Former Rangers Star Among Top 10 MLB Players Snubbed by Hall of Fame

Despite his performance in the Major Leagues, this former Texas Rangers pitcher was not inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Jul 26, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Texas Rangers fielder Leody Taveras (3) during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Although being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame is telling of a player's professional baseball career, there are countless MLB greats who missed out on such honors.

The Texas Rangers have a few players in this boat — their illustrious careers did not automatically grant them a spot in the Hall of Fame. This doesn't mean that their performance and impact on the franchise weren't notable, but it does leave many scratching their heads, wondering how they were snubbed of the recognition.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently put together a list of who he believes are the top 30 Baseball Hall of Fame snubs, and as expected, one of the Rangers' most prolific stars was named. Not only did he make the list, but he cracked the top 10.

Rangers Pitcher Misses the Mark

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

To date, right-hander Kevin Brown still leads Texas in all-time leading bWAR at 67.8 while with the ball club. The Rangers drafted him out of Georgia Tech as the fourth pick in the first round of the 1986 MLB draft. His debut came shortly after on Sept. 30, 1986.

Upon making his debut, he continued to spend eight seasons in the Lone Star State, registering a 3.81 ERA and a 1.369 WHIP through 186 starts. Once October 1994 rolled around, Brown was granted free agency. A few months later, he found himself signing with the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent, ending his time with the Rangers.

From then on, he spent his time around the map playing with various franchises, but he sealed a colossal deal in December 1998, when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a striking $100 million contract, making him the first MLB player to do so.

At the time, he was approaching 34 years of age. His seven-year, $105 million contract directly reflected his unmatched ability on the mound. With this in mind, it's hard to believe that Brown wasn't inducted into the Hall of Fame.

As noted by Reuter, his BBWAA voting peak reached 2.1%. With that, he ranked Brown at No. 7 out of all 30 MLB players who he believes were snubbed of Hall of Fame honors.

Despite Brown not being named a Hall of Famer, he cemented himself into Texas history. The Major Leagues are equipped with some of the most skilled athletes around, but like Brown, not everyone will receive the same level of recognition.