COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The BBWAA released its 2023 Hall of Fame Ballot on Monday. The ballot totals 28 candidates, 14 first-timers and 14 returning. Newly eligible for the class of 2023 are former New York Yankees outfielders Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Joining those two as new candidates on the ballot are pitchers Jered Weaver, R.A. Dickey, Huston Street, John Lackey, Francisco Rodríguez, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Cain; outfielders Andre Ethier and Jayson Werth; catcher-first baseman Mike Napoli, and shortstops Jhonny Peralta and J.J. Hardy.
Those candidates will be accompanied by former Yankees Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Abreu, Gary Sheffield, and Andruw Jones. Rounding out the rest of the ballot are, Mark Buehrle, Todd Helton, Torii Hunter, Jeff Kent, Manny Ramírez, Francisco Rodríguez, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins, Huston Street, Omar Vizquel, and Billy Wagner.
Beltran, who presently serves as a broadcaster and analyst for the YES Network, hit 56 homers for the Bronx Bombers from 2014 to 2016 and was an American League All-Star during his final season in pinstripes.
Ellsbury scored 273 runs for New York from 2014 to 2017.
In 2022 David Ortiz was the lone player on the ballot elected to the Hall of Fame. Candidates must be named on 75 percent of ballots cast by selected BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of MLB coverage to gain election and be part of Induction Weekend July 21-24, 2023, in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Among those remaining on the ballot from 2022, three received more than 50 percent of the vote, Rolen (63.2), Helton (52.0), and Wagner (51.0). Players may remain on the ballot for up to 10 years provided they receive at least five percent of the vote. This will be the final year on the ballot for Kent, who was named on 32.7 percent of 2022 ballots, his highest percentage.
Voters must return ballots by a Dec. 31 postmark. Votes are counted jointly by BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O’Connell and Ernst & Young partner Mark Moran. Results will be announced by Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, live on MLB Network.
