What candidates for the temple of baseball renown are neglected by voters? What starter does Ace have the best case of CoopStown? And to what extent is a short peak really important?
When 2025 class of the fame of fame is announced on January 21 on MLB Network, the answers to these questions should become clearer. But for the moment, we have asked 55 experts from MLB.com for their reflections on several key points related to this year HOF candidates. (You can also consult our personnel forecasts on which will be enthroned.)
What do you think was the most underestimated by BBWAA voters at this point?
Carlos Beltrán: 9 votes
Bobby Abreu: 8 votes
Chase Utley: 8 votes
Andruw Jones: 7 votes
Alex Rodriguez: 5 votes
Torii Hunter: 4 votes
Billy Wagner: 4 votes
Manny Ramirez: 3 votes
Mark Buehrle: 2 votes
David Wright: 2 votes
Francisco Rodríguez: 1 vote
Omar Vizquel: 1 vote
Jimmy Rollins: 1 vote
Interestingly, 13 of the 14 return candidates received at least one vote here. Only Andy Pettit was excluded (but he will be discussed in our next question).
Beltrán, who represented seven clubs from 1998 to 2017, obtained the most votes in our survey. One of the 58 players to reach the Benchmark of 400 HomerThe stars voltiseur nine times was appointed out of 57.1% of BBWAA voting bulletins during the HOF vote in 2024, the third highest rate among the return candidates.
Players must appear on 75% of voting ballots to win the induction, and Beltrán – with eight years remaining on the ballot – could be on the right track to do so.
“It is one of the 10 best switch-fractors of all time that have played a premium position at an elite level for more than a decade,” said Andy Werle, editor supervising content operations. “He unfairly put the weight of the volley scandal of the 2017 Astros signs.”
Rodriguez, who obtained five votes in our survey, also saw a disconnection between his stellar number and his voting share (34.8% in 2024). But this is due to its accepted use of drugs improving performance, for which it was suspended for the 2014 season.
“No question, his use of PED tarnishes his achievements to a certain extent,” said the journalist of the club AJ Cassavell. “But it’s simple enough for me: he is one of the best players of all time and should be in the Hall of Fame.”
Jones, who was appointed on 61.6% of BBWAA voting bulletins last year, may have the best chance among returnees, apart from Wagner, reaching 75% in 2025. The 434 Curaçao native circuits and a capacity of 0.823 careers could give him a Hall of Fame shooting – and his example capacity could put it by the Glove.
“The defense has been underestimated during the HOF vote over the years,” said Sweeny Murti, principal contributor to MLB Media. “We all appreciate it as the necessary element of the championship teams. Some people consider the lack of defense – or at all (DH) – like a reason not to vote someone for MVP or HOF. I think that exceptional defense should be valued the same thing as the exceptional strike or tanning, and in the case of Jones (or 2023 intrigue -inducting Scott Rolen) Make the player with a very good player with a very good player.
Speaking of good offensive figures, a return player on the 2025 election compared well to a legendary striker who was inducted with 97.6% of the vote on his first test. Bobby Abreu obtained eight votes in our survey, tied at tie at most behind Beltrán, but he only obtained 14.8% of the BBWAA 2024 vote. The director of statistics and research MLB.com, Mike Petriello, was one of those who did the Cooperstown of Abreu.
“Tony Gwynn and Abreu had AP totals and almost identical matches,” said Petriello. “Abeu has reached the base more times, hit twice as many circuits and stole more bases. Everyone has won gold gloves. Their OPS + and FWAR brands were almost identical. The main difference between the legend of the first ballots ” and “probably completely deposit the ballot? The love of the striker of the shot and the game factor for the game for yourself you-entre-carré. »»
Chase Utley, Abreu teammate on Phillies from 2003 to 2006, also received eight votes from MLB.com staff. The six -time All -Star was among the best in his position during the top of his career – undoubtedly as good as a few seconds of a consecrated basic.
“The peak war of seven years of Chase Utley was better than that of Ryne Sandberg and Roberto Alomar, to compare it to two modern seconds in the room,” said Sam Dykstra, main journalist for prospects. “Focus on this on its counting statistics and refuses mediocrity in the Dodgers years.”
Who do you think of the three following three CP candidates have the most convincing case in the renowned temple?
Félix Hernández: 32 votes
Andy Pettitte: 18 votes
Mark Buehrle: 5 votes
It is clear that among the starting launchers, CC Sabathia will be considered a cup above this trio, perhaps even on the first ballot this year. We therefore did not include it in this question.
Given this, King Félix was the king of our survey, with a majority of our voters naming him here. During its enormous summit, the Mariner career was up there with any starter in MLB, winning six stars appearances in seven years – and winning Al Cy Young the only year that he was not selected.
“Mark Buehrle and Andy Pettit have both been excellent for a long time, but none was really in the conversation for the best baseball launcher,” said Rick Gold, publisher supervising content operations. “Félix Hernández was really dominant to its peak, and while the workloads of the launchers continue to decrease, I think that the voters will begin to appreciate the real AS, even if their counting statistics do not correspond to the launchers of the previous eras.”
Despite Hernández’s excellence, his relatively short career could keep it outside Cooperstown. The right -hander has never made 30 departures during a season after being 30 years old, and he launched his last match at 33 years in 2019. Players like Hernández with short peaks (although memorable) often manage to reach the 75%threshold, a spell that could only happen the king.
“I understand why King Félix will not cost the room,” said Anthony Castrovince, principal national journalist. “But in general, I think there must be a modern recalibration for what constitutes a renowned pitch career of the renowned temple. And in that day, his turn brief but remarkable as one of the really elite weapons of the game is impressive. No discussion of the game in the 2010s is complete without him.
Playing entirely during the long dryness of Seattle in the playoffs, Hernández never had the chance to make his mark in October. This was not the case for Pettitte, however: many of our voters who chose the left -handed mentioned his expertise in playoffs, including his five World Series rings with the Yankees.
“In addition to its 18 seasons in the big leagues, Pettitte has compiled for another dominant year of statistics in the playoffs: 276 2/3 heats, 19 victories, 3.81 ERA,” said senior content producer Daniel Conroy. “Even if it was a by-product to be in the right team at the right time, the big left-hander was a reliable arm for almost two decades.”
Each of the four candidates of the following players had an impressive peak but a relatively short career. Each rate similarly according to Jay Jaffe analysts widely used “JAWS“Metric for Hall of Fame Worthness. Who do you think of the most convincing HOF?
Dustin Pedroia: 39 votes
David Wright: 12 votes
Ian Kinsler: 2 votes
TROY TULOWITZKI: 1 vote
Several of our voters have described this a close call between Pedroia and Wright, but more than two thirds of our voters have selected the former Red Sox second goal player. One of the four players to follow a recruit of the year with the MVP honors in the 2nd year, Pedroia had a huge start to his career of 14 years before the intervention of injuries.
With Pedroia now on the renowned temple ballot for the first time, it is difficult to predict how voters will assess its impact on sport. But even if he does not go to Cooperstown, his career remains memorable.
“The story of a player like Dustin Pedroia is what makes baseball brilliant,” said Zac Vierra, director of social media. “He obtained each ounce of talent from his 9 -inch frame, played the game stronger than anyone and was a second -goal player. The curriculum vitae speaks of itself: recruit of the year, MVP, All-Star, Gold Glover, world champion. If it was not injuries. ”
Wright, a finalist with our voters, has also dealt with injuries. Held at just 77 games played after his 31 -year season, the seven times third goal player for the stars for the food has left many people wondering what could have been. But even what was – the excellent summit of Wright – was worthy of the renowned temple according to the standards of many.
“I think there is no doubt that if the injuries do not completely zaper Wright of the majority of the thirties in the big leagues, it is a Slam-Dunk choice,” said Jesse Borek, content producer for prospects. “What makes an interesting argument – often, these are launchers on which we seem to focus on their” peak “and the bypass of longevity; In the case of Wright, its 2005-13 Slash line with one time with one time. Field and an exemplary representative of the game outside it. »»
Wright obtained 6.2% of the vote in 2024, his first year on the BBWAA ballot – not well above the 5% threshold required to stay on. It remains to be seen where Pedroia lands the vote in 2025 and if his advance on Wright among our voters will be reflected on the official election.
“Pedroia may have an MVP prize and two World Series championships, but Wright was the best player,” said research news and news director Thomas Harrigan. “The Wright + life ops of 133 are north of the top of a Pedroia season of 131, and it erases Pedroia by a significant margin in the circuits (102 others), the produced points (245 more), flies (58 others) and stars selections (three others).”
