With the 2017 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony taking place July 30, The 15 this month selects the 15 best players not in the Hall of Fame (active players and players not yet eligible for the ballot excluded, of course). Before reading any further, be advised this list does not include players who have been banned from baseball or have been linked to PED use. As for the criteria, I placed more emphasis on the "eye test" and traditional statistics than sabermetrics. When it comes to WAR, I'm with Bruce Springsteen: "What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." I also gave more weight to players who were considered among the elite during their prime years than to those who were very good (but not necessarily great) during a longer period. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Dick Allen
A strong case can be made that the polarizing Allen was the best hitter in the majors from 1964 -- when he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award with the Philadelphia Phillies -- to 1974. During that span, the first baseman/third baseman/outfielder hit at least 32 home runs and as many as 40. A seven-time All-Star, Allen led the league in homers twice, RBIs once, on-base percentage twice, slugging percentage three times and OPS four times. The 1972 American League MVP with the Chicago White Sox, Allen's slash line for his 15-year career is .292/.378/.534.
