On January 23, 2024, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will announce the results of its Hall of Fame vote. Any electees will be inducted into the 2024 Hall of Fame during the HoF Weekend on Sunday, July 21. They’ll be joined by previously announced legend, manager Jim Leyland, selected by the committee deciding on Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players
Of the 26 people on the ballot, 14 were on for the first time. Here are the possible picks.
If I could actually vote, the first one I’d pick would be Gary Sheffield (10th and final year, 55%). But I expect he’ll come up short because of both the steroid allegations, his mouth, and his mediocre defense.
The next three have also been on the ballot for a while
2. Todd Helton (6th year, 72.2%) – definite HoF numbers diminished in writers’ minds because his home games were in a mile-high stadium, but he’s on the cusp of 75%, and I expect he’ll make it
3. Billy Wagner (9th, 68.1%) – a solid reliever for many years
4. Andruw Jones (7th year, 58.1%) – great defensive outfielder. He provided great offense, too, until his numbers took a precipitous drop.
I suspect Helton and Wagner will make it to the HoF.
Newcomers
5. Adrián Beltré (1st year) – with over 3,000 hits, decent power and batting average, plus a great glove, he’s the only newbie who is close to a lock to get into the Hall
6. Matt Holliday (1st year). A solid performer for a lot of years.
7. Jimmy Rollins (3rd year, 12.9%) – I’m hoping his numbers would go up in a less crowded ballot, but it hasn’t been the case
8. The problem with Carlos Beltrán (2nd year, 46.5%) is the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Many voters don’t see his guilt to be significant enough to keep him out of the Hall, if not this year then down the road.
9. Francisco Rodriguez (2nd time, 10.8%), a solid reliever, not getting much love
10. Andy Petitte (6th year, 17.0%). He came clean about his using PEDs early, and MLB did not ban it at the time. But I doubt he will ever make the Hall.
Not voting for
Alex Rodriguez (3nd year, 35.7%). A great offensive and defensive infielder, one of the greats in baseball history. As Wikipedia noted, “Rodriguez amassed a .295 batting average, over 600 home runs (696), over 2,000 runs batted in (RBI), over 2,000 runs scored, over 3,000 hits, and over 300 stolen bases, the only player in MLB history to achieve all of those feats.” Yet, he was using PEDs after they were banned and lied about it. He was ultimately suspended for the 2014 season. His vote increase from the previous year was negligible.
Manny Ramirez (8th year, 33.2%), a quality player, served a 50-game suspension in 2012 for the second drug policy violation.
Omar Vizquel (7th season, 19.5%), a great defensive shortstop, “is seeing his chances at the Hall of Fame disappear because of two scandals involving domestic violence and sexual harassment.” The latter is particularly lurid. His vote count went DOWN by over four percentage points.
Several others I would consider include first-timers Chase Utley, Joe Mauer, and Bartolo Colon.
I’m so happy that Jim Leyland is going into the Hall!
As for the players up for induction…I dunno, I can’t get too excited about it. I can’t quibble with their credentials, but all the politicization and moralizing of the HOF vote the last bunch of years has left a bad taste in my mouth, and the idea that players like Bonds and Clemens shouldn’t be in is nonsensical to me.
I’ve had debates over Bonds and Clemens, who I wanted to see go in, i part because the rules were fuzzy at best prior to 2004. But ARod, e.g., surely should have known better.