If I had a Baseball Hall of Fame vote...
Here's who I'd pick to be inducted into Cooperstown in 2024.
The Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2024 will be announced on Jan. 23. It’s a stacked group, especially if you’re willing to let in the PED guys. Spoiler alert: I am.
I don’t have a Hall of Fame vote, but it’s still fun to fill out a ballot for shits and gigs. I’m also sick of seeing so many outlandish ballots posted to social media filled out by baseball writers who are clearly seeking attention. I’m not saying I’m smarter than the average Hall of Fame voter, but let’s just say many of them should have their privileges revoked.
Anyway, below is a blank 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. The first-year candidates are Jose Bautista, Adrian Beltre, Adrian Gonzalez, Bartolo Colon, Matt Holliday, Victor Martinez, Joe Mauer, Brandon Phillips, Jose Reyes, James Shields, Chase Utley, and David Wright. It’s Gary Sheffield’s final year on the ballot.
Voters can pick up to 10 players.
In case you’re interested, here’s my 2023 ballot.
And here’s who I’d vote to be inducted into Cooperstown in 2024:
Carlos Beltran
As of now, Beltran is under the 75 percent threshold for induction at 65.1 percent. That number would be slightly higher if I had a say. As I wrote last year, Beltran was a true five-tool talent and one of the greatest postseason performers in MLB history. He finished his illustrious career as a nine-time All-Star with 435 homers and 312 steals. He should be a shoo-in and the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal shouldn’t matter.
Adrian Beltre
It’s looking like Belte will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer as the leading vote-getter (98.2 percent), and rightfully so. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was a unanimous selection. The four-time All-Star was among the top third basemen in baseball for almost 20 years. A five-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger, he’ll go down as one of the greatest all-around players at the position ever. A no-brainer.
Todd Helton
Helton is No. 2 in the voting so far at 83.5 percent, so he should be in barring any surprises. He’s one of the few Colorado Rockies greats you can’t use the “but Coors Field!” excuse for. In 4,612 road plate appearances, Helton hit .287/.386/.469 with 142 homers and a .855 OPS. Overall, the slugging first baseman hit slashed .316/.414/.539 with 369 homers in his 17 seasons, all with Colorado. Hopefully, the voting will continue to trend in Helton’s favor.
Andruw Jones
It’s looking like Jones will have to wait at least another year as he’s currently tied with Beltran at 65.1 percent. That’s a shame. Jones is probably the greatest defensive center fielder in MLB history and was no slouch at the plate either, finishing his career with 434 homers and a .823 OPS. His production fell off a cliff at age 30, but to me, his peak was stellar enough to earn an induction.
Joe Mauer
All signs point toward Mauer joining Beltre in the class of 2024 as a first-year inductee (82.6 percent). The former Minnesota Twins catcher checks almost all of the boxes as an MVP, six-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glover, three-time batting champ, and five-time Silver Slugger, at arguably the toughest position in the sport. I’m thrilled the voters appear to be getting this one right.
Manny Ramirez
Here come the all-time greats whose reputations are tainted by PED use/allegations. I’ve made it clear that the legends from the steroid era should be inducted and it’s a joke that Barry Bonds didn’t get in. I’d feel the same about Manny if he’s snubbed, which appears to be inevitable as he has just 40.4 percent of the vote as of this writing. Cooperstown without one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time who helped Boston to two World Series titles just wouldn’t feel right.
Alex Rodriguez
Cooperstown wouldn’t feel right without A-Rod either. Say what you will about him — and there’s a LOT to say — but he’s one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game with or without PEDs. What it boils down to is that the Baseball Hall of Fame is a museum that tells the history of the sport. It’s supposed to highlight the most talented players to ever suit up on a big-league diamond. Want to throw an asterisk next to his name? Go for it, but A-Rod needs to be in. Sadly, he most likely won’t get in (43.1 percent) because of stubborn voters who refuse to get down from their high horse.
Gary Sheffield
Another name connected to PEDs, though he’s fortunately trending much better than Ramirez and Rodriguez at 74.3 percent. The bad news is this is his final year on the ballot and it would be gut-wrenching to see him miss out on induction, especially by such a slim margin. Sheffield was one of the most feared hitters in his generation and finished his 22-year career with 509 homers and a .907 OPS… but sure, leave him out of the Hall. Makes total sense.
Billy Wagner
This is Wagner’s ninth year on the ballot, so he’ll have one more chance to be inducted next year if he doesn’t get in this time around. He currently has 80.7 percent of the vote.
As I mentioned when I “voted” for Wagner last year, he had the disadvantage of playing in the same era as two Hall-of-Fame closers Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. That makes it easy to forget just how dominant he was, especially during a decade-long stretch in which he was virtually unhittable. The seven-time All-Star ended his stellar career with a 2.31 ERA and 0.998 WHIP to go with 1,196 strikeouts and only 300 walks in his 16 MLB seasons (903 innings).
How would your 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot look? Let me know in the comment section.
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