The 2025 MLB Hall of Fame ballot has been announced, with some clear-cut walk-ins, and some players that might need a little more convincing. Animal House’s annual look at the MLB Hall of Fame class; which new, and returning, players will be enshrined forever this year?
The 2025 Hall of Fame ballot pic.twitter.com/1aULjT6Dsg
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 18, 2024
First-Timers
First Ballot
Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro should go into the Hall of Fame as the second-ever unanimous entry. Yankees’ closer Mariano Rivera was inducted unanimously in 2019.
Ichiro has accumulated 3,089 hits in his MLB career, and if you add on the 1,278 hits in the Nippon Professional Japanese league, he has the most hits all-time across all of baseball, with 4,367. His 3,000+ hits is even more impressive when you add in the wrinkle that he did not make his MLB debut until he was already 27 years old.
His career batting average never dipped below .300. He won both Rookie of the Year and MVP for the 2001 Mariners, a team that tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the all-time single season wins record at 116. From 2001 – 2010, Ichiro won 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards, three Silver Sluggers, two Batting Titles, an MVP, and was generally considered one of the most dangerous hitters in all of baseball, despite not being a big power threat. Alongside Tony Gwynn and Pete Rose, Ichiro is arguably one of the best bat-to-ball players to have ever existed.
CC Sabathia
World Series winner as the Ace of the New York Yankees, a Cy Young Award winner, over 3,000 strikeouts, and a workhorse on the mound, CC Sabathia should find it relatively easy to get into the Hall of Fame.
Sabathia was the last of a dying breed of pitchers: the Work Horse. Sabathia pitched 19 seasons, he threw 3,577.1 innings. For context, amongst active players Justin Verlander, a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer, in his 19 years, has thrown 3,415.2 innings. The next closest active player is Max Scherzer, who has thrown 2,878.0 innings in his 17 years of baseball. With the approach to pitching in today’s game, only allowing pitchers to go five or six innings and not exceed 100 pitches (and heavy reliance on the bullpen), it’s likely we have seen the last of pitchers like CC Sabathia.
Will Need Some Help
Felix Hernandez
King Felix broke into the league at just 19 years old, and went on to play 15 seasons and had a tremendous career. Hernandez was a Cy Young Award winner, two-time ERA title winner, and laid the ground work for people to stop counting wins as a pitchers stat. He walked so Jacob deGrom could run, winning his Cy Young with a 13-12 record in 2010. Hernandez’s peak from ’09 – ’15 was sensational, but he might not have the sustained longevity needed for the Hall of Fame.
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia was an excellent second baseman that won Rookie of the Year, MVP, and two World Series while being the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox for a decade. Much like Felix, his peak could be considered Hall of Fame worthy, but injuries in his early 30s cut down his career. Pedroia also has one of the weaker MVP campaigns in the last 25 years. Unfortunately, he most likely doesn’t have the accrued stats to be in the Hall.
Brian McCann
I’m not sure where the public lands on Brian McCann’s Hall of Fame status, but to me he is borderline. It’s difficult to be a career catcher at the MLB level, let alone be a career catcher who also contributes to winning. McCann did that consistently for 13 years, 10 in Atlanta, compiling seven All-Star appearances and five Silver Sluggers with the Braves.
Great Players, But Don’t Have a Real Shot
The rest of the first-timers on the ballot are all players that I think very fondly of, considering I grew up watching all of them. However, these players don’t have the peak, longevity, or milestones necessary to be Hall of Famers.
Ian Kinsler, Troy Tulowitzki, Ben Zobrist, Curtis Granderson, Hanley Ramirez, Russell Martin, Adam Jones, Carlos Gonzalez, Fernando Rodney.
Returning Players
Close to Getting In
Billy Wagner – 10th year (73.8%)
Wagner just missed the cut last year. Now on his final year on the ballot, he should easily, and finally, get in to the Hall of Fame.
Andruw Jones – 8th Year (61.6%)
Absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame and I am so sick of acting like it’s a tough decision. I’ll die on this hill. Jones has been steadily increasing every year. If we’re being honest, it feels like he is most likely going to be a 10th year guy, much like Wagner.
Carlos Beltrán – 3rd Year (57.1%)
Unlikely to get in this year, but Beltran has also been climbing the ladder to that coveted threshold. Another guy that I personally think should be a no doubter Hall of Famer.
Steroids
Manny Ramirez – 9th Year (32.5%)
Alex Rodriguez – 4th Year (34.8%)
Obviously, both of these guys should be in the Hall of Fame. They are arguably two of the greatest right-handed hitters of all-time, and certainly have the stats to back it up. Manny will never see the Hall, but there is still a sliver of hope A-Rod can crack through. It will be important to monitor how his percentage grows this year.
Honorable Mentions
Other players on the ballot that will most likely not make the Hall of Fame, despite what I think:
Chase Utley, Bobby Abreu, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Francisco Rodriguez, Torii Hunter, David Wright.
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