:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48511293/GettyImages-1826784.0.jpg)
Jeffrey Robert Bagwell, 47, is on the Baseball Writers' Association of America's National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot now for the sixth year in 2016. Bagwell's previous vote totals from 2011-15 have hovered around 41 percent to 59 percent.
Could this be the year for Bagwell? His case hasn't changed since he was put on the ballot in 2011. Bagwell was the National League Most Valuable Player in the strike-shortened 1994 season, he was the 1991 National League Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Star (1994, 1996, 1997 and 1999), one time gold glove winners (1994), and a three-time Silver Slugger winner (1994, 1997 and 1999).
Bagwell was arguably the top first baseman in the National League during the late 1990's and early 2000's, leading the Astros to NL Central titles in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001. Bagwell was apart of the teams that reached the postseason in 2004 and 2005 as the Wild Card, and as the first team from Texas to reach World Series in 2005.
Over 15 years, Bagwell batted .297 with 2,314 hits in 7,797 at-bats with 488 doubles, 32 triples, 449 home runs, 1,529 RBIs, 202 stolen bases, 1,401 walks, 1,517 RBIs, .408 OBP, .540 SLG and a .948 OPS.
He is in the top 100 all-time in assists as a first baseman (third), defensive games played as a first baseman (11th), double plays turned as a first baseman (12th), sacrifice flies (26th) walks (28th), OPS+ (36th), home runs (38th), extra-base hits (46th), RBIs (49th), runs scored (64th), total bases (72nd) and doubles (72nd).
During his peak years, 1994-2000, he batted .309/.433/.593 and averaged 41 home runs and 41 doubles over those six years.
Bagwell wasn't just a big bat, he made his presence felt in the field and on the basepaths. Bagwell had a 72.1 percent success rate as he collected 202 career stolen bases. Bagwell was 31 runs above the average player in total zone fielding per Baseball reference.
The simple case for Bagwell is the story of the Houston Astros and the National League in the 1990's and late 2000's can not be told without Jeff Bagwell -- that is a plain and simple fact.