Dustin Pedroia's Hall of Fame Case Actually Lines Up Favorably With Kirby Puckett

After Red Sox second basemen Dustin Pedroia announced on Monday that he will take some time to think about his career, most seem to have made the assumption that his time in the bigs is likely over.

The 35-year-old has been more of a spectator in recent years for the Sox, and it seems Pedroia's body is saying it's had enough. Though once seemingly ticketed for Cooperstown easily, the past two empty seasons of Pedroia's supposed prime, coupled with a likely career-ending injury, have thrown cold water on that dream.

Or have they? If you examine the limited numbers in Pedroia's arsenal, he actually compares favorably with someone else whose career ended far too quickly.

Kirby Puckett, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, has pretty similar numbers to the Red Sox second baseman, making the case for Pedroia pretty valid.

Puckett, who played 12 years in the bigs, has almost 500 more hits then Pedroia but it's impossible to disregard WAR, here. Pedey sports a WAR of 51.7, which is .6 above Puckett's mark. And though Pedroia only truly contributed to two title runs during his time in Boston, his leadership ring for 2018 also belongs on his mantle.

On the defensive side of the ball, the two stack up nicely, too. As a center fielder for the Twins, Puckett received six Gold Glove awards. In 14 years with the Red Sox, Pedroia has four.

When you put the numbers side by side, Pedroia's chances of getting into the Hall look moderately decent, especially if a proper campaign is run and he constantly gets compared to Puckett. Though Pedroia's hit total is low for consideration, theres no doubt that the Red Sox second baseman's case will spark much debate when his time is up.