The 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame class will be revealed Tuesday (6 p.m. ET. MLB Network).
But will anyone join Fred McGriff, who was unanimously selected by the 16-member Contemporary Era committee in December, at this summer’s induction ceremony? The Baseball Writers Association of America has a good chance of electing no one for the second time in three years. It happened in 2021.
Of the 28 former players on this year’s ballot – 14 first timers – Scott Rolen received the most votes on all ballots in 2022 with 63.2%. This year he received 79% of the vote, listed on the publicly released ballot Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame Ballot TrackerHowever, that number should drop by at least 5% after all the votes are revealed.
A player needs 75% of the vote to be elected. Those who get less than five percent of the votes are excluded from the ballot.
A look at some of the candidates on the ballot and their Hall of Fame cases.
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Certainly, if you go strictly by performance and hardware, the Rodriguez is a no-brainer. Why, if not for a drug suspension, and one or two more seasons, he could have been baseball’s all-time home run king.
“Considering Rodriguez disclosed that he used PEDs for several seasons, was one of 15 players suspended for purchasing PEDs in the infamous Biogenesis case, how in the world could he have gotten in without Bond and Clemens?”
– Bob Nightingale
“Statistically or purely from an aesthetic standpoint, Beltran was one of the game’s most talented players, certainly within his era and by some measures of all time. Beltran hit 435 home runs and stole 312 bases, one of five in the 400-300 club.
“The odds are certainly in his favor. Beltran’s resume should age well, and as time goes on he will have a punitive vote against him for his sign-stealing role figure.”
– Gabe Lacques
“Rollen hit with consistent power and could play the hot corner. His eight Gold Glove Awards were tied with only Brooks Robinson (16), Mike Schmidt (10) and Nolan Arenado (10) among third basemen in MLB history. He is also one of 15 infielders. To win at least eight Gold Glove awards.
“It looks good for Rolen. This is the sixth time he’s been on the ballot, and given the momentum he’s seen and continues to gain over the past few years, he’ll be placed in Cooperstown.”
– Scott Bock
“For a five-year stretch from 2000-04, Helton was one of the best players in baseball. He was named to the NL All-Star team in each of those seasons – winning four Silver Slugger awards, three Gold Gloves and a batting title along the way. His 37.5 wins above replacement That span tied Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez for third in the majors.
But would Helton have been a great player if he hadn’t played all of his home games at 5,280 feet above sea level? This certainly helped boost his numbers. Helton’s 1.048 home OPS is the sixth-best in history among players who appeared in multiple games. Over 1,000 major league games. On the road, he presented less impressive, but still respectable. 855 OPS.”
– Steve Gardner
“Jones is one of four players to win 10 Gold Gloves with 400 career home runs. The others are Willie Mays, Mike Schmitt and Ken Griffey Jr. The center fielder’s 24.2 defensive WAR was the best in the game from 1998-2007. Future Hall of Famer Scott Rolen’s 15.1 a Not very close. In that stretch, Jones’ 57.6 WAR total was third in baseball behind Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds.
“Jones may have to sweat it out until his final appearance(s) on the ballot, but it’s hard to imagine his momentum going below 75%.”
– Jesse Yomtov
“A World Series-winning phenom for the Anaheim Angels at age 20, whose wipeout slider quickly earned him the nickname K-Rod, Rodriguez’s five postseason wins since his 2002 debut are matched only by Randy Johnson and Stephen Strasburg.
“His 62 saves in 2008 remain the single-season record, and his 437 career saves rank fourth all-time, tying him with Rivera and Hoffman by Veterans Committee Hall of Famer Lee Smith.”
– Lacquers
“One of the scariest hitters to ever enter the batter’s box, Gary Sheffield’s fearsome bat wiggle and violent swing signaled that his goal wasn’t just to make contact with the baseball. He wanted to pulverize it.
“He did that for 22 seasons after reaching the majors in 1988 at the age of 19. He was drafted No. 6 by the Milwaukee Brewers, Sheffield in 1986. Career. But unlike many power hitters, he had remarkable plate discipline, walking more times than he struck out. .”
– Gardner
“One of the most consistent performers on five World Series championship teams, left-hander Andy Pettitte enters his fifth year on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, presenting a compelling case as a New York Yankees legend — and admitted user of performance-enhancing drugs. .
“Pettitte holds the all-time records with 19 playoff wins and 44 starts, helping the Yankees win it all in 1996, ’98, ’99, 2000 and ’09 – his last ring coming after a stint with the Houston Astros.”
– Yomtov
“Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (of 377). That’s more than Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg (277), Joe Morgan (266) and Rodgers. Hornsby (265).
“This is his 10th and final year on the ballot and the votes are not there. However, Kent should be a strong candidate when he is eligible to be on the Contemporary Sports Era Committee ballot for 2026.
– book
Billy Wagner (eighth year)
“The inclusion of Trevor Hoffman appears to open the door for Wagner, the flame-throwing lefty who ranks sixth on the all-time saves list. He’ll almost certainly get in before the polls, which is a significant boost. He debuted on the ballot in 2016 with just 10.5% of the vote. close.”
– Yomtov
