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Former Royals Pitcher Speaks Out After Lou Whitaker Hall of Fame Snub

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 3:26 PM ET

Longtime Kansas City Royals pitcher Mark Gubicza made it clear that he disagrees with legendary Detroit Tigers second baseman Lou Whitaker’s omission from the Hall of Fame’s 2026 Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot.

Whitaker, the 1978 AL Rookie of the Year and a five-time All-Star, did not finish among the eight finalists for this year’s Era Committee ballot. A group of 11 undisclosed baseball historians picked players who played all or the bulk of their career after 1980. The panelists decided on Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi questioned Whitaker’s absence in an X/Twitter post, and Gubicza — a two-time All-Star and a Los Angeles Angels broadcaster — quickly agreed.

“Lou is a HOF’r, Jon,” Gubicza wrote. “Ask anyone who played against him.”

Longtime Detroit Tigers second baseman Lou Whitaker USA TODAY Sports

Gubicza and Whitaker both spent their entire playing careers in the American League, with the latter finishing 17-for-59 (.286) with a home run, two RBIs, and an 11-7 K-BB ratio in 71 plate appearances.

Will Lou Whitaker Ever Make the Hall of Fame?

Whitaker spent the 1980s as one of baseball’s premier second basemen, hitting .275 with 143 home runs, 619 RBIs, and a .773 OPS across over 1,400 games during the decade. However, his defense and plate discipline helped him provide the Tigers with 43.6 bWAR in that span, and he averaged 4.4 bWAR per season.

A four-time Silver Slugger, Whitaker retired with 75.1 bWAR, considerably above Kent’s 55.4 bWAR. Both almost exclusively played second base, though Kent also occasionally saw time at first base.

Whitaker only appeared on 2.9% of ballots in 2001, well below the 5% needed to receive another year of eligibility. Dave Winfield (84.5%) and Kirby Puckett (82.1%) earned induction that year, and another eight — Gary Carter, Jim Rice, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, and Dave Parker — reached the Hall of Fame later, either via the traditional writer’s ballot or via committee.

There's only 1 Lou Whitaker.#BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/cYNQrC6eDE
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 16, 2024

As of November 2025, Whitaker’s 75.1 bWAR is tied with legendary Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench and Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts for 51st among position players. Bench appeared on 96.4% of ballots in 1989, his first year of eligibility, and Betts is likely to enter the Hall of Fame when his time comes.

Almost every eligible position player above Whitaker on the all-time bWAR list is already in the Hall of Fame. Bonds (No. 1) and Alex Rodriguez (No. 12) are associated with performance-enhancing drugs, and Pete Rose (No. 41) was on the permanently ineligible list until earlier this year.

Bill Dahlen, a shortstop who played from 1891 through 1911, has never received considerable Hall of Fame support despite his 75.2 bWAR.

Barring a rule change, the earliest that Whitaker can be considered for the Hall of Fame is in 2028 for the Class of 2029.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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