Here are the best seasons by HOF ballot newcomers

January 21st, 2023

There are 14 new players up for election to the Hall of Fame this year. Let's look back at the No. 1 standout seasons of the careers that got them onto the ballot.

None of the group is likely to make it this year -- we'll know for sure on Tuesday, when the Hall of Fame election results are announced. And for some, this will end up being their only year on the ballot. But all of them had at least one Hall of Fame-quality season.

Here's the best season by every newcomer to the Hall of Fame ballot in 2022-23.

Bronson Arroyo
2006 (Reds): 14-11, 3.29 ERA, 184 K, 240 2/3 IP

The only season Arroyo got Cy Young votes was 2010, but the only season he got MVP votes was 2006. That was his first year in Cincinnati, where Arroyo was a workhorse and a great 1-2 punch with Aaron Harang. Arroyo led the Majors with 240 2/3 innings pitched, ahead of NL Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb. His 3.29 ERA and 184 strikeouts were career bests.

Carlos Beltr¨¢n
2004 (Royals/Astros): 38 HR, 42 SB, 104 RBIs, 121 R, .915 OPS

Beltr¨¢n's 2006 season with the Mets was probably his best regular-season performance. But his sensational 2004, featuring a historic playoff run, makes that the choice for No. 1. Not only did Beltr¨¢n nearly join the 40-40 club during the regular season, but he also had one of the greatest postseasons of all time after he was traded from the Royals to the Astros. Beltr¨¢n tied Barry Bonds' record with eight home runs in a single postseason, and he batted .435 in Houston's two series.

Matt Cain
2012 (Giants): 16-5, 2.79 ERA, 193 K, 219 1/3 IP, perfect game

Cain's 2012 season with the Giants was his best statistically, included his greatest individual achievement and ended with his second World Series ring. The right-hander set career highs in wins, ERA and strikeouts and finished sixth in Cy Young voting. Best of all, he threw the 22nd perfect game in AL/NL history on June 13 against the Astros. Cain tied Sandy Koufax's record for the most strikeouts in a perfect game, with 14. Then he helped pitch the Giants to their second championship in three years. Cain started the clinching win over the Tigers.

R.A. Dickey
2012 (Mets): 20-6, 2.73 ERA, 230 K, 233 2/3 IP, 5 CG, 3 SHO

Dickey is the only knuckleballer to win a Cy Young Award. This was the season. No one could hit Dickey's knuckler in 2012 -- the 37-year-old led the NL in strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games and shutouts, and set a Mets franchise record with a 32 2/3 scoreless-innings streak. Dickey beat out Clayton Kershaw for pitching's highest honor and joined Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden as the only Mets pitchers to win the Cy Young (Jacob deGrom came later).

Jacoby Ellsbury
2011 (Red Sox): .321/.376/.552, .928 OPS, 212 H, 32 HR, 39 SB, 105 RBIs, 119 R

With all due respect to his 2009 season -- when he led the Majors with 70 steals and the AL with 10 triples -- Ellsbury's peak was 2011. The 27-year-old transformed into an elite power-speed threat, joining the 30-30 club while maintaining his elite contact ability as a .300 hitter who reached the 200-hit mark. He even won a Gold Glove Award in center field. Ellsbury finished as the runner-up for AL MVP to Justin Verlander.

Andre Ethier
2009 (Dodgers): .272/.361/.508, .869 OPS, 31 HR, 106 RBIs

Ethier spent all 12 seasons of his career as a Dodger, and he was in the MVP mix in his best season, although no one could touch peak Albert Pujols in 2009. Still, Ethier slugged a career-high 31 homers and reached 100 RBIs for the only time, winning a Silver Slugger Award and finishing sixth in the MVP race. He added three more homers in the playoffs.

J.J. Hardy
2008 (Brewers): .283 AVG, .821 OPS, 24 HR, 74 RBIs, +13 DRS

Hardy had a great run in Baltimore from 2011-14, including three consecutive Gold Glove Awards and a Silver Slugger Award at shortstop. And there's also his breakout All-Star season in Milwaukee in 2007. But the next year might have been his best combination of offense and defense. Hardy had the best OPS of his career, played the same caliber shortstop as he did for the O's and led the Brewers to their first playoff appearance since 1982, batting .429 in the postseason.

John Lackey
2007 (Angels): 19-9, 3.01 ERA, 179 K, 224 IP

Lackey deserves a nod for his rookie season, 2002, when he was called up in June and became an instrumental part of the Angels' World Series-winning rotation. But the year he put up in 2007 was too impressive from beginning to end. Lackey was the ace of the AL West champions, won his only ERA title and was an All-Star, Cy Young Award finalist and an MVP vote-getter for the only time.

Mike Napoli
2011 (Rangers): .320/.414/.631, 1.046 OPS, 30 HR, 75 RBIs, 36% CS

You might not remember just how good Napoli's numbers were in 2011 -- a .300 average, 30 homers and an OPS over 1.000 as a catcher. On a division champion with Adri¨¢n Beltr¨¦, Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young, Napoli might have been the Rangers' best hitter that year. And his playoffs were just as great, highlighted by a .350 average with two homers, 10 RBIs and a 1.164 OPS against the Cardinals in an all-time-classic World Series.

Jhonny Peralta
2005 (Cleveland): .292/.366/.520, .885 OPS, 24 HR, 78 RBIs

This is a tossup with Peralta's first season with the Cardinals in 2014, when he was good enough to get a few MVP votes. But let's go with his breakout season with Cleveland in 2005, when he took over the shortstop position from Omar Vizquel. With all the pressure, Peralta batted .292 with 24 homers -- the most by a Cleveland shortstop since Woodie Held in 1959 -- while the team jumped from 80 wins to 93.

Francisco Rodr¨ªguez
2008 (Angels): 62 SV, 2.24 ERA, 77 K

An easy one. K-Rod set the MLB single-season saves record with 62 in his final year with the Angels in 2008, and his mark still stands. Rodr¨ªguez even finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting -- he's still the last reliever to finish in the top three -- and placed sixth in the MVP race.

Huston Street
2014 (Padres/Angels): 41 SV, 1.37 ERA, 57 K

Honorable mention goes to Street's rookie season in 2005 -- he was the AL Rookie of the Year with the A's and posted a 1.72 ERA and 23 saves. But his 2014 season was even better. Street reached the 40-saves mark for the first time and had the lowest ERA of his career, and he got to be the closer for a division champ after the Padres traded him to the Angels mid-season.

Jered Weaver
2011 (Angels): 18-8, 2.41 ERA, 198 K, 235 2/3 IP

The Angels' longtime ace has a few contenders for his No. 1 season -- you could pick any year from 2010-12, when Weaver was an All-Star and top-five Cy Young finisher all three seasons. In 2010, he set a career high with 233 strikeouts and finished fifth in Cy voting. In 2012, he pitched a no-hitter, led the AL with 20 wins and finished third. But in 2011, Weaver had his lowest ERA across his highest number of innings pitched, and he finished just shy of 200 strikeouts. He was the runner-up for Cy Young to MVP Justin Verlander.

Jayson Werth
2009 (Phillies): 36 HR, 20 SB, 99 RBIs, .879 OPS

Werth was a huge part of the Phillies' powerhouses from 2007-10. In '08, he batted .444 in the World Series as Philadelphia won its first championship since 1980. In '10, he led the NL with 46 doubles and had 75 extra-base hits, finishing eighth in MVP voting. But in '09, Werth not only finished with a career-high 36 homers and 20 stolen bases while making his only All-Star team, he also belted seven postseason home runs as the Phillies won the pennant.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com