Considering Craig Kimbrel's excellence in the first nine seasons in his career, there appears to be a pretty good chance he will deliver an induction speech at Cooperstown. The strategic stature of starting pitchers has slowly diminished, with relievers assuming the responsibility left behind, and the bullpen guys are more readily gaining access to Hall of Fame entry -- Trevor Hoffman last summer, Lee Smith last week, Mariano Rivera next month.
And Kimbrel has been one of the most dominant relievers of his time, striking out 868 of the 2,087 batters he has faced on his way to 333 career saves, the most for any active pitcher.