2023 MLB HOF Ballot

 Back at it again, another year another Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, I still don’t have an actual vote, but we’ll continue to work toward the BBWAA! Let’s not waste any time let’s dive right into a sneaky juicy ballot:

1. Alex Rodriguez

Like Clemmons, Bonds, and to a lesser extent Curt Schilling, you cannot tell the story of baseball without Alex Rodriguez. For 20 years Alex Rodriguez had his fingerprints all over the framework of baseball. Rodriguez has the 5th most home runs of all-time, yes aided by steroids, but those juiced home runs still count. A-Rod also has the 4th most RBI’s ever, and more hits than Dave Winfield, Ichiro, and Rickey Henderson. As well as over 300 stolen bases and a .295 career average. To some, A-Rod is the most talented player they have ever seen.

All of that is before you add up the World Series ring and three MVP awards. And when major of star players are lucky to play 140 games, Rodriguez played over 150 games nine seasons and possibly could have made it 10 seasons without a suspension from the middle of 2013 through 2015.

I also understand the layer that will be added to the “Steroid Era” conversation if Alex Rodriguez gets into the Hall of Fame, but again, at the end of the day the Baseball Hall of Fame is a museum and Alex Rodriguez should be in that museum.  

2. Carlos Beltran

Beltran’s career is such an interesting one. In a small way it could be compared to A-Rod’s. Beltran started his career on a small market team, was that team’s best player, went to a team in Texas and put-up ridiculous numbers, before coming to the big apple to be “the guy” to help push a potential World Series contender over the edge. While A-Rod won a ring and got off the hook with years upon years of coming up short in the playoffs, Beltran never freed himself from that narrative with the Mets.

Beltran has one of the best postseason runs in the history of the game with the 2004 Houston Astros. He the image of the 2006 New York Mets season as he stood frozen in the left-handed batter’s box as St. Louis danced their way to the World Series. Another layer to Carlos Beltran’s that mirrors Alex Rodriguez’ is the cheating part. The only World Series ring that Beltran has is one of the most tainted titles in the history of baseball and Beltran is one of the masterminds behind it. With the Astros cheating scandal still fresh (ish) in the minds of the baseball populous, that will be used against Beltran just like the guys in the steroid era and may keep Beltran out of the hall.

 

3. Manny Ramirez

Ramirez was the most feared right-handed hitter of the early 2000’s. He was one of those guys you couldn’t pitch to when the game mattered most because if you did, he would burn you. But, that’s not why he’s a HOF’er. He was a two-time champion, a World Series MVP, Top Five in MVP nine times (more importantly eight of those times were in a row!), hit over 550 home runs, and finished with a .312 career batting average. Ramirez also had a higher career OPS+ (154) than A-Rod, David Ortiz, Fred McGriff, and Jim Thome.    

4. Jeff Kent

I will die on the hill that Jeff Kent is one of the best second baseman to ever play the game. I’ve exhausted almost every word I can with Jeff Kent. Kent has hit the most home runs and created the most RBI’s ever by a second baseman. He’s the best offensive second baseman to play.

5. Scott Rolen

Welcome to my Baseball Ted Talk: Defense matters. For all the home runs, RBI’s, Stolen Bases, Strike Outs, and Walks—diving plays, sliding catches, bare handed plays, and picks matter as well. Maybe more, because keeping runs off the board is one of the ways to win games. Scott Rolen is one the few players to play both sides of the ball. Rolen of the defensive players in baseball history. The former third baseman also collected over 2,000 hits, 300 home runs, 1,200 RBI’s. Rolen has a career WAR of 70.1 and to the common voting public the number to be considered a Hall of Famer is 75. However, another voting criteria is being the best player at your position for a prolonged period of time. Scott Rolen was the best defensive third baseman from 1998-2007 and that matters!

6. Andruw Jones

As I was saying about defense. Jones is the best defensive centerfielder ever! If Major League Baseball renamed the Platinum Glove—Andruw Jones would be at the top of consideration for the namesake for the award. Jones won a Gold Glove in centerfield 10 years in a row. Re-read that sentence. 10 years of anything is impressive, and being the best defensive centerfield is extremely impressive.

Defense is a part of the game and should be celebrated.

7. Andy Pettitte

Like defense, the postseason matters. To some people, it’s the only part of the season that matters and Andy Pettitte is the best starting pitcher to toe the rubber in the playoffs.

Sure, postseason success is based on the success of the team during the regular season, but once you get to the postseason, the bright lights can be too big, not for Andy Pettitte. The former South Paw Starter recorded over 3,000 innings, 2,400 strike outs, and 250 wins. Yes, he only won over 20 games twice in his career, but he won 19 games in the postseason. Pettitte’s season average was 214 innings per season but pitched 276 postseason innings throughout his 18-year career.

Athletes are ultimately defined by how they perform in the playoffs. Some only get to the postseason once, some don’t make it at all, and some never perform up to their standard during the postseason, others outperform themselves in the postseason—Andy Pettitte belongs to the last category—and that’s perfectly fine. Five rings are five rings. Pettitte had ice water in his veins when it mattered most, and I would take him in a big game over a handful of pitchers in the history of the game. And, if you are in that category, you belong in in the hall.  

8. Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner owns the best strike out per nine innings percentage in the history of baseball. Yes, Billy Wagner, not Mariano Rivera, or Nolan Ryan, or Satchel Paige, Walter Johnson, Roger Clemmons, or Randy Johnson. Wagner has the 4th most saves of all-time as well. He was the most dominant reliever in the National League for a eight-year period (1999-2007) with Trevor Hoffman ringing Hells Bells on the West Coast.

Wagner is the guy that when someone brings him up and your first reponse is “who? No way!” Then, you look at his stats and remember exactly how good and feared he was during his prime. Billy Wagner is the face of an almost forgotten Hall of Famer!

It wouldn’t be one of my HOF Ballots without the baseline that I’m using this year to vote for this years’ ballot. If you’re new, here are the rules behind the baseline concept: The Baseline of players are on the current years’ ballot and in my mind are good enough to belong on the ballot but not good enough to get in. In other words, the “Hall of Very Good.” Here is the 2023 Baseline:

1. Todd Helton

2. Bobby Abreu

3. Jimmy Rollins

4. Francisco Rodriguez

5. Torii Hunter

There it is my Hall of Fame ballot for 2023. Please let me know what you think and further the conversation on Twitter @notthefakejleo.