The 2025 HOF ballot: One sure thing and a bunch of questions

Ichiro is certainly going to make the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Will anyone be joining him in 2025?

Mar 21, 2019; Tokyo,JPN; Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (51) speaks during a press conference after the game against the Oakland Athletics at Tokyo Dome.
Mar 21, 2019; Tokyo,JPN; Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (51) speaks during a press conference after the game against the Oakland Athletics at Tokyo Dome. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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Alex Rodrigue
Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Fox News playoff baseball commentator Alex Rodriguez before the game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez

If your analysis of these candidates is based purely on numbers, these guys are in. The voters who judge by that standard (and that standard alone) is why they’ve gotten about 35 percent of the vote in previous ballot cycles.

The obvious problem is getting beyond the numbers and into the pharmaceuticals. That’s what kept Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro out, and it’s what has Ramirez and Rodriguez stuck in the 30% range for all these years.

Manny is now in his ninth season on the ballot, so his time is running out. A-Rod is only in his fourth, so if somehow viewpoints change, he could theoretically still get in. Either way, voting on these two isn’t objective; it comes down to a referendum on steroids and performance enhancing drugs in the game.