My Hall of Fame ballots

Hi! It has been a busy couple of weeks, with university work ramping up and other things going on in my life. I am glad to be back writing, and am looking forward to writing some interesting offseason posts.

This is a bit of a different post, as it is mainly non-Blue Jays related, though a few former Jays will come up. As an aspiring sportswriter, being a member of the BBWAA and casting a ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame would be a dream come true. Despite not having a vote, I will discuss who I would chose to make the Hall of Fame if given the opportunity.

To preface my picks, I am a believer that the Hall of Fame should be incredibly exclusive. As the name of the museum suggests, inductees should only be those who are considered "all-time greats". Some players on the ballot had excellent careers, but I believe they still fall short of being one of the game's greatest players. As for steroid users, my opinion is conflicted. Barry Bonds is one of, if not, the greatest players to ever step on a baseball field. Even before his obvious steroid usage (which he still denies), he won two MVP awards in Pittsburgh and kickstarted a Hall of Fame-worthy career. Same goes for Roger Clemens, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history and someone whose career is undoubtedly deserving of a place in the Hall of Fame. If those two players never get in (which I believe they should), then no player linked to steroids — including the previously inducted David Ortiz — should ever be voted in. I also like to compare candidates with previous Hall of Fame inductees who I consider some of the weaker members of the Hall, with recent examples including Harold Baines and former Blue Jay Scott Rolen, the latter of whom was inducted via the BBWAA ballot. I expect my picks, especially non-picks, to be controversial, but everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion.

BBWAA ballot

This year, over 300 BBWAA members will each cast a ballot, with players requiring at least 5% of the total vote to remain on the ballot for another year, and 75% for induction into Cooperstown. To be eligible, players are required to have played 10 MLB seasons and have been retired for at least 5 seasons, meaning this year's first-timers last played in the 2020 season. Last year, 15 players achieved the 5% minimum threshold and will remain on the ballot. The most notable of whom is Manny Ramirez, who will appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the 10th and final time.

Here are the BBWAA candidates, listed in alphabetical order and their seasons in Toronto (if applicable): * = first ballot, ** = final ballot

Bobby Abreu	Carlos Beltran	Ryan Braun*	Mark Buehrle (2013-15)
Shin-Soo Choo*	Edwin Encarnacion (2009-16)*	Gio Gonzalez*	Alex Gordon*
Cole Hamels*	Felix Hernandez	Torii Hunter	Andruw Jones
Matt Kemp*	Howie Kendrick*	Nick Markakis*	Daniel Murphy*
Dustin Pedroia	Hunter Pence*	Andy Pettitte	Rick Porcello*
Manny Ramirez**	Alex Rodriguez	Francisco Rodriguez	Jimmy Rollins
Chase Utley	Omar Vizquel (2012)	David Wright

Unlike some years, this is a fairly weak ballot, and none of the newcomers feel worthy of even being considered for induction. I was shocked to see that Felix Hernandez only achieved 20.6% of votes on his first ballot last year. Despite never reaching the postseason after spending his entire career in Seattle, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball over a seven year stretch from 2009-15, winning one Cy Young Award in 2010 and finishing runner-up in 2009 and 2014. Andruw Jones has a slight case, but I think he is a level or two below a Hall of Fame player. As for the steroid users — Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez — it would be entirely unfair to previous steroid users such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens if they were to get inducted through the BBWAA ballot.

Although many writers who vote for the Hall of Fame often pick multiple names, even close to the 10-player maximum, my ballot would only have one name: Felix Hernandez. While I do believe in having a small Hall of Fame, this ballot genuinely does not offer much choice. In some years, there can be multiple Hall of Fame probables or locks who retire. However, that was not the case in 2020, making this one of the weaker BBWAA ballots in recent years.

Veteran's Committee ballot

In addition to the standard BBWAA ballot, every year, a small group of voters known as the Veteran's Committee, vote on managers, executives, umpires, and players who are no longer on the BBWAA ballot. As per the Hall of Fame's rotating cycle of time periods, this year's Veteran's Committee will vote on the "Contemporary Baseball Era" ballot, consisting of players whose biggest impacts came after 1980. The two most notable names on the ballot are 7x MVP and all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, as well as 7x Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens. Along with Clemens, another former Blue Jay, Carlos Delgado, will have an opportunity to be enshrined in Cooperstown. As with the BBWAA ballot, candidates must receive 75% of the vote for induction. Voters for this ballot will meet at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL on December 7th, with the results being announced at 7:30 the same evening on MLB Network.

Here are the Contemporary Baseball Era candidates, listed in alphabetical order and their seasons in Toronto (if applicable):

Barry Bonds	Roger Clemens (1997-98)	Carlos Delgado (1993-04)
Jeff Kent (1992)	Don Mattingly (bench coach: 2024-25)	Dale Murphy
Gary Sheffield	Fernando Valenzuela

As I stated earlier, Bonds and Clemens are obvious choices. Their greatness cannot be denied, and they were both undoubtedly Hall of Famers before PED usage, with Bonds having won MVP twice and Clemens winning 3 Cy Young Awards and the 1986 AL MVP. Even looking past the steroids, I do not believe Gary Sheffield has a Hall of Fame resume, falling just short, in part due to his off-field antics. Despite Don Mattingly winning an MVP award and Dale Murphy winnning twice, I believe that both are in a category just below Cooperstown. While I would like to see Carlos Delgado elected and become the second player to represent the Blue Jays in Cooperstown, I do not see it happening.

My ballot would consist of of only Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. However, if I had to guess, I would bet that at least one player is inducted, and not either of my picks. Out of everyone here, I believe Don Mattingly has the highest likelihood of being inducted, and I think he will be inducted to the Hall of Fame next summer.