David Ortiz Elected to Hall of Fame

Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

David Ortiz is the lone player elected to the Hall of Fame. Ortiz received 77.9% of the votes to be elected first-ballot.

Ortiz played 20 years in the major leagues. He started his career in Minnesota in 1997 where he’d play six years then finish it as a star in Boston for 14 seasons. In his career, the first baseman and designated hitter was a ten-time All-Star, three-time World Series Champion, seven-time silver slugger, World Series MVP, and ALCS MVP. Ortiz finished his career with 541 home runs and 1,768 runs batted in.

Ortiz will be honored alongside Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, and Buck O’Neil in Coopertown this July.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Sammy Sosa failed to earn the votes needed in their 10th and final year of eligibility. Bonds finished with 66.0% of votes, Clemens with 65.2%, Schilling with 58.6%, and Sosa 18.5%. Schilling lost 54 votes from 2021.

Players need 75% of the votes to enter the hall.

Their next chance to enter will be in December on the Today’s Game Committee ballot. Ten names will be presented before the 16-person voting committee.

Multiple players saw increases. Scott Rolen is trending toward induction in the next year or two with 63.2% of votes. Todd Helton received 52.0% of votes and Billy Wagner received 51.0%. Only seven of the 30 players on the ballot received over 50% of the votes.

Wagner has seen a steady increase since joining the ballot in 2016.

Billy Wagner continues to make progress in getting voted to the Hall of Fame:

2022 – 51%
2021 – 46.4%
2020 – 31.7%
2019 – 16.7%
2018 – 11.1%
2017 – 10.2%
2016 – 10.5%

— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) January 25, 2022

Eleven players fell off the ballot with less than 5% of the votes. Those players are Joe Nathan, Tim Hudson, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeira, Justin Morneau, Jonathan Papelbon, Prince Fielder, A.J. Pierzynski, Carl Crawford, and Jake Peavy. Crawford and Peavy did not receive a vote.

Alex Rodriguez led all first-year candidates with 34.3% of voters putting him in. Jimmy Rollins was second with 9.4%.

Next season will be the final year for Jeff Kent. He will be a long shot to make it after garnering only 32.7% of votes.

Expected to be on next year’s ballot are Carlos Beltran, John Lackey, Matt Cain, and Jayson Werth. Beltran is by far the most compelling candidate to make the Hall of Fame his first chance. He accumulated 70.1 career WAR which ranks only behind Rodriguez and Rolen on the current ballot.

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