Blog 12

Blog #12: Former All-Star and 2018 World Series Champion Falls Short of Hall of Pretty Good Induction 

Graphic via @mlbhallofgood and @thebsblr announcing former MLB First Baseman, Mitch Moreland, was not selected to be a member the Hall of (Pretty) Good. Created by Shawn Palmer (@spdesigns__).

By OwBroMedia

August 15, 2025 | Boston, MA

BOSTON- Known affectionately across Red Sox circles as “Mitchy 2-Bags,” Mitch Moreland’s time in a Red Sox uniform was brief but memorable. Signed to a one-year deal during the 2016 offseason, he wound up playing four seasons in Boston from 2017–2020. He earned his lone All-Star selection in 2018 and was an integral part of the team’s run to the 2018 World Series. His pinch-hit three-run homer in Game Four of the series was credited by players as the “turning point” that ultimately led to winning it all.

With this résumé, Moreland was selected as a candidate for baseball’s “Hall of (Pretty) Good” last week, where fans on social media platforms could vote on whether or not he would receive the honor of being elected. Unfortunately, needing at least 65% of the vote to be inducted, he earned just 56%, falling just short of making it.

What Is the Hall of (Pretty) Good?

Baseball fans have long given their flowers to legends of the game, many of whom have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame—and rightfully so. At the same time, however, many players who had good careers that came up short of legendary status often fall through the cracks once their careers end, seemingly never to be discussed in baseball circles again.

Enter Bryce Whitlow, who in 2024 created The Hall of (Pretty) Good on all major social media platforms to give these players the respect and appreciation they deserve. Since its launch, baseball fans and former players alike have caught on to the platform, which currently has 31,600 followers on X (formerly Twitter) and 152,000 followers on Instagram.

Recently, Whitlow partnered with TheBsblr, a well-known baseball media company, to continue promoting this new Hall of Fame honor, along with newly updated eligibility criteria. To be inducted, players must:

• Have a career WAR no higher than 38.6
  
  

• Have zero MVP or Cy Young Awards
  
  

• Not be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
  
  

• Be officially retired or have not played Major League Baseball for at least three consecutive seasons
  
  

Moreland was the first player fans could vote on under this new criteria. And while he came up short, he has undoubtedly proven to be a gritty, well-beloved ballplayer that fans will remember.

The Case for Moreland:

Born and raised in Amory, Mississippi, Moreland attended Amory High School, where he played alongside Derek Norris, who would go on to have a six-year MLB career. After going undrafted out of high school, Moreland attended Mississippi State, a baseball powerhouse, where he played as a two-way player—pitcher and first baseman. During his three seasons with the Bulldogs, he collected a .318 career batting average and went 2–0 with a 3.46 ERA in nine pitching appearances.

This performance earned him a 17th-round selection by the Texas Rangers in the 2007 MLB Draft. After four seasons in the minor leagues—including winning the Rangers' "Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year" award in 2009—he was called up to the majors midway through the 2010 season.

Over seven seasons with the Rangers, Moreland posted a .254/.315/.754 slash line, racking up 633 hits, 110 home runs, and 354 RBIs. He helped lead Texas to five playoff appearances, including back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, where the team fell short to the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, respectively. His best postseason run came during his rookie year in 2010, when he hit .348/.400/.900 with 16 hits, four doubles, one homer, and seven RBIs in 15 postseason games. He also won his lone AL Gold Glove Award in 2016—his final season with the Rangers.

With the retirement of David Ortiz, the Red Sox were in the market for a left-handed hitter during the 2016 offseason. They found their guy in Moreland, signing him to a one-year, $5.5 million contract. He had a productive 2017 season, highlighted by a career-high 34 doubles—earning him the “Mitchy 2-Bags” nickname—and re-signed the following offseason on a two-year deal.

In 2018, Moreland earned his only All-Star nod and returned to the World Series, where he earned his first and only championship ring in three attempts.

Though his 2019 season was injury-riddled, he still hit 19 home runs in 91 games. He returned again on a one-year deal for the 2020 season, appearing in 22 games during the COVID-shortened season before being traded to the San Diego Padres. There, he played in 20 games and helped them reach the postseason for the first time since 2006.

Moreland played one final season in 2021 with the Oakland Athletics. After not receiving a contract offer for the 2022 season, he officially announced his retirement from baseball in 2023.

Overall, in 12 MLB seasons, Moreland posted a .251/.318/.764 slash line, collecting 1,020 hits, 219 doubles, 186 home runs, and 618 RBIs, compiling 11.1 WAR.

While he may not have received the honor of being inducted into the Hall of (Pretty) Good, life after baseball seems to be treating Moreland well. He returned to Fenway Park in 2024, this time playing with the Savannah Bananas, and was named the First Base Coach for the American League All-Star Futures Team in the same year. Most recently, on July 11, 2025, he was named the head coach of the Helena High School baseball team in Helena, Alabama.

Mitch Moreland will forever be remembered as an unsung hero—by both Red Sox and Rangers fans alike—for his contributions to the 2010s era of baseball.

Note:
The Hall of (Pretty) Good votes for new inductees every Wednesday at 4:00 PM EST, with a 24-hour window for fans to cast their votes.