The BBWAA Hall of Fame vote came out Tuesday night. From the vote, only David Ortiz was voted in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Notable names such as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Tim Hudson fell off the ballot. The first 4 reached the 10-year-limit and Hudson failed to reach 5% of the vote.
Several Phillies players will be returning to the HoF ballot in 2023.
Third baseman Scott Rolen was the closest to enshrinement with 63.2% of the vote. The 7X All-Star continues to garner support. In his career, he accumulated 70.1 WAR, 8 Gold Glove awards, and a rookie of the year award. Third basemen are underrepresented in Cooperstown, so Rolen definitely has a solid chance.
Curt Schilling fell off the ballot in his 10th year with 58.6% of the vote. While having Hall of Fame worthy numbers, especially during the postseason, he controversially called on the BBWAA to remove him from the ballot after last year’s vote. Many believe Schilling has shot himself in the foot with his social media presence in the last few years.
Billy Wagner reached 51% of the vote this time around. Wagner is 6th in MLB history with 422 saves in his career. From 2004 to 2005, 59 of those saves came with the Phillies. He had a 1.86 ERA in those 2 seasons. In 16 seasons, he posted a 2.31 ERA.
On his first ballot, Phillies’ all-time hits leaders garnered 9.4% of the vote. Jimmy Rollins won the 2007 MVP, won 4 Gold Gloves, and made 3 All-Star games to his credit. His HoF case remains on him being one of the most significant shortstops of his generation. He’ll return on the 2023 HoF ballot.
Also returning is Bobby Abreu. He stayed stagnant at 8.6%. On the 2021 ballot, he got 8.7% of the vote. He might stick around but he’s unlikely to make the HoF. His overall slash line of .291/ .395/.475 is his best case for election.
The most notable Phillie to not make 5% of the vote was the “Big Piece” Ryan Howard. Howard got just 2% of the vote. From 2005-2011, he put up HoF statistics but dropped off severely for the rest of his career.
Jonathan Papelbon received just 1.3% of the vote. Although his public image took a beating, Papelbon was a great closer for the Phillies. His 123 saves are a club record for the Phillies.
Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire
