2025 Baseball Hall of Fame Class

This year's official ballot, 28 in total

Bobby Abreu
Carlos Beltrán
Mark Buehrle
Carlos González
Curtis Granderson
Félix Hernández
Torii Hunter
Adam Jones
Andruw Jones
Ian Kinsler
Russell Martin
Brian McCann
Dustin Pedroia
Andy Pettitte
Hanley Ramírez
Manny Ramirez
Fernando Rodney
Alex Rodriguez
Francisco Rodríguez
Jimmy Rollins
CC Sabathia
Ichiro Suzuki
Troy Tulowitzki
Chase Utley
Omar Vizquel
Billy Wagner
David Wright
Ben Zobrist

 

For me, Ichiro is the only surefire lock. Andruw Jones should be in, and I could be talked into several others, but Ichiro should be unanimous.

 

Is it just me or are the only locks to drop off the ballot next year Zobrist and Rodney? Seems like a whole lot of Hall of Very Good candidates this year. If you told me multiple people who fail to get the 5% this year are then perennial Veterans Committee candidates two decades from now, I would absolutely believe you.

 

I lean in your direction, although I don't see Buehrle or Hanley Ramirez getting 5%. Pedroia might, but it's hard to take that too seriously, either.

On Dick Allen ... hell yes, he should be in.

 

I am not emotionally prepared to see a former Rome Brave on the HOF ballot. Getting old was supposed to happen to other people, not me.

 

I think there's going to be the normal churn of Hall of Very Good guys who will go one-and-done without ever seeing a Veterans Committee ballot, but I think Zobrist will hang on for a year or two. He feels like the rare player who will have some old- and new-school supporters. Old-school guys are gonna love Zobrist because he was a Proven Winner who got Tampa into the World Series and was the difference-maker on consecutive champs in 2015 and 2016 (and won the World Series MVP when the Cubs won it all for the first time in 108 years). And new-school guys are gonna love him b/c he was a modern game delight...nearly 45 in WAR, played all over the diamond and did everything well. Drew a walk, hit for power, played everyday. He's not going to the HOF but I can see him getting a little bit of support for a couple years.

 

Buehrle's actually been on the ballot for four years -- he got eight percent last time

 

I'd guess Carlos González, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, Russell Martin, Fernando Rodney and Ben Zobrist drop off immediately

 

A-Rod will live to see another ballot but too many anti-roiders holding voting rights.

 

Even I, a White Sox fan who loved to watch Buehrle pitch, admit he’s not Hall material.

What’s crazy is that, a decade after his career ended, there is no way any Major League team would sign him or use him, even at the peak of his ability. By and large, pitching to contact doesn’t have a place in this era.

It’s still amazing to me that someone with his style of pitching had both a perfect game and a no hitter.

 

Absolutely.