Craig Kimbrel has been among the elite closers in baseball since ascending to the role in 2011 with the Atlanta Braves. He’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career with the Boston Red Sox in which he was recognized as the best reliever in the American League. Will we one day recognize him as one of the best relievers in MLB history?
I bring this up because long-time San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame later this year. He’s only the sixth pitcher who spent a significant portion of their career as a reliever to make it to Cooperstown.