Who will be joining Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen in Cooperstown next year?
McGriff and Rolen made up the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 and were enshrined on Sunday. Now, baseball fans can begin looking ahead to the 2024 ballot.
Next year’s voting will feature a handful of new candidates who have a chance of getting the call in their first year. It will also include some notable contenders looking to surpass the required 75% vote to become a Hall of Famer.
Here’s a look at the top names to watch in the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame voting process.
First-ballot potential
- Adrian Beltre
- Joe Mauer
- Chase Utley
Adrian Beltre has the best case among the new candidates for 2024, and he could very well become a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
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Beltre played third base for four teams throughout his 21-year career and was equally impactful with his glove and his bat. He is a member of the 3,000-hit club and currently stands at 31st on MLB’s all-time home run list with 477. As for his trophy case, he racked up four All-Star selections, five Gold Gloves, two Platinum Gloves and four Silver Sluggers
Joe Mauer and Chase Utley have compelling cases, as well. They each had strong peaks – Mauer as the 2009 AL MVP with the Minnesota Twins and Utley as a 2008 World Series champion with the Philadelphia Phillies – but they do not have the cumulative stats that Beltre does, meaning they could find themselves back on the ballot in 2025.
Returning candidates
- Todd Helton
- Billy Wagner
- Andruw Jones
- Gary Sheffield
Todd Helton came the closest of any player on the 2023 ballot that did not get enshrined.
The longtime Colorado Rockies first baseman was voted in on 72.2% of ballots, keeping him 11 votes shy of the requisite 75% while also a significant climb from the 52% he received in 2022. If he makes another jump in his sixth year on the ballot, he could find himself in Cooperstown next summer.
Billy Wagner (68.1%), Andruw Jones (58.1%) and Gary Sheffield (55.0%) were the three other players to appear on more than 50% of 2023 ballots. Time is ticking for each of them, with Sheffield entering his 10th and final year of eligibility, Wagner entering his ninth and Jones entering his seventh.
Returning longshots
- Carlos Beltran
- Alex Rodriguez
- Manny Ramirez
Carlos Beltran (46.5%), Alex Rodriguez (35.7%) and Manny Ramirez (33.2%) got the next-most votes in 2023, but they have a long way to go to potentially land in the Hall of Fame. Beltran is in the early stages of his voting journey, as 2022 was his first year on the ballot. Rodriguez and Ramirez, two steroid users, will have a tougher time gaining the required votes during their waning eligibility.
Omar Vizquel (19.5%), Andy Pettitte (17.0%), Bobby Abreu (15.4%), Jimmy Rollins (12.9%), Francisco Rodriguez (10.8%), Mark Buehrle (10.8%) and Torii Hunter (6.9%) will also be back on the ballot in 2024 after staying above the 5% minimum threshold in 2023.
First-year longshots
- David Wright
- Matt Holliday
- Bartolo Colon
- Adrian Gonzalez
- Jose Bautista
- Jose Reyes
- Victor Martinez
David Wright and Matt Holliday each reached seven All-Star Games, more than Mauer and Utley (six each), so they could each hold spots on the ballot for years to come. Adrian Gonzalez and Victor Martinez were both five-time All-Stars.
Jose Bautista and Jose Reyes each were league leaders at their peaks with Bautista becoming a two-time home run king and Reyes leading MLB in stolen bases three times.
Bartolo Colon’s case would mostly be based on longevity – he pitched until he was 45 years old, has 247 career wins and collected 2,535 strikeouts. He was also one of MLB’s best pitchers at his apex, culminating with the 2005 AL Cy Young Award.
