Hot Stove season is just starting to heat up, but that’s not the only baseball news of the moment. The Baseball Hall of Fame released its ballot for the class of 2024 on Monday afternoon — one that features a stacked class of first-time candidates including Chase Utley, David Wright, Adrian Beltre and many, many more:
As announced moments ago by @baseballhall, the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot: pic.twitter.com/wBfOUheuF3
— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) November 20, 2023
In addition to Utley, Wright and Beltre, other first-timers that should merit serious consideration from voters include former catcher and AL MVP Joe Mauer, outfielder Matt Holliday, Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista and Padres, Red Sox and Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Bartolo Colon, Victor Martinez, Brandon Phillips, Jose Reyes and James Shields round out the rest of the newcomers on this year’s ballot, an honor generally reserved for players who spent at least 10 years in the Majors (regardless of their individual accomplishments or the likelihood that they actually make it to Cooperstown).
Last year’s Hall of Fame class featured just two players, with both Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff clearing the 75% threshold needed for induction. Of the holdovers from that ballot, former Rockies great Todd Helton was the next-closest at 72.2%, with closer Billy Wagner — now entering his ninth year of eligibility out of a maximum of 10 — inching up to 68.1% and Andruw Jones coming in at 58.1%. Helton seems a virtual lock to get in this time around; after that, though, things could be wide open with lots of interesting names but few slam dunks. (Matt Cain, Jered Weaver, Jacoby Ellsbury, Andre Ethier, John Lackey and R.A. Dickey are among those who didn’t clear the minimum 5% threshold in 2022 and will not be returning to this year’s ballot.)
Barry Bonds and many other stars from the steroid era have exhausted their maximum voting eligibility, some still remain — notably Gary Sheffield, the only player who will be entering his 10th and final year on the ballot. Sheffield only received 55% of the vote last winter, so it seems like his case will fall short. Likewise, Alex Rodriguez got just 35.7%, while Manny Ramirez received 33.2%.