Jimmy Rollins is inching closer to Cooperstown, but he still has a long way to go.
In his fourth year of Hall of Fame candidacy, the dynamic shortstop received 18.0% of votes on the 2025 Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. While far short of the 75% threshold necessary for induction, Rollins has seen his total rise each year: He got 9.4% of the vote in his debut year in 2022, 12.9% in 2023 and 14.8% in 2024.
Now in his fifth of 10 possible seasons on the ballot, Rollins is still a long shot to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when results are announced live on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 20. But from his impressive statistics to his impact on his longtime club, there are plenty of reasons Rollins deserves a call to Cooperstown.
He’s a franchise icon
It didn’t take long: Rollins established himself as a Phillies legend from his very first Major League at-bat in 2000, roping a triple down the right-field line at Veterans Stadium.
It was the start of a 15-year tenure in Philadelphia, where Rollins remains one of the most iconic players ever to don red pinstripes.
He finished his time in Philadelphia ranking highly in franchise history in a host of categories: first in hits (2,306) and doubles (479), second in games (2,090) and stolen bases (453) and third in runs (1,325) and triples (111).
Playing a crucial defensive position at shortstop and tasked with leading off a talented lineup, Rollins embodied a key role for his club. The second-round Draft pick out of high school in 1996 lived up to expectations, helping the Phillies capture five straight National League East titles from 2007-11. Rollins declared the Phils "the team to beat" in the East before the 2007 season, a statement the club backed up with a dramatic late comeback to win the division.
After a diving stop to initiate a double play that clinched the 2008 NL East crown, Rollins helped the Phillies capture their first World Series title since 1980. His biggest postseason moment, though, came in 2009 – a dramatic walk-off double in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers to send Citizens Bank Park into an uproar.
Rollins’ importance to the Phillies during his lengthy period with the club can’t be overstated, and it’s one of the reasons he merits Hall of Fame consideration.
He had a unique MVP season
While Rollins remained a productive player throughout his time with Philadelphia, one season stands out above the rest.
In 2007, Rollins’ age-28 campaign, the skilled shortstop put it all together. He batted .296 with an .875 OPS and quite the array of counting stats: 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 home runs, 41 stolen bases and 94 RBIs (an impressive total for a leadoff man).
Rollins won both the NL Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards at shortstop. In a close vote, he beat out Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday for the NL MVP Award, giving the Phillies an MVP winner in back-to-back seasons after first baseman Ryan Howard took home the honor in 2006.
Rollins outshined both Howard (fifth in 2007 MVP voting) and second baseman Chase Utley (eighth) to capture the hardware, making him one of just 27 players all time to win MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in the same season. The shortstop produced one of three 30-30 seasons in Phillies history, joining Bobby Abreu in 2001 and ’04, and no player since 2007 has surpassed Rollins’ 20 triples in a single season.
Factor in Rollins’ above-average defense at a key position -- he racked up +5 Defensive Runs Saved -- and it’s not hard to see why Rollins won 16 of 30 first-place MVP votes. Few players have put up seasons as well rounded as Rollins’ 2007, and many of those who have are already enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
He was an all-around star
As his fantastic 2007 season showed, Rollins excelled in all areas of the game. He gained recognition during his career as a five-tool player -- no mean feat and a significant part of his case for a spot in the Hall of Fame.
He could hit for average, batting an impressive .286 during his five-year peak from 2004-08. But he wasn’t a slap hitter, either: Rollins averaged 18.4 homers per season during that span and averaged 16.6 dingers per 162 games for his career. He also ranks in the top 75 in baseball’s Modern Era (since 1900) in both doubles (511) and triples (115).
The speedster was a constant threat on the basepaths whenever he reached, averaging 33.5 stolen bases per 162 games. He swiped an NL-high 46 bags as a rookie in 2001 and topped 30 steals in a season 10 times, including a career-best 47 steals in 2008, the year the Phillies won the World Series. With 470 career steals, Rollins ranks 29th in the Modern Era and 46th all time.
By both conventional and advanced fielding metrics, Rollins graded out as a plus defender at shortstop. He led the NL in fielding percentage at the position in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014 and accrued +54 Defensive Runs Saved, including +18 DRS in both 2005 and 2008. Rollins won the Gold Glove at shortstop for three straight years from 2007-09 and again in 2012.
He compares well to current Hall of Famers
The strength of Rollins’ Hall of Fame candidacy largely depends on how he stacks up against other players at his position. While Rollins’ numbers fall below those of the average Hall of Fame shortstop, he certainly has a leg up on several inductees in key areas.
Rollins’ career 47.9 Baseball-Reference Wins Above Replacement put him above Hall of Fame shortstops such as Rabbit Maranville (44.0) and Phil Rizzuto (42.1). Rollins’ seven-year peak WAR, a key metric summing his WAR totals from the best seven years of his career, is tied with Luis Aparicio at 32.3. He has more hits (2,455) than Alan Trammell (2,365) or Barry Larkin (2,340).
According to Bill James’ Hall of Fame Statistics, Rollins’ “Hall of Fame Standards” score of 42 -- based on his career hitting stats -- isn’t far off from the average score for a Hall of Famer, which is 50. Rollins does even better on James’ “Hall of Fame Monitor,” which takes into account positional importance, team success and career accolades. A likely Hall of Famer would receive a score around 100, with a “virtual cinch” scoring around 130; Rollins clocks in at an impressive 121.
In other words, Rollins’ career should absolutely put him in the Cooperstown conversation. It remains to be seen whether he will garner enough votes to be inducted -- it sure doesn’t look likely for the Class of 2026 -- but he should continue to gain support in his remaining six years on the ballot.