The baseball names who made it to the 2023 ballot of the Baseball Hall of Fame have been released with a couple of names unsurprisingly there.
Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez are on the list, two names that could have easily made it to the first ballot based on their accomplishments alone.
On one end is Ramirez, one of the game’s most imposing sluggers during his prime. In 14 seasons, he averaged 34 home runs and boasted a .314/.411/.600 slash line. His .996 career OPS is 12th all-time.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, is a three-time AL MVP and a 14-time All-Star. He is fifth all-time in home runs with 696 and is the second-best shortstop in MLB history based on Baseball-Reference.
While their resumes alone are decorated, both were embroiled in steroid-related issues. Both tested positive for banned substances at some point when they were still actively playing. This resulted in Ramirez and Rodriguez garnering only 28.2% and 34.3% respectively in 2022.
Others who garnered votes include Scott Rolen and Todd Helton. The former amassed 62.3% votes, placing him as a potential surefire inductee. Helton is not that far behind with 52%.
Rolen fell short of meeting the 75% threshold in his first five years on the ballot. He is an eight-time Golden Gloves winner and held a .281/.364/.490 slash line.
Helton, on the other hand, dealt with his share of adversity. Having to pay the Coors Field tax, the thin air of the Mile High City aided his performance. However, his park-adjusted numbers lay out how he was a potent hitter independent of his surroundings. Helton posted a 133 OPS+ and a 132 wRC+.
Aside from these four names, there were 10 other names on the list of new additions to the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
These were Carlos Beltran, R.A. Dickey, Jacoby Ellsbury, Francisco Rodriguez, Huston Street, John Lackey, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Cain, Jayson Werth, Mike Napoli, Jered Weaver, J.J. Hardy, Jhonny Peralta and Andre Ethier, the Post reported.
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