Giancarlo Stanton Nears 500 Home Runs – But Is the Hall of Fame Still Out of Reach?

Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton could get 500 career home runs, but Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe question his Baseball Hall of Fame status.

The New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins on Monday, partly thanks to Giancarlo Stanton's 460th career home run. It has been a roller coaster run for Stanton in The Bronx, but he is hot right now. Despite his gaudy power numbers, Stanton is far from a lock for the Baseball Hall of Fame thanks to injuries and a lack of defensive value. Jomboy Media pundits Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe spoke about Stanton's Cooperstown chances.

“I think there's a chance, Chris. Plouffe said when asked if Stanton could be left out of the Hall of Fame, “I want him in the Hall of Fame. I think you can't just all of a sudden shut people out. I mean, the 500 Homer club means you're in the Hall of Fame. Like, unless you're on PEDs.”

“I don't think so either,” Rose responded. “Because he's going to just crawl up the WAR board, he's not going to have a season where it's five. The guy who is in the 500 Homer club and in the Hall of Fame that has the lowest WAR is David Ortiz, and his is right around 55 or 56.” Stanton has a career bWAR of 46.1.

The Yankees have gotten great performances out of Stanton this year, bringing his bWAR to 1.1 in 41 games. That is his first season over 1.0 since 2021, where he was at 3.1. He has not received an MVP vote since 2018, when he finished 19th.

There are plenty of true designated hitters in the Baseball Hall of Fame, including Ortiz. Edgar Martinez, Harold Baines, and Frank Thomas are also in the Hall. He has a lower career OPS than Ortiz, Martinez, and Thomas. Baines was elected Today's Game Era Committee, not the BBWAA.

Stanton will be 36 years old on Opening Day next year. Could he play through the end of his contract in 2028 and crush the 500-homer threshold?