The San Francisco Giants may be nearing a change in how the franchise honors its greatest players at Oracle Park. Recent comments from team leadership have brought legendary slugger Barry Bonds back into focus.
For years, the Giants have treated Hall of Fame induction as the standard for a statue outside the ballpark. This approach may no longer apply. On Monday, Giants CEO Larry Baer indicated the organization does not view Cooperstown as the only pathway to permanent recognition, signaling a change in how the franchise evaluates legacy.
Bonds, a seven-time MVP, remains one of the most accomplished players in the sport’s history. He spent 15 seasons in the Bay, setting the modern MLB home run record at 762 and defining an era at the waterfront ballpark. Hall of Fame voting outcomes have kept him outside Cooperstown, but Baer suggested the team does not need that result to frame his place in franchise history.
The conversation gained steam after The Dan Patrick Show shared the remarks from the team's CEO to its official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, highlighting how the organization now defines its statue criteria and that Bonds meets the standard.
“The five (statues) that we have are in the Hall of Fame. That's been, sort of, our criteria – but we view Barry as a Hall of Famer even though he's not in the Hall of Fame.”
"The five (statues) that we have are in the Hall of Fame. That's been, sort of, our criteria – but we view Barry as a Hall of Famer even though he's not in the Hall of Fame."
– SF Giants President/CEO Larry Baer on a future Barry Bonds statue outside of Oracle Park. pic.twitter.com/97awB1mySc
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 2, 2026
The message reads as more than a passing remark. It signals that the Giants are prepared to honor their history without waiting on Hall of Fame committees to validate it.
Bonds has already reconnected with the organization recently in advisory and instructional roles. The Giants also retired his number in 2018, a significant acknowledgment even without a plaque in Cooperstown.
For fans, Baer’s comments shift the discussion from whether a statue is possible to when it may happen. With Oracle Park already honoring Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, and Gaylord Perry, a statue of Bonds would place the most dominant player in Giants modern history alongside the franchise’s legends.
