in a Dodgers uniform.

Freddie Freeman (Braves): Mookie's Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman, however, will sport a different hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.  No matter what he does the rest of his career, Freeman should represent Atlanta in Cooperstown.  He wanted to spend his entire career with the Braves and likely would've had his agents not screwed up his free agency (right after Atlanta won the World Series).  This is another close one, but he'll always be a Brave.

Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers): Why not finish off the trifecta of Dodgers stars?  (Kershaw's only been a Dodger, so that one is obvious.)  If Ohtani were going into the Hall of Fame today, it would be as an Angel.  But by the time his career is over (and by the time the Dodgers stop paying him), most people will only see him in Dodger Blue.  His first year brought an MVP and a World Series title.  There's still eight more years to go on his contract.

Juan Soto (Mets): Soto's not a future Hall of Famer quite yet.  But he's well on his way.  Keep in mind, the guy's already in his ninth season and he's still only 26.  We all know about the ridiculous contract he signed with the Mets in the offseason.  Which means he'll end up playing the vast majority of his career in Queens.  So, should his career stay on its current path, there leaves little doubt which team he'll ultimately represent.

Manny Machado (Padres): Machado has been on the Padres since 2019.  It's crazy to think that he's been there for seven years, isn't it?  And he's gonna be there until 2033.  Machado's been top three in NL MVP voting twice with San Diego and is already the Padres' all-time home run leader.  When his career ends, it's Machado wearing a Padres brown & yellow uniform that will be the first vision that comes to mind.

Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees): Don't laugh.  He's gonna end up getting in.  Especially if he's healthy enough to hit 53 home runs over the next month and two seasons.  "Playoff Stanton" is already the stuff of legends.  And that legend will only grow if "Playoff Stanton" shows up for the team that finally ends the Yankees' championship drought.  That, I think, will be the difference-maker that makes him go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee rather than a Marlin.

You'll notice a couple of names that I omitted from this list.  Because it's obvious that Albert Pujols will go in as a Cardinal and Miguel Cabrera will be a Tiger.  There's absolutely no debate about either one of them.  The others, though?  They'll all require a conversation and, ultimately, a decision.  Unless, of course, they take the easy way out and have them go in with a blank hat.