What Ex-Red Sox Dustin Pedroia Hopes Won’t Factor Into Hall Of Fame Case

Dustin Pedroia is on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but the former Boston Red Sox second baseman isn’t sweating too hard about Cooperstown, N.Y. or not.

The 2008 American League MVP was enshrined in the Red Sox Hall of Fame this year, and he has an interesting case to make the Baseball Hall of Fame. The 40-year-old won AL Rookie of the Year, his aforementioned MVP, won a Silver Slugger, four Gold Gloves, and was a four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. He earned a career 51.9 rWAR, which is below the threshold for average rWAR for second basemen (69.7).

In an interview with The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy that was released Friday, Pedroia admitted he wasn’t sure if he thinks he’ll make the Hall of Fame. He told reporters in May that he was content leaving it up to the voters to decide.

Pedroia’s numbers arguably could have been better if his career wasn’t cut short by injuries. The Red Sox Hall of Famer played nine games in his final two seasons before he retired from the game. But he hopes that doesn’t play too much of a factor in his candidacy in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“That’d be the worst luck in the world,” Pedroia told Shaughnessy. “If I would have played three more years hitting .270 with 10 home runs and 30 doubles? Then, I’m a Hall of Famer? I don’t know if three mediocre seasons would guarantee me being a Hall of Famer. In my heart, I can’t believe that that would be the case … That would be terrible if that’s one of the reasons why I don’t get in. If I wasn’t good enough, then I understand that.”

It’s a fair argument from Pedroia, but as he mentioned before, it will be up to the voters to decide if the legendary Red Sox second baseman is worthy of the Baseball Hall of Fame.