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At the conclusion of the 2022 season Nolan Arenado checked a box that many believe sealed his Hall of Fame resumé. It was the third baseman’s tenth big league season – the minimum required for Cooperstown consideration.

By that time his trophy case was overflowing. At the end of 2022, Arenado boasted ten Gold Gloves – six of them the Platinum variety – five Silver Slugger Awards, and seven All Star selections.

Seven of his first ten seasons featured 30 or more homers with three of them topping the 40-homer mark. In his first decade in the bigs the 6’2″, 215-pounder led the NL in dingers three times, RBI and total bases twice each.

WAR7 adds up a player’s highest 7 seasons of WAR to quantify his peak. Through 2022 Arenado’s comes in at 44.4. Only a dozen men at his position in baseball history have a higher figure. Eight of them are already in Cooperstown with Adrian Beltre sure to follow. Popular Veterans Committee candidates Dick Allen and Ken Boyer and former captain of the three-time World Series champion Athletics Sal Bando are the other three.

For fans more enamored with counting numbers, Arenado’s first ten years put him short but well on his way to Cooperstown. Through his first decade at baseball’s highest level the 2,000-hit and 400-homer milestones are well within reach. In just ten years Arenado put up 1,520 hits and 299 homers.

Though not quite a lock for baseball’s highest honor, Arenado is close.

Shown here is Topps’ 2018 Heritage baseball card of Arenado autographed by the man on Cooperstown’s path.