The BBWAA has officially announced the names that will appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the class of 2017, and we’ve got some interesting newcomers. Sure, eyes will be on the possible induction of guys like Jeff Bagwell (7th year on ballot, 71.6% last year), Tim Raines (10th year on ballot, 69.8% last year), and Trevor Hoffman (2nd year on ballot, 67.3% last year) and some others, but let’s take a look at some of the new guys and what kind of chances they have to be headed to Cooperstown next summer.
Manny Ramirez:
Manny is a real tough one. Obviously as a Sox fan I have kind of a soft spot for the guy, and overall with what he did in his career I think he’s a no brainer for the Hall. 14th all time with 555 homers, and 1st all time with 29 playoff homers and 78 playoff RBIs. 21 grand slams in his career, 3rd all time. Only 10 people were intentionally walked more, only 12 had more extra base hits, and only 17 drove in more runs than Manny. But, as we’ve seen with so many great players before, PEDs are gonna play a role here. There’s no doubt Manny juiced at some point, as he was suspended for multiple positive tests, but the question is when? Was he juiced up in ’04, or was is a late career move to try to squeak a few more seasons out of his legs? Nobody’s really sure, and that uncertainty sure doesn’t help Manny’s chances for the Hall.
Ivan Rodriguez:
In my extremely uneducated opinion, Pudge should definitely be in on the first ballot. He caught more games (2,427) than any other catcher in MLB history and his WAR of 68.4 is 3rd among catchers all time behind two Hall of Famers, Johnny Bench and Gary Carter. He was one of the most durable, consistent catchers (and players) to ever play Major League Baseball, and certainly earned a spot among the greats. Although not as much as Ramirez, Pudge did face some PED rumors surrounding his during his career, including being named in Jose Canseco’s book Juiced as someone who was personally injected PEDs by Canseco. Pudge always denied these claims and never turned up in a positive test, so he won’t be hurt as much as some others, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Vladimir Guerrero
GOAT. Vlad definitely has the best chance of any newcomers of being a first ballot Hall of Famer. He was a 9-time All-Star, won 8 Silver Sluggers, and was AL MVP in 2004 after hitting .337 with 39 homers and 127 RBIs. Plus he didn’t wear batting gloves, smothered his helmet in pine tar, and swung at literally everything that was ever thrown at him. The dude once hit a ball that bounced before the plate, for Christ’s sake. Plus, he was never credibly linked to PEDs. Call me crazy, but Vlad’s gotta get in this year. And, surprisingly enough, HOF induction for Vlad would make him the first Dominican-born position player to be enshrined, joining Dominican pitchers Pedro Martinez and Juan Marichal.
Others:
Those 3 are the newcomers that have arguably the best chances to sneak on this year, but who else?
-Jorge Posada – .273 BA, .848 OPS, 1,065 RBI, 42.7 WAR in 17 seasons, all with the Yankees. Won 4 championships.
-Jason Varitek* – .256 BA, .776 OPS, 1,307 hits in 15 seasons, all with the Red Sox. Won 2 championships and caught MLB record 4 no hitters. Only player to ever play in the Little League, College, and MLB World Series (which is the coolest stat ever).
-Pete Rose – FREE PETE ROSE GOD DAMN IT
The 2017 MLB Hall of Fame class will be announced on January 18th, 2017 and the induction will take place in July.
*I know Tek’s a long shot, but had to throw him in. Guy’s a legend
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