The San Francisco Giants may be on the verge of rewriting their own rules when it comes to honoring franchise icons-and all signs point to Barry Bonds finally getting his due in bronze.
For years, the team’s unofficial policy has been straightforward: Hall of Fame induction is the bar for a statue outside Oracle Park. That’s why Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, and Gaylord Perry stand immortalized beyond the outfield walls. But that long-standing standard may be shifting-and Bonds is at the heart of the conversation.
Giants CEO Larry Baer made waves this week with comments that suggest Cooperstown no longer holds the keys to statue-worthy status in San Francisco. Speaking candidly about Bonds, Baer said, “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.”
That’s not just a passing comment. That’s a philosophical pivot.
Bonds, of course, is one of the most dominant players the game has ever seen. A seven-time MVP, he holds the all-time home run record with 762 and spent 15 unforgettable seasons with the Giants, redefining what it meant to be feared at the plate. His presence transformed the team and the ballpark-Oracle Park was practically built around his mythos, with McCovey Cove turning splash hits into a spectacle.
Despite his on-field accomplishments, Bonds has remained on the outside looking in when it comes to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, his candidacy clouded by the steroid era. But if the Giants are ready to separate franchise legacy from Hall of Fame politics, that’s a game-changer.
And it’s not like Bonds has been estranged from the organization. In recent years, he’s reconnected with the team in advisory and instructional capacities. The Giants retired his No. 25 back in 2018-a clear signal that, regardless of what happens in Cooperstown, Bonds is part of the Giants’ DNA.
Now, Baer’s comments have shifted the conversation from “if” to “when.” The idea of a Bonds statue no longer feels like a hypothetical-it feels like a matter of time.
Adding Bonds to the lineup of Giants legends outside Oracle Park wouldn’t just be about numbers. It would be about recognizing the impact he had on an entire era of San Francisco baseball.
"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."
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 2, 2026
– SF Giants President/CEO Larry Baer on a future Barry Bonds statue outside of Oracle Park. pic.twitter.com/97awB1mySc
No player in modern Giants history has loomed larger, both figuratively and literally. A statue would be a fitting tribute-not just to his stats, but to his singular place in the franchise’s story.
If the Giants are indeed ready to honor greatness on their own terms, then Barry Bonds is the obvious next step. And for fans who watched him dominate the game from the shores of McCovey Cove, the wait for that long-overdue statue might finally be nearing an end.