It is that time of year once again. The 2022 Hall of Fame ballot has officially been announced, with 30 players hoping to get the call that means immortality. Ballots are already starting to trickle in, and while it will be weeks until the official results are announced, hope springs eternal.
Of course, that hope is a lot stronger for some players on the ballot. For the vast majority of the 13 newcomers, the hope is to just get a vote or two, an acknowledgment that their careers were solid enough to warrant consideration. Enshrinement may not happen, but that does not change how solid of a career these players had.
A closer look at the 2022 Hall of Fame ballot
For four other players, this is the last chance to be voted in. They have come to the end of their ten years on the ballot, and would need to be inducted by the Veteran’s Committee otherwise. The rest of the players may have more time, but no one wants to wait until the last moment to get that call.
This year, 30 players are hoping to get the call from the Hall of Fame to become immortalized. Let’s take a closer look at the ballot.
One and done
Mark Teixeira, Carl Crawford, Jake Peavy, Justin Morneau, Prince Fielder, Joe Nathan, Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Papelbon, A.J. Pierzynski, Ryan Howard
This is an impressive group of players. We have former Cy Young winners, All Stars, MVPs, and players that made history. We also have a group of players with almost no chance of having a second year on the ballot.
Maybe some of these players will get a vote or two. A couple of them may even come close to reaching that 5% threshold to remain on the ballot for another year. But that does not change the fact that their careers, no matter how noteworthy, are simply not Hall of Fame caliber.
Each of these players had a solid career worthy of being remembered. But the only way they should find their way into Cooperstown is with a ticket.