My 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot (If I Were a BBWAA Member)

Tomorrow evening, the BBWAA will announce the Class of 2025 for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. 

If I were a BBWAA member, this would be my ballot.

1. Ichiro Suzuki

2. C.C. Sabathia

3. Billy Wagner

4. Francisco Rodriguez

5. Andruw Jones

6. Torii Hunter

7. Jimmy Rollins

8. Chase Utley

9. Felix Hernandez

My holdovers from 2024 include Wagner, K-Rod, Jones, Hunter and Rollins. This is Wagner's last year on the BBWAA ballot. He is arguably the greatest left-handed closer in MLB history. I include K-Rod because his numbers are comparable to Wagner's. Jones and Hunter are two of the greatest defensive outfielders of our generation.

A year ago, I cast a ballot for Jimmy Rollins, but not Chase Utley. This year I'm including Utley. I view Rollins and Utley the same way I view Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker. You can't have one without the other. They were the glue of those great Phillies team in the late 2000's and early 2010's.

Ichiro Suzuki, his longtime Mariners teammate Felix Hernandez and C.C. Sabathia are newbies on the BBWAA ballot. Ichiro with his 3089 hits is a lock to make Cooperstown. Ditto for Sabathia and his 3093 career strikeouts. King Felix doesn't quite have Sabathia's stats. But he was the game's most dominant southpaw between 2009 and 2015. He might not get in this year, but he will get his share of votes. That he played his entire career in Seattle could help.

The 2025 Hall of Fame ceremonies will take place on July 27th.