Omar Vizquel in free fall in MLB Hall of Fame voting

It was not that long ago that Omar Vizquel appeared to be destined for the MLB Hall of Fame. The former Cleveland Indians shortstop had seen his vote total steadily increase since he first appeared on the ballot, going from 37.0% in 2018 to 52.6% in 2020. It seemed inevitable that Vizquel would be inducted.

That narrative has changed. Vizquel lost ground last year in the wake of domestic violence allegations. His vote total dropped to 49.1% last year, making it possible that he could regain that ground in future years. While his chances of induction had taken a hit, they were not completely lost.

Omar Vizquel in free fall in MLB Hall of Fame voting

Then new allegations came out. Vizquel was sued by a former batboy of the Birmingham Barons, a minor league club of the White Sox, who accused the former shortstop of sexual harassment in 2019. To say that Vizquel’s reputation has been tarnished would be an understatement.

That is already showing in the voting results. Although only 27 ballots have been made public via the Ball Hall of Fame Vote Tracker, Vizquel is in free fall, having lost eight votes. Curt Schilling, who has gone out of his way to alienate voters as much as possible, has lost only four votes at the same time.

It is obviously still early when it comes to the results. There are approximately 370 more ballots that need to be cast. Vizquel still has his supporters as there are voters who will separate what happened after his career from his accomplishments on the diamond.

It is also obvious that his support is waning. Vizquel’s entire Hall of Fame case was predicated on his excellent defense as he would not have been on the path to induction otherwise. His chances of induction are lost, possibly permanently, as his actions off the diamond have tarnished his accomplishments and his reputation.

Omar Vizquel had appeared to be on his way to being inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. His candidacy is now in free fall as he is hemorrhaging votes.