Tigers Legendary Second Baseman Tops Hall of Fame Snub List Once Again

With the Hall of Fame Class set to be revealed, a longtime Detroit Tigers infielder stands out as one player who should be in the Hall to this day.

Aug 6, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers former second baseman Lou Whitaker acknowledges the crowd during his uniform number retirement ceremony at Comerica Park. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame election results will be announced tomorrow, Jan 20 and Wednesday, Jan. 21, to honor the newest additions and cement their names in history forever.

However, not everyone can make the Hall of Fame, which proves its exclusivity. And over the years, a handful of players from the past who looked to be one day Hall of Famers have yet to hear their names cemented in the history books of Major League Baseball.

For Detroit Tigers fans, one name stands out as the biggest snub to not make the Hall, and that's longtime second baseman Lou Whitaker.

Whitaker played all 19 seasons with the Tigers organization, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1978, as well as bringing home four Silver Sluggers, five All-Star appearances, and three Gold Gloves. Not to mention, he was pivotal to Detroit's 1984 World Series Championship-winning season.

Whitaker Headlines Biggest HOF Snub Listing

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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter compiled a listing of the biggest Hall of Fame snubs throughout time in honor of the 2026 announcement, which features 'Sweet Lou' ranking as the top snub of all.

"He had a staggering 15 seasons with at least 3.0 WAR, posting a 117 OPS+ with 2,369 hits, 244 home runs and 1,084 RBI while also winning three Gold Gloves playing alongside Alan Trammell as baseball's longest tenured double-play combination," Reuter wrote.

Whitaker ranks seventh all-time in second baseman bWAR with 75.1; the six ahead of him have all been named Hall of Famers. Frankie Frisch, Jackie Robinson, and Ryne Sandberg finished their careers with a lower WAR than Whitaker, and each is cemented in the Hall of Fame ahead of Detroit's beloved second baseman.

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According to Reuter, Whitaker's BBWAA voting peaked at 2.9%, which baffles the minds of many.

While he might not be in Cooperstown, the Tigers franchise made sure they placed respect on Whitaker's name, retiring his No. 1 jersey and cementing his name on the outfield wall behind the visitors' bullpen back on Aug 6, 2022.

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Whitaker's double play partner in crime, Alan Trammell, has gone on record saying that it "hurts him" that he's in the Hall of Fame and Whitaker isn't.

"We're linked together, we always have, and we always will. I mean that, and whenever I get a chance to speak, he's at the top of the list as far as you know, getting some more support," Trammel told MLive.

While Whitaker isn't in the Hall of Fame, he's won the hearts of Detroit fans across the board, from the era who grew up watching him play, to the era now, who will continue his legacy every time they see his name on the wall at Comerica Park.