Wagner gets final shot; CC, Ichiro arrive as 2025 Hall of Fame ballot released
Brian Murphy
@Spokes_MurphyThe 2025 Baseball Writers¡¯ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot was released on Monday. It is headlined by one of baseball's best hitters (Ichiro Suzuki), one of its best starting pitchers (CC Sabathia) and one of its best closers (Billy Wagner), each of whom could be in the same Cooperstown class next summer.
Ichiro and Sabathia lead a group of 14 players who are on the ballot for the first time. That includes Red Sox two-time World Series champion Dustin Pedroia and another Mariners legend in F¨¦lix Hern¨¢ndez. The other first-timers are Carlos Gonz¨¢lez, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, Ian Kinsler, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Hanley Ramirez, Fernando Rodney, Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Zobrist.
But it¡¯s Ichiro and Sabathia who, among the first-timers, have the best chance of receiving the 75% of the vote necessary for enshrinement. Ichiro is a member of the Majors¡¯ 3,000-hit club, but his pro hit total soars past 4,000 when you include his career in Japan¡¯s Nippon Professional Baseball. The 2001 Rookie of the Year and American League MVP, Ichiro had 10 200-hit seasons, 10 All-Star selections and 10 Gold Glove Awards. Might he become the second player unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame?
Sabathia, a 2009 World Series champion with the Yankees, was one of the most reliable and productive starters in MLB history. A six-time All-Star who captured the AL Cy Young Award in 2007, he is one of 15 pitchers with at least 250 wins and 3,000 strikeouts.
Wagner, in his 10th and final year on the ballot, is the likeliest returning player to qualify for the Hall of Fame. He fell just shy last year, receiving 73.8% of the vote. The left-handed fireballer, who saved 422 games during his career and recorded a 2.31 ERA over 903 innings, would be the ninth relief pitcher in the Hall.
Andruw Jones (61.6% last year) and Carlos Beltr¨¢n (57.1%) are trending toward induction, but they would need to make a big leap this year to reach the 75% threshold. Jones, A 10-time Gold Glove Award winner who hit 434 home runs, is in his eighth year on the ballot. Beltr¨¢n is on the ballot for a third year. He is one of only five players with 400 career home runs and 300 stolen bases.
Alex Rodriguez is also a member of that exclusive club. He and Manny Ramirez were two of the most fearsome hitters the game has known, but their connections to performance-enhancing drugs have likely kept their voting percentages down. Entering his fourth year on the ballot, Rodriguez received 34.8% of the vote last year. Ramirez was on 32.5% of ballots cast in 2024. He is in his ninth year on the ballot.
The remaining returning candidates are Chase Utley (28.8% last year, second ballot in 2025), Omar Vizquel (17.7% last year, eighth ballot), Bobby Abreu (14.8%, sixth ballot), Jimmy Rollins (14.8%, fourth ballot), Andy Pettitte (13.5%, seventh ballot), Mark Buehrle (8.3%, fifth ballot), Francisco Rodr¨ªguez (7.8%, third ballot), Torii Hunter (7.3%, fifth ballot) and David Wright (6.2%, second ballot).
All eligible BBWAA voters have a deadline of Dec. 31 to submit their ballots. The results will be announced on Jan. 21, live on MLB Network. All players who receive 75% of the vote and anyone elected from the Classic Baseball Era ballot will be enshrined during the 2025 Induction Ceremony on July 27 in Cooperstown, N.Y.