Yankees outfielder ‘secured’ Hall of Fame spot by age 26, numbers show

The New York Yankees have a handful of legendary players in their history, but do we appreciate the old guard enough?

As each decade passes, the iconic careers of pre-modern Yankees players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle still shine, but a deep dive into some of the numbers behind their greatness can still produce shock and awe.

Take Mantle, for instance, who ended his career with 20 All-Star appearances, three MVPs, a Triple Crown, a batting title, and seven World Series rings.

An absurd resumé, no doubt, but what’s most impressive about Mantle’s career was how much he accomplished so soon.

As pointed out by X account @OleTimeHardball, Mantle’s resumé by the time he was merely 26 years old was already outstanding enough to qualify Mantle for entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“By the end of his age 26 season (1958) Mickey Mantle may have secured his spot in the Hall of Fame,” @OleTimeHardball posted.

“7x All-Star
5x World Series champ
3x AL HR champ
2x AL MVP
1956 AL Triple Crown winner
61 WAR.”

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A rapid rise like Mantle’s into the upper echelons of baseball royalty doesn’t happen often. Mantle debuted with the Yankees at 19 years old and, by the following season, finished top three in MVP voting.

Yankees legends like Mantle still get talked about and are far from forgotten, but it’s worth it every once in a while to inspect the numbers and realize just how special these athletes were.

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