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Previewing the 2017 HOF class: Jeff Bagwell

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is set to announce its Class of 2017 on Wednesday, Jan. 18. In the days leading up to the announcement, theScore's MLB editors will preview players who look to be a lock to head into Cooperstown.

The Player

Player: Jeffrey Robert Bagwell
Teams: Houston Astros (15 seasons)
Position: First Base
Retired: 2006
Current Age: 48
Year on ballot: 7th
Percentage of Vote: 91.1 (calculated by Ryan Thibodaux)

The Resume

MLB Seasons: 15
All-Star: 4
NL MVP: 1 (1994)
NL Rookie of Year: 1991
Gold Glove: 1
Silver Slugger: 3

GP R H 2B HR RBI SB AVG/OBP/SLG WAR
2150 1517 2314 488 449 1529 202 .297/.408/.540 80.2

Armed with one of the most iconic stances in baseball history, Jeff Bagwell built his Hall of Fame-caliber career with a blend of power, speed, ability to get on base, and defense over 15 seasons with the Houston Astros.

The four-time All-Star, 1994 NL MVP, and 1991 NL Rookie of the Year is one of the most prolific players in Astros history, ranking first in home runs, RBIs, and walks, while occupying second in games played, runs, hits, and doubles. Bagwell is the only player in MLB history to finish six consecutive seasons with 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, 100 runs, and 100 walks, and ranks 64th all time with 79.6 WAR, sandwiched between Curt Schilling and Pete Rose.

Bagwell remained productive offensively even later in his career before an arthritic condition in his shoulder forced him into early retirement.

There has been suspicions linking Bagwell to performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career, though he has denied ever using PEDs and wasn't listed in the Mitchell Report. During an interview with Mike Berardino in 2015, Bagwell admitted the temptation to use was there, and, if he had been a fringe player, he most likely would have used PEDs but never did.

The Highlights

Twelve years, four months, and five days after belting his first major-league homer, Bagwell hit a pair on July 20, 2003, to give him 400 for his career. He became the 35th major leaguer to reach the milestone.

Bagwell hammered the ball out of Wrigley Field on April 22, 1999, going deep three times in what would be a historic day for the Astros first baseman. He broke Jim Wynn's franchise record for career homers that day, and joined Glenn Davis as the only Astros players with at least two three-homer games.

After swiping third base against the Reds on Sept. 22, 1997, Bagwell became the first Astro, and first full-time first baseman in major-league history, to hit 30 or more homers and steal 30 or more bases. In total, only 38 players have reached the 30-30 club, with Mike Trout becoming the last to do so in 2012.

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