Breaking down the 2023 Hall of Fame ballot

Eyeing that 5% threshold: John Lackey, Torii Hunter, Mark Buehrle

All three of these players had solid careers, with their performances getting some attention from the voters. It is now a matter of getting the writers to pay more attention.

Hunter would seemingly have a solid enough case to get more consideration. He was a five time All Star, won two Silver Slugger awards, and took home nine Gold Gloves as he was one of the best defensive outfielders of his time. His 110 OPS+ with 353 homers, 498 doubles, 2452 hits, and 195 steals show what type of a dynamic threat he was during his career. Maybe getting to those round numbers would have made a difference, but he deserved better than the 5.3% of the vote he earned last year.

Buehrle is not a player whose career would seemingly indicate that he would make the Hall of Fame. He posted a 214-160 record with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.281 WHiP over his 3283.1 innings, striking out 1870 batters with 734 walks. A five time All Star and four time Gold Glove winner, he was a solid pitcher, but not someone that would normally find his way to enshrinement.

Lackey is a similar player to Buehrle from a numerical standpoint. He posted a 188-147 record with a 3.92 ERA and a 1.295 WHiP over his 2840.1 innings, striking out 2294 batters with 815 walks. While he made just one All Star Game, Lackey was also a three time World Series winner, including in 2016 with the Cubs. Being a part of that curse breaking team could give him the boost needed to stay on the Hall of Fame ballot for another year.