2025 Hall Of Fame Ballot

The following players are on the BBWAA ballot for 2025. After I tell you who they are, I will tell you who I'd vote for if given the chance. Let's start with the new names and then go over the holdovers from last year's ballot. They are - 

Carlos Gonzalez 

Curtis Granderson 

Felix Hernandez 

Adam Jones 

Ian Kinsler 

Russell Martin 

Brian McCann 

Dustin Pedroia 

Hanley Ramirez 

Fernando Rodney 

CC Sabathia 

Ichiro Suzuki 

Troy Tulowitzki 

Ben Zobrist 

Billy Wagner (10th year on the ballot) 

Manny Ramirez (9th) 

Andruw Jones (8th) 

Omar Vizquel (8th) 

Andy Pettitte (7th) 

Bobby Abreu (6th) 

Mark Buehrle (5th) 

Torii Hunter (5th) 

Alex Rodriguez (4th) 

Jimmy Rollins (4th) 

Carlos Beltran (3rd) 

Francisco Rodriguez (3rd) 

Chase Utley (2nd) 

David Wright (2nd) 

     Each voter can vote for up to ten players for the Hall of Fame. If I were a voter, I'd cast my ballots for Billy Wagner, Andruw Jones, Bobby Abreu, Chase Utley, Ichiro Suzuki, and CC Sabathia. 

Wagner enters his tenth and final ballot with some pretty impressive numbers among closers, ranking eighth in career saves (422) and sixth in games finished (703). The owner of a 2.31 ERA and 33.2% strikeout rate, Wagner finished his career in 2010 with arguably his best season, posting a 1.43 ERA in 69 1/3 innings with 104 strikeouts and converting 38 saves at age 38. After finishing five votes short last ballot, I really hope he gets in this time. 

Andruw Jones was a standout defensive centerfielder (10 consecutive Gold Gloves) and a feared slugger (434 home runs). He was the runner-up for the NL MVP Award in 2005 when he led the league with 51 homers and 128 RBI's. However, a brutal end to his career leaves him with a .254 career batting average and a lack of certain counting stats, and so far the voters haven't been able to look past that. 

Bobby Abreu was one of the most underrated players of his day. A modern day Bob Johnson, Abreu quietly collected 2,470 hits, 400 stolen bases, and eight seasons with over 100 RBI's while rarely leading his league in offensive categories. His career slash line was .291 / .395 / .470, and he captured a Gold Glove in 2005. 

Chase Utley was an outstanding defensive second baseman who also provided considerable power, belting 259 career homers and over 30 in three individual seasons. A key player on the Phillies' run of five consecutive playoff appearances from 2007 through 2011, Utley tied Reggie Jackson's record with five home runs in the 2009 World Series. 

Ichiro Suzuki is pro baseball's all time hit king with 4,367, with 1,278 coming in Japan and 3,089 coming in MLB. A two time AL batting champ and ten time Gold Glover in rightfield, Ichiro set the MLB record for the most hits in a season with 262 in 2004. 

CC Sabathia pitched 19 seasons in the Majors, totaling 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. A six time all-star and AL Cy Young winner in 2007, Sabathia led both leagues in shutouts in 2008 and won a World Series ring with the Yankees in 2009. 

This year I only selected six players on my make believe ballot, but there are more guys with a chance to get in. Carlos Beltran will probably get in before long and both Kinsler and Pedroia may get in eventually, but I couldn't bring myself to vote for any of them after their participation in the sign stealing scandals a few years ago. Although he languished at 13.5% of the vote last year, Andy Pettitte is an intriguing candidate, given his counting stats and impressive postseason resume. Still, he seems like more of a Hall of Very Good player than a Hall of Famer to me. David Wright is a popular player and was truly great in his prime, but his career was just too short to merit serious consideration. 

Classic Baseball Era Committee Ballot

A few days ago, the Hall of Fame announced the 2025 Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot, which considers those who made their greatest impact on the game before 1980. Here are the eight men on the ballot: 

John Wesley Donaldson was a negro league pitcher and outfielder from the mid-1910's to 1932, with some sources crediting him with more than 400 wins and 5,000 strikeouts. He was a big name in the early days of negro league barnstorming, playing for and managing his own team called Donaldson's All Stars, and was voted a first team member of the Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the greatest negro league players of all time in 1952. 

Vic Harris played in the negro leagues for 25 years, compiling a .308 batting average in documented games and earning a reputation as a ferocious baserunner. As a manager, he led the Homestead Grays to seven NN2 pennants. 

Ken Boyer played third base and centerfield from 1955 through 1969, most notably with the St. Louis Cardinals. An all-star in seven seasons and a five time Gold Glove winner at third, Boyer was the NL's MVP in 1964, driving in a Major League best 119 runs and leading St. Louis to the World Championship. 

Dick Allen was one of the most feared hitters of his era, slashing .292 / .378 / .534 (156 OPS+) from 1963 through 1977, twice leading the AL in homers and capturing an MVP Award in 1972. However, shaky defense, a lack of counting statistics, and a bad reputation with the press has thus far kept him out of Cooperstown. 

Tommy John, as you may have guessed, was the first pitcher ever to undergo Tommy John surgery in 1974, which has changed pitching forever. This allowed him to pitch 26 seasons in the Majors (1963 through 1989), throwing over 4,700 innings and collecting 288 wins before finally retiring at age 46. 

Luis Tiant pitched from 1964 through 1982 and captured two ERA titles, including a microscopic 1.60 ERA in 1968. As renowned for his personality as for his pitching, Tiant won 20 or more games in four different seasons and 229 in his career. 

Steve Garvey played first base for the Dodgers and the Padres from 1969 through 1987, earning a reputation as one of the game's best fielders. A ten time all-star and the NL's MVP in 1974, Garvey knocked in over 100 runs in five different seasons and twice led the NL in hits. 

Dave Parker replaced the legendary Roberto Clemente in the Pittsburgh outfield in 1973, and while there will never be another Great One, he had a very solid career of his own. A two time batting champion and NL MVP in 1978, Parker collected over 2,700 hits and drove in almost 1,500 runs. 

Each voter can vote for up to three candidates. If I were a voter, I'd choose Boyer, Allen, and Tiant. 

    Boyer and Tiant were solid contributors for good teams across their careers, and while Allen had his problems with the press, they never really did him justice. And although his defense was awful, he was the most feared hitter in baseball for a decade, and you can't overlook that. 

    I am a bit wary of electing negro leaguers because their records are very spotty and the quality of play is questionable. And I think the Hall has elected enough negro leaguers, a higher percentage than traditional MLB players anyway. 

    While Tommy John was able to play in the Majors longer than anyone else until Nolan Ryan surpassed him in 1993, he was never really elite. He was typically a decent pitcher, very good in his best seasons, but never won a Cy Young Award or an ERA title. John's career winning percentage (.555) and ERA (3.34) were good, but significantly worse than the Hall of Fame average. And despite his longevity, he still didn't win 300 games... 

    Steve Garvey was one of the most popular players of his generation, but probably also the most overrated. He rarely walked and wasn't a good baserunner, and didn't have the kind of power that would compensate for that. And apparently the voters in California aren't checking his name on their ballots either, as he lost the Senate race to Adam Schiff a couple days ago. 

    While Parker was a dynamic player in his youth, his career really hit a downturn in the early 1980's, and by the end of the decade he was a essentially limited to DH duties. He too didn't walk much, and struggled with injuries throughout his career. 

Well, there you have it. Who would you vote for?