Angels fan favorite on verge of falling off Hall of Fame ballot, but hope remains

While Torii Hunter did not spend the bulk of his career with the Los Angeles Angels, he was well-liked by fans during the five seasons with the team. While his case for the Hall of Fame is a bit of a stretch, there is some cause for hope.

Hunter is in his sixth year on the ballot and is in danger of falling off the ballot entirely, but non-public voters kept Hunter's candidacy alive in the past as he barely cleared the five percent threshold last year. He currently sits at 4.4 percent, but maybe another late push could keep him alive.

Angels fan favorite Torii Hunter barely alive in Hall of Fame candidacy

Obviously, it seems highly unlikely that Hunter is going to be enshrined in Cooperstown. But that does not change the fact that he had a great career that is worthy of celebration.

In 19 big league seasons, Hunter had a career slash line of .277/.331/.461 with 353 home runs and 1,391 runs batted in. He was also a five-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger winner.

Those numbers and accolades, while impressive, are not enough for the Hall of Fame, although one could make a case that his combination of offense and solid defense gives him some sort of fighting chance.

It seems voters are not convinced though so it would not be a shock if Hunter fell off the ballot.

His time with the Angels was especially impressive. He spent the first part of his career with the Minnesota Twins and put up solid numbers. When he became a free agent, the Twins extended him an offer to come back, but he chose to sign with the Angels instead on a five-year, $90 million deal.

A lot of players can feel pressure when they sign a big deal like that, but he was great with the Angels. In his five seasons with Los Angeles, he slashed .286/.352/.462 with 105 home runs and 432 runs batted in. He was an All-Star twice as a member of the Halos.

Hunter was connected to LA's managerial opening this offseason, and he was also connected to Minnesota's. Ultimately, Kurt Suzuki ended up being hired by the Angels, but maybe Hunter can return to the Angels in some capacity down the road.

He may not be a Hall of Famer, but he will always be a fan favorite among Angels fans.