NEPTA: Why Carlos Delgado Deserves More Respect in Baseball History

Some baseball legends get their moment in the spotlight, while others fade into undeserved obscurity. Carlos Delgado, the Toronto Blue Jays icon, is a prime example of a player who quietly built Hall of Fame-worthy numbers yet fell off the ballot after just one year.

On a recent episode of the Jay Bird Watching Podcast, we welcomed @NotGaetti, the creator of "NEPTA" (Not Enough People Talk About), a Twitter series that shines a light on underrated players who don’t get the respect they deserve. Among the players featured, we found one we had to discuss as Blue Jays fans. Carlos Delgado, whose monstrous offensive production somehow failed to earn him Cooperstown recognition. You can find the rest of his work right here! https://obviousshirts.com/collections/not-gaetti

For the full podcast episode, please go to youtube.com/@birdwatchinggc and subscribe for future updates. Audio can be found on any site you receive your podcast pleasures from as well.

Delgado’s Power Numbers: A Hall of Fame Resume

Baseball history is packed with great first basemen, but few matched Carlos Delgado’s power and consistency. Over 17 seasons, Delgado crushed 473 home runs, drove in 1,512 RBIs, and logged a lifetime OPS of .929. His power was legendary—just ask fans who witnessed his four-homer game in 2003.

Had he played in a major U.S. market, Delgado would likely have been a household name. But during his prime years in Toronto, the Blue Jays were stuck in AL East limbo, overshadowed by the Yankees and Red Sox dynasty teams. Regardless of that, Delgado was one of the most feared hitters of his generation among his peers!

Despite putting up stats comparable to Hall of Famers like Willie Stargell, Delgado fell off the ballot in just one year, receiving only 3.8% of the vote, below the 5% threshold needed to stay eligible.

So why did baseball writers overlook him?

• Playing in Toronto during an era when small-market stars struggled for recognition.
• Peak steroid era competition, where inflated offensive numbers made even legitimate power hitters seem less impressive.
• Failure to reach 500 home runs, the traditional Cooperstown benchmark for power hitters.

As NotGaetti put it during the podcast, had Delgado hit just 27 more homers, there’s no doubt he’d be enshrined in Cooperstown today. Instead, he joins a list of underrated sluggers who never got their due.

Delgado’s Legacy Beyond Numbers

While Hall of Fame votes are subjective, Delgado’s impact goes beyond statistics. His leadership, professionalism, and impact on Puerto Rican baseball make him a deserving candidate, not just for his bat, but for what he brought to the game.

Fans recognized his talent even in New York, where Delgado played his later seasons with the Mets. Yet, despite his numbers, he was never a media darling, which likely hurt his case.

Carlos Delgado belongs in the Hall of Fame, and it's time baseball historians start recognizing his contributions. While his early ballot exit remains one of Cooperstown’s great injustices, his legacy lives on through Blue Jays fans and those who truly understand his greatness.

Special thanks to our friend @NotGaetti for all the NEPTA work. Due to work like his, Delgado's story is being revisited. There is one thing for sure: Not Enough People Talk About Carlos Delgado, and they really should be!