Breaking down the 2022 Hall of Fame ballot

Surviving for another day

Scott Rolen, Omar Vizquel, Billy Wagner, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Mark Buehrle, Torii Hunter, Bobby Abreu, Tim Hudson, Jimmy Rollins

It is entirely possible that several players from this group end up being inducted into the Hall of Fame at some point. Likewise, it is entirely possible that at least one of these players falls off the ballot, perhaps as quickly as this year.

Of that group, Rolen likely takes the biggest jump towards induction. His excellent defense and steady offense have finally started to receive the attention they deserve as his vote total has jumped by more than 35% in the past two years. If he can receive that type of increase in votes again this year, he will be right on the cusp of induction.

Vizquel may be the most problematic of these players for the voters. The slick fielding shortstop would seemingly have a strong case based on his defense alone, but off the field issues cloud his candidacy. His wife had accused him of domestic abuse when she began divorce proceedings in December 2020, and in August 2021, a former batboy for the Birmingham Barons accused Vizquel of sexual harassment. He had already lost votes due to the abuse allegations in December 2020, and is likely to lose more votes due to the latest accusations.

For the most part, these players are going to fall into the Hall of Very Good. These are the players who had a solid career, and deserve to stay on the ballot, but will not get much traction. Maybe, down the line, when their careers are reviewed in the coming decades, that will change. But for now, the majority of these players will remain on the ballot, but fall short of the Hall of Fame.