A player’s case for Hall of Fame election is bolstered when he reaches certain statistical milestones. For pitchers 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts are the traditional numbers. Hitters who amass 500 home runs or 3,000 hits punch their ticket to Cooperstown.
The de facto milestone number for WAR is 70. Nearly every player who has reached the plateau and is not linked to PED has gained induction.
Once a player reaches 60 WAR he becomes a legitimate Cooperstown candidate. Indeed, many solid Hall of Famers finished with less than 60 WAR. The list includes Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Piazza, Willie Stargell, George Sisler, David Ortiz and many others.
Paul Goldschmidt reached the 60-WAR mark in his first 13 big league seasons. From his first game in 2011 through the 2023 campaign, Goldy totaled 1,909 hits, 340 home runs, and 1,122 RBI. His slash line during that time was .293/.388/.519. The first baseman also posted a 143 OPS+ and 61.5 WAR.
His accolades are many. Six-straight All Star selections from 2013-2018 and a seventh in 2022 compliment his five Silver Sluggers and four Gold Glove Awards. The 2022 National League Most Valuable Player also boasts two Hank Aaron Awards.
If Goldschmidt retired at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign he’d have a strong case for baseball’s ultimate honor. Instead it appears he’s got plenty left in the tank.
Shown here is the receipt Goldschmidt signed to receive his 2015 All Star Game ring.