Will Clark with Not Gaetti

Will Clark, a 15-year MLB veteran and six-time All-Star, remains one of baseball's most underappreciated legends despite a Hall of Fame career that falls just short of the statistical thresholds voters demand. Though he never won an MVP, Clark was a four-time top-five finisher and delivered legendary performances in high-leverage moments—most famously a 650 batting average with a 1.882 OPS in the 1989 NLCS, where he single-handedly dismantled the Cubs. His final season at age 36 saw him post a 964 OPS, one of only 27 players in history to reach that mark at that age or older—most of them Hall of Famers. Yet Clark retired early to focus on his son’s autism diagnosis, sacrificing three to four productive seasons that could have pushed him into Hall of Fame territory. While his counting stats—284 home runs, 1,205 RBI, 56.5 WAR—fall short of the modern first baseman standard, his all-around excellence is staggering: he’s one of only four players in history with more than 350 batting runs, 10+ base running runs, 10+ double play avoidance runs, and 3+ fielding runs. Despite this, he’s never received enough votes to return to the ballot since falling off in 2006. The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee will vote on him in 2028, but with a crowded field of first basemen and a deep bias toward power, his path remains steep. Still, his peak, clutch dominance, and complete game impact make a compelling case for reconsideration.