New York Yankee great Thurman Munson has been passed over by Hall of Fame voters year after year. Munson, whose career was cut short by a tragic plane crash in 1979, is already enshrined in the Yankees’ Monument Park, and his Yankee jersey number is retired. The former catcher and captain is next eligible for consideration by the Veterans Committee in 2027. Here is why the 16-member committee should finally vote him in.

Thurman Munson’s Accomplishments

In Munson’s 11 seasons with the Yankees, he was a seven-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a two-time world champion. He is the first player in baseball history to be a college baseball All-American who went on to win a Rookie of the Year Award, an MVP, a Gold Glove, and a World Series in MLB. He is also the only catcher ever to hit over .300 (.357), drive in over 20 runs (22), and throw out more than 20 base stealers (24) in the MLB postseason.

August 2, 1979; Akron, OH; Green Township firemen inspecting the remains of Thurman Munson's plane on Greensburg Road, just north of the Akron-Canton Airport. Munson, a catcher for the New York Yankees, crashed his plane during practice landings at the airport; he died from smoke inhalation, but both of his passengers escaped the plane before it went up in flames. The Federal Aviation Administration ruled that the crash was a result of Munson's inability to properly control the plane.
August 2, 1979; Akron, OH; Green Township firemen inspecting the remains of Thurman Munson’s plane on Greensburg Road, just north of the Akron-Canton Airport. Munson, a catcher for the New York Yankees, crashed his plane during practice landings at the airport; he died from smoke inhalation, but both of his passengers escaped the plane before it went up in flames. The Federal Aviation Administration ruled that the crash was a result of Munson’s inability to properly control the plane. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Gordon-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Thurman Munson’s Stats

Munson’s stats may not seem Hall of Fame-worthy on the surface, but digging deeper, his credentials become more apparent. For his career, the Yankee legend slashed .292/.346/.410. He amassed 1558 hits, 696 runs scored, 229 doubles, 113 home runs, 701 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. In 5905 plate appearances, he struck out only 571 times. Munson’s real value, however, was behind the plate. For his career, Munson threw out 44.5% of base stealers. In 1971, he threw out an unbelievable 61% of opposing runners.

Hall of Fame Comparisons

While Munson’s offensive stats don’t seem that impressive in isolation, they do when you compare them to his peers. Johnny Bench, Ted Simmons, and Carlton Fisk are the three other catchers from his era who have been elected to the Hall of Fame. Munson’s career batting average is better than that of all three players. If you look at Munson’s 162-game average for hits (177), it is higher than all three players, too. He had the same number of 100-RBI seasons as Simmons, and one more than Fisk, even though they played twice as many seasons.

Munson was spectacular in the postseason. Compare his stats to the other three:

NameAVGOBP%SLUG%HRRBI
Munson.357.378.496322
Simmons.186.279.35638
Bench.266.335.5271020
Fisk.259.355.40726

On defense, Munson won more Gold Gloves than Simmons (0) or Fisk (1). His career caught-stealing percentage of 44.5% bests Simmons’ 34.0%, Bench’s 43.5%, and Fisk’s 33.8%. Munson and Bench both threw out more than 50% of baserunners in three different seasons; Simmons and Fisk did not accomplish that even once. Munson led the league in caught stealing percentage twice. Bench did it three times, but Fisk and Simmons never led the league.

Munson’s 162-game average WAR per season was 5.2. Simmons’ average was 3.3, Bench’s average was 5.6, and Fisk’s average was 4.4. He ranks above nine Hall of Fame catchers in JAWS, above 12 in WAR7, and above seven in career WAR. Remember, Munson died in the middle of his eleventh season, and he played in only 26 games in his rookie year. So, his numbers are based on just ten seasons.

End Of My Thurman Munson Hall Of Fame Rant

I am not saying that Munson should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He clearly did not have the power of Bench, Fisk, Mike Piazza, or Ivan Rodriguez. He did not have the batting average of Bill Dickey, Mickey Cochrane, or Josh Gibson. He didn’t have the speed of Buck Ewing or Roger Bresnahan. Munson, however, was arguably the second-best catcher of his time, behind only Bench. He knew his pitching staff and called a game like no other. His combination of contact skills at the plate, rifle-like arm, performance in the clutch and the postseason, and leadership abilities puts him in rarified air.

Diana Munson speaks during the 2025 J. Babe Stearn Thurman Munson Catchers Scholarship Dinner at Double Tree Canton on July 10, 2025.
Diana Munson speaks during the 2025 J. Babe Stearn Thurman Munson Catchers Scholarship Dinner at Double Tree Canton on July 10, 2025. Credit: Julie Vennitti Botos / Canton Repository-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If not for his plane crash, I believe that Munson would have accumulated the stats to be inducted decades ago. I am not the only one who thinks that. Bench, Simmons, and Fisk, as well as Hall of Fame teammates Goose Gossage and Jim “Catfish” Hunter, have all advocated for his induction. It is past time for Munson to get his due. It needs to happen while his widow, Diana Munson, and his contemporaries are still alive. In 2027, it is time to right this four-decades-old wrong.