A red jacket for Lance Lynn would be emblematic of the Cardinals' lowered standards

Following the retirement of St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn, the questions have already begun to seep in regarding whether the pitcher with the "bulldog" mentality is worthy of a red jacket and a place in the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Lynn had a stellar career in St. Louis. The throwback pitcher generally eschewed the breaking ball in favor of hard stuff, throwing the fastball more than nearly any other pitcher of his era. It largely worked, as he held a 3.43 ERA in 1,095 innings with the Cardinals and notched 1,028 strikeouts.

However, by stats alone, Lynn would have the lowest bWAR of any starting pitcher in the Cardinals Hall of Fame. That number with the Cardinals is 15.2; the only inducted pitchers with a lower bWAR were closers Bruce Sutter and Jason Isringhausen, who both pitched far fewer innings than Lynn.

The criteria for being placed on the ballot for the Cardinals Hall of Fame are vague, but Redbird Rants writer Cliff Williams gained some clarity regarding the process when he spoke to Brittany Schelp, the manager of the museum and tour operations for the Cardinals.

"A committee meets to discuss candidates. The organization puts together a stat sheet for review of eligible players and the committee discusses qualifications, stats, their knowledge of the players and any other items they think are important to consider and then votes via secret ballot. Committee members can go into detail and present a case for any players they feel passionately about for consideration."

Brittany Schelp

Although Lynn was one of the better pitchers in recent memory for the Cardinals, the idea of him being a candidate for enshrinement in the Cardinals Hall of Fame is a perfect example of the depths the Cardinals have plummeted to in an attempt to find players worthy of nominations for the organization's highest honor.

The Cardinals do have previous instances of granting candidacy to players who didn't have standout careers in St. Louis. Fans overwhelmingly voted for David Freese into the 2023 class of the Cardinals Hall of Fame, but he turned down the honors, much to my relief. But although I personally don't believe Freese deserved to be nominated for the award, there is at least an obvious reason behind it given his 2011 postseason heroics.

For Lynn, these reasons are far less compelling. He did play for the 2011 Cardinals and pitched well out of the bullpen that season, which was his first in the major leagues, but he was by no means a postseason savior. Lynn was apparently a strong leader in the clubhouse in his later seasons, which was a major reason for the Cardinals' choice to bring him back in 2024, but leadership, while desired, is not an immediate ticket to entry into the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Despite this, Lynn's candidacy seems like a matter of time. The Cardinals have reached a tough period: Many of the franchise's legends who starred in the Opening Day festivities have died, including Stan Musial, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson, and most of the bona fide stars for the team have already been inducted, leaving the Cardinals to reach ever deeper into the well to find players who might be considered deserving of the honors.

Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina will be eligible for induction in 2026, and Adam Wainwright will follow in 2027. Matt Carpenter has not announced his retirement, but that is likely arriving sooner rather than later. But following those players, there looks to be another talent drought, and that may be when the organization decides to place Lynn on the ballot.

The Cardinals have been straining to find franchise icons since 2011, and it was never more obvious than when they honored Matt Adams prior to a game in September 2024 to commemorate his go-ahead home run in Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS. Adams was a nice piece for the Cardinals, but the celebration felt like the Cardinals grasping at dwindling numbers of straws to find something to attract fans.

Recency bias is a definite factor when it comes to whom fans choose to be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, and with Lynn potentially on the ballot in 2029, many fans who remember Lynn as one of the last remaining members of that championship squad will feel the nostalgia for the good old days and give him their vote.

The Cardinals' impending uptick in franchise Hall of Famers may provide some good feelings for the next few seasons as these players receive their deserved celebrations. But the chatter about placing Lynn on the ballot when he becomes eligible is a sobering reality of where the Cardinals currently stand as an organization.