In with 100% of the vote
Notable distinctions: 292 Wins, 3.34 ERA, 3839 Ks, 12 Time All-Star, 1 Cy Young, 1 Gold Glove, 3 Time World Champ,1 No Hitter
Why he's in: Widdup is one of the best pitchers FCM has ever seen. His unanimous election was well deserved and he's the perfect man to highlight an elite class of players. Widdup was the 4th overall pick in the 2014 draft, taken after Luis Lajud, Adam Smith, and Jeff Shinault....Widdup clearly was a steal for the Chicago Cubs. After less than three years in their minor league system, Widdup was called up to the big league club and joined a Cubs team on it's way to 112 wins and a World Series Title. He wasn't overly impressive in those first 12 starts, but he did enough to earn three postseason starts (winning one) and going on to start at least 30 games in 8 of the next 10 seasons with the Chicago Cubs. During that time he was a 6 time all-star, a Cy Young winner, and a three time champion. In 31 career postseason starts he was 12-8 with a 2.56 ERA and averaged over a strikeout per inning with an opponent's OBP of a meager .207. While he lost many awards to his contemporary rival Donovan Pace, Widdup was more notable for his postseason heroics and hardware. Later in his career he did bounce around to four other teams but returned to Chicago for the twilight of his career to retire a Cub.
Debate can rage about where Widdup ranks all-time versus the other FCM greats, but there is little question he was the best left-hander the league has seen and a true giant in the league's history.
His General Manager: In the early part of the history of FCM, I was faced with a hard decision with the Chicago Cubs, we were an aging ball club that did not have the talent to win a championship. We decided to rebuild and one of the first building blocks to that rebuild of the Chicago Cub franchise was Jacob Widdup. Of all the pitchers that I have had between Chicago and LA, Widdup might have been the most dominant post season pitcher on either of those dynasty teams. - Sean, GoIrish, Cubs General Manager
Being inducted as: Chicago Cub
SP Corey Bosworth - 16 seasons from 2014-2030
In with 100% of the vote
Notable distinctions: 256 Wins, 3.04 ERA, 2334 Ks, 9 Time All-Star, 4 Time Cy Young, 4 Time World Champ, 1 Perfect Game
Why he's in: Corey Bosworth wasn't quite in the class of Widdup or Pace in terms of his career numbers, but he also pitched in the American League in one of the best hitter's parks in the league. His reputation as a ferocious post-season starter and the long-time standard bearer of the Toronto Blue Jays helped him land the second unanimous selection of this class. Corey's drafting could be seen as the key turning point in the league's balance of power. Selected 111th overall in the 2012 draft, Corey was not seen as a durable starter with much upside at the time of his drafting. However, it didn't take long for him to show the ace he'd become and 2014 he was a member of the big league club. By his fourth year he was the ace of the Blue Jay staff and on his way to the first of 4 World Titles and an All-star for the first time of what would be 9 trips. He went on to win 4 Cy Young awards with the Blue Jays and 256 wins despite pitching in significantly less innings than some of his elite peers. Bosworth was a Blue Jay his entire career and retired having lead the charge out of the shadow of New York and into perennial powerhouse.
His General Manager: "Corey not only established a new era in Blue Jay baseball, he was the man who established my reputation. A fourth rounder turned ace redefined the way a team can take that next step. The Bos was a feared ace, a juggernaut in pitching in the AL,and our standard bearer for several titles. He didn't have the durability of some of his contemporaries but what he accomplished in less than 3000 innings is incredible. We're honored to see him make the this well deserved accomplishment. " - AndyP
Being inducted as: Toronto Blue Jay
CF Jorge Vasquez - 20 seasons from 2016-2036
In with 94% of the vote
Notable distinctions: 3088 Hits, 23 HR, 899 RBI, 1809 Runs, 1037 SB, 3 Time Gold Glover, 2 Time World Champ
Why he's in: Jorge Vasquez and his entrance to FCM harkens back to a different time in the league. In those days we had blind bidding for International Free Agents and Jorge Vasquez was among them. A switch hitter hyped with big speed and solid contact, Jorge was won by the Houston Astros who were run by league commish DJ at the time. Jorge spent parts of 5 seasons in the big leagues with 2016/2017 both split between AAA and the bigs. It didn't take him long to establish the name of his game - speed, speed, and more friggin speed. In June of 2017 he was dealt to the Florida Marlins (in a highway robbery) and his career took off. In 3+ seasons with the team he stole over 200 bases and won his first gold glove. From there he was on the move again to San Fransisco largely for a player by the name of David Brubaker. Once again, Jorge proved to be the best thing in the deal for either team but struggled through 3+ injury plagued seasons. Then the trade that helped make his career happened: The Toronto Blue Jays dealt 7 players to get him and put him in their leadoff spot and CF. During an 8 year run with the team, Vasquez 1300 hits, 454 stolen bases, and 2 gold gloves. He helped lead the team to 2 World Titles and scored over 100 runs in 7 of the 8 seasons with the team. He is one of FCM's few 3000 hit men and the feat is one that may rarely be matched again. In this league, to reach that milestone is simply amazing. Throw in the fact that he joins only Ricky Henderson as men that have stolen over 1000 bases in their careers and the baseball writer that voted "no" to his induction should be ashamed. Jorge "Speedy" Vasquez is one of the greats of all-time.
His General Manager: "He was the engine that made our team go. All those runs scored were the fuel for our slugging lineup to be one of the most fearsome lineups in FCM history. Couple that with his ridiculous range and his ability to help our pitching staff save runs and it's not overstating it to say that the Blue Jays would not have won the championships they did without him. He was a vital cog in our teams and his durability and longevity to reach these amazing goals makes him one of the best of all time" - AndyP
Being inducted as: Toronto Blue Jay
RP Edmund Poez (COL) – 17 Seasons (2021-2037)
In with 90% of the vote
Notable distinctions: 519 Saves 3.35 ERA 0.81 HR/9 10.86 K/9 .211 OBA 2 All-Star Games
Why he's in: Simply put, Poez is FCM’s All-Time Saves leader. It’s interesting that he was only the NL single season saves leader and All-Star twice. He was rock-solid in Colorado for over a decade, but it didn’t start there. He was drafted 5th overall in 2020 and quickly ascended through the Brewers system. He was given the closer’s role in 2022 and never looked back. He arguably had his best season of his entire career in ’24 – posting a 1.09 ERA, a stifling .142 OBA, and converting all of his 30 save chances. After the season he was awarded $12.5M in arbitration (quite high dollar money for closers at the time). He was too expensive for Milwaukee’s tastes and along with Brent Cook, Poez was sent to Colorado for a trio of prospects. For the next ten years, he was the best closer in baseball. The highlight of his Rockie career came in 2032 when he converted on 32/36 save opportunities with a 1.63 ERA and just 4 home runs allowed in 60.2 innings. Overall Poez earned an estimated $147M during his career and averaged 30.5 Saves/Season ($283K/Save).
His General Manager: ”Poez was great to have at the end of games. It was comforting to know that if you have the lead going into the ninth, the game was likely already over. He amazed with his strikeout prowess, ability to keep the ball in the park (even at Coors), and was a tough guy to face regardless of the circumstances. In 2037 many clamored for Adolfo Ouintana to close for us since Edmund was clearly pitching on fumes. Well, I wanted him to get the saves record. After 16 years of being dominant and consistent, he earned the right to get that record in his final 17th season.” - Seattle Marines and former Colorado Rockies GM Matty Nokes
Being inducted as: Colorado Rockie
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