The FAN 2024 Baseball HOF Ballot THE RESULTS ARE IN!

[RI Richmark]

Well the BBWAA released its ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2024. And once again it's time to have our say

Last year no players crossed the 70% threshold for induction (unlike the actual BBWAA which voted Scott Rolen in). We have been a notoriously hard group to impress but with 12 new names and some still popular stars returning let's see if someone breaks through.

Unlike the actual Hall of Fame vote a player only needs 70% of all votes for induction. All other rules remain the same as the rules for the BBWAA. You can vote for up to 10 of the players listed here. If for some reason you don't think any of the players are worthy then there is a blank ballot option but if you click it you can't vote for anybody else.

Voting will close and the winners will be announced on Jan 1, 2024 a couple of weeks before the Hall of Fame announces it's results. Have fun and good luck to all the nominees.

[fw91]

Adrian Beltre, Billy Wagner, Alex Rodriguez

[6pathsoftommy]

Carlos Beltran, Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Joe Mauer, Gary Sheffield, and Billy Wagner

[sfvega]

Same as last year: A-Rod, Helton, Andruw, and Wagner.

[BRV]

Here are my seven inductees and the reasoning behind each selection.

- Carlos Beltran: He was, by all indications, a ringleader of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, arguably baseball's biggest on-field scandal since the "Black Sox," but I've always been of the mindset that if a player belongs in the Hall of Fame for their on-field merits, then they're a Hall of Famer on the first ballot, and punishing them by making them wait a few years is just childish. Beltran's career was marked by incredible longevity, winning Rookie of the Year in the 1990s, being a five-time All-Star and multiple-time MVP candidate in the 2000s, and earning four more All-Star selections in the 2010s. He was a true five-tool player until injuries started wearing on him in his 30s, and his performance in the 2004 postseason is still the stuff of legends. Want to put a note on his plaque for his role in aiding the Astros' cheating? Be my guest. But don't ignore that he was one of the best overall players in the game for a solid decade-plus.

- Adrian Beltre: It's refreshing to finally get a new crop of nominees who have no steroid stink attached to them, and Adrian Beltre is a prime example of that. Beltre has all the hallmarks of a Hall of Fame career: 3,000 hits, just shy of 500 home runs, five Gold Gloves, four All-Stars, and four Silver Sluggers. He aged gracefully, playing better in his 30s than his 20s, he was a stellar defensive player at the hot corner, and his love of the game was infectious.

- Todd Helton: He may have had the benefit of the Mile High air of Coors Field for the duration of his career, but Helton raked wherever he played. He hit .300 or better 12 times in his 17-year career, including a .372 season in 2000 when it seemed entirely plausible that he’d flirt with .400. Even though he had the thin air of Denver to his advantage, he wasn’t just a power hitter, hitting 30 or more home runs six times. He could seemingly put the ball anywhere on the field at a whim, making it look effortless at times. While he never won an MVP award and was largely overshadowed in the National League by the likes of Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols, he has five All-Stars and three Gold Gloves on his resume.

- Andruw Jones: He probably won’t ever get into Cooperstown, but man does he deserve it. Probably the best defensive centerfielder of his era right alongside Jim Edmonds, Jones won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves patrolling center for the Braves. Jones deserves recognition for his defensive acumen alone, but it’s his bat that puts him over the top as an inductee for me. His 434 home runs are eye-popping numbers for a guy best regarded for his defense.

- Joe Mauer: It's a close call, as Mauer doesn't have the counting stats on his side (2,100 hits, less than 150 homers, defense that tailed off rapidly in the later part of his career), but during his eight-year prime from 2006 through 2013, he was one of the very best players in the game and easily the best catcher in the sport. Four top-10 MVP finishes, including an MVP in 2009 when he hit an eye-popping .365, Mauer averaged slash lines of .327/.410/.473/.883 for nearly a decade. A strong prime with a good career built around it is enough for enshrinement in Cooperstown for me.

- Manny Ramirez: An admittedly biased pick given my allegiances, but Manny Ramirez's credentials are impossibly to deny. He was a weapon in the batter's box, making hitting look effortless. A career .312 hitter with 555 home runs, he will face the wrath of voters because of his links to performance-enhancers but you could tell with his beautiful, natural swing that he was just made for baseball. He would have been a .300 hitter even if he didn't juice, as he and Albert Pujols were nos. 1 and 1a as the best right-handed hitters of their era.

- Alex Rodriguez: It's a tough call, because I've refused to vote for players like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Gary Sheffield, and they don't carry nearly the scarlet letter that A-Rod carries. He's an ADMITTED steroid user who missed an entire season of play because of his role in the Biogenesis scandal. But, like Barry Bonds, Rodriguez's talent alone made his career Hall of Fame worthy before the steroid use began in 2001. He was a five-tool weapon when he was in Seattle, a legitimate heir apparent to Ken Griffey Jr.'s throne in the Emerald City. There's a reason he earned that 10-year, $252 million contract from the Rangers, which was absolutely eye-popping when he signed it. I have no choice but to hold my nose and cast a ballot for A-Rod.

[RI Richmark]

Just bumping up this thread for a few last minute votes.

And it will be closing sooner than I thought. I intended to lock this tomorrow at 5:00 PM but I accidentally set it for 5:00 AM instead. Oops.

Well anyway, with 21 voters so far a player will need 15 votes to cross the 70% threshold.

And with 132 votes cast by 21 voters that means the average voters cast their vote for a little over 6 players.

In case you're wondering who I voted for:

Carlos Beltran
Adrian Beltre
Joe Mauer
Manny Ramirez
Alex Rodriguez
Billy Wager

We'll see the results in a few hours. Good luck to all the nominees.

[RI Richmark]

Well the results are in and only one player was able to cross the 70% threshold required for induction:



Alex Rodriguez

Widely considered one of the greatest talents in the history of the game, Rodriguez dominated the sport since he first arrived in the Majors at the age of 18.

A 14 time All-Star, 10 time Silver Slugger and 3 time AL MVP, Rodriguez was also a 5 time AL Home Run Leader and his 696 Home Runs are 5th on the All-Time Home Run list. He won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009.

Although associations with PEDs have tainted his career (with him even being suspended for the entire 2014 season) his talent was undeniable.

Rodriguez got 16 votes good for 76% of the votes.

Of the others Adrian Beltre came the closest falling one vote short. His 14 votes were good for 67%. He was followed by Andruw Jones with 13 votes (62%), Billy Wagner with 11 (52%) and Manny Ramirez & Joe Mauer each with 10 (48%). No other player got double digits. Gary Sheffield only got 6 (29%) votes in his final year on the ballot.

So congratulations to A-Rod and I'd like to thank all of FAN for participating. And good luck to the nominees in the actual Hall of Fame voting in a few weeks. See you again next year.