Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 ballots: How Newsday's writers voted

Bobby Abreu

POSITION: Rightfield

SEASONS: 18

TEAMS: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets

AVG: .291

HR: 288

RBI: 1,363

RUNS: 1,453

2B: 574

HITS: 2,470

STEALS: 400

OBP: .395

SLG: .475

WAR: 60.2

YEAR ON BALLOT: Fifth

LAST YEAR’S VOTING: 15.4% of ballots

An on-base machine for much of his 18-year career (.395 OBP), Bobby Abreu is another one of those players whose Hall of Fame credentials deserve to be looked at more closely than they generally have been. Like Chase Utley, “underrated” is a big part of his bio.

-- Erik Boland

Carlos Beltran

POSITION: Outfield

SEASONS: 20 (1998-2017)

TEAMS: Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers

AVG: .279

HR: 435

RBI: 1,587

RUNS: 1,582

2B: 565

HITS: 2,725

STEALS: 312

OPB: .350

SLG: .486

WAR: 70.1

YEAR ON BALLOT: 2nd

LAST YEAR’S VOTING: 46.5% of ballots

If not for Beltran’s role in the Astros’ cheating scandal, one that cost him his Mets’ managerial career before overseeing a single game, the nine-time All-Star likely would cruise into Cooperstown. He’s one of only eight players with 300 homers and 300 stolen bases, and that crowd shrinks to six if you include the 2,500-hit club. Two of those six are Barry Bonds and A-Rod, but the list also has two Hall of Famers in Willie Mays and Andre Dawson, with Beltran’s 70.1 WAR easily edging Dawson’s 64.8 in that comp. (Steve Finley is the sixth.)

Beltran is the most successful base-stealer in history at 86.4% (min. 200 attempts). He also helped propel five different teams to the playoffs, with an October resume that includes hitting .307 in 65 postseason games, along with 16 homers, 42 RBIs and a 1.021 OPS. One of those was a World Series title for the 2017 Astros, whose cheating didn’t cost them the trophy but derailed Beltran’s future in the sport as the only active player at that time named in the Commissioner’s report.

Beltran has paid his debt for that, and with an otherwise brilliant 20-year run as a five-tool centerfielder, the Hall of Fame credentials are there.

-- David Lennon

Adrian Beltre

POSITION: Third base

SEASONS: 21 (1998-2018)

TEAMS: Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers

AVG: .286

HR: 477

RBI: 1,707

RUNS: 1,524

2B: 636

HITS: 3,166

OPB: .339

SLG: .480

WAR: 93.5

YEAR ON BALLOT: 1st

Adrian Beltre is a first-ballot Hall of Famer who figures to receive more than 90% of the votes, based on the first 100-plus ballots released. He stands among the game’s best third baseman, finishing with a career WAR of 93.5 over 21 seasons (well above 2023 inductee Scott Rolen's 70.1).

Beltre is one of 12 players to top 3,000 hits and 400 home runs. Seven are in the Hall of Fame. Two aren't (because of PED usage) and three are not yet eligible. 

Beltre is the first player born in the Dominican Republic to reach 3,000 hits, finishing with 3,166. He led the majors with 48 homers in 2004, which was his best season at the plate, slashing .334/.388/.629 with 200 hits and 121 RBI for the Dodgers. It was the only season he topped 40 homers, 200 hits and had an OPS over 1.000 (1.017).

Beltre was an elite defender and won five Gold Gloves, but he is a little light in the hardware department. He made four All-Star Game appearances. He never won an MVP award but finished in the top 10 in voting six times.

He reached the playoffs five times in 21 years with a career slash line of .261/.297/.450 in 28 games. But he only played in the 2011 World Series as the Rangers lost to St. Louis in seven games. 

-- Hank Winnicki

Todd Helton

POSITION: First base

SEASONS: 17 (1997-2013)

TEAM: Colorado Rockies

AVG: .316

HR: 369

RBI: 1,406

RUNS: 1,401

2B: 592

HITS: 2,519

OPB: .414

SLG: .539

WAR: 61.8

YEAR ON BALLOT: 6th

LAST YEAR'S VOTING: 72.2% of ballots

To me, it was simple: his two-way excellence.

The former five-time All-Star first baseman for the Colorado Rockies delivered 12 seasons with averages in the .300s, including 10 straight. His 17-year slash line was .316/.414/.539. His career OPS came in at .953. He had 2,519 hits, 592 doubles, 369 homers, 1,406 RBIs and 1,401 runs.

Helton’s 2000 season? Try a .372/.463/.698 slash line, 1.161 OPS, 216 hits, 59 doubles, 42 homers and 147 RBIs.

The lefty hitter’s career doubles total ranks 20th on the all-time list. His OPS ranks 23rd. His on-base percentage ranks 29th.

Yes, his stats in the mile-high air at Coors Field weren’t light. His average was .345 and his OPS was 1.048. But his road work — .287 average, .855 OPS — still showed that he was an outstanding hitter no matter the venue. His overall OPS+ — which is adjusted to consider ballpark factors — sat at 133. By comparison, 2022 inductee Fred McGriff finished at 134.

Helton also led NL first baseman in fielding percentage and double plays six times and earned three Gold Gloves. 

-- Brian Heyman

Andruw Jones

POSITION: Centerfield

SEASONS: 17 (1996-2012)

TEAMS: Atlanta, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees

AVG: .254

HR: 434

RBI: 1,289

RUNS: 1,204

2B: 383

HITS: 1,933

STEALS: 152

OPB: .337

SLG: .486

WAR: 62.7

YEAR ON BALLOT: 7th

LAST YEAR'S VOTING: 58.1% of ballots

The two keys to Jones’ Hall of Fame candidacy involve his almost uncanny defensive ability and a comet-like surge at the plate, a Cooperstown-worthy tandem that helped fuel Atlanta’s dominance (11 consecutive division titles from 1995 through 2005). Jones’ 10 straight Gold Gloves are more than any other centerfielder not named Willie Mays, and just about every defensive metric you can conjure up -- no matter how arcane -- has Jones right below Mays on the all-time list at that position.

Combine that supernatural glovework with a nine-year stretch when Jones averaged 35 home runs and 104 RBIs, and you can see why his 6.1 WAR over that span was third only to Alex Rodriguez (7.8) and Barry Bonds (7.5). He peaked in 2005, with 52 homers, 128 RBIs and a .922 .OPS to earn a second place MVP finish, losing a tight race to Albert Pujols. Shortly afterward, Jones’ career went into steep decline, and he didn’t play another game in the majors after his age 35 season with the Yankees. Still, his dazzling brilliance before age 30 should be worthy of Cooperstown.

-- David Lennon

Joe Mauer

POSITIONS: Catcher, first base

SEASONS: 15 (2004-18)

TEAM: Minnesota Twins

AVG: .306

HR: 143

RBI: 923

RUNS: 1,018

2B: 428

HITS: 2,123

STEALS: 52

OBP: .388

SLG: .439

WAR: 55.2

YEAR ON BALLOT: First

Hall of Fame candidacies get evaluated from several angles, and Mauer looks good from all of them. Whether it's career numbers, personal hardware or league-wide profile, Mauer has the credentials.

Mauer is the only catcher to win three batting titles, and he finished with a .306 career batting average. He was the 2009 AL MVP and finished in the top eight in voting three other times. He has a more-than-impressive lifetime OPS of .827 and won five Silver Sluggers. Mauer won three Gold Gloves and twice led the AL in percentage of base stealers thrown out.

More than the awards and the numbers, Mauer was a player that opponents feared and game-planned for and that fans wanted to see. A six-time All-Star as a catcher before concussions forced his move to first base, he was long considered one of baseball’s best at perhaps its most important position.

-- Roger Rubin

Andy Pettitte

POSITION: Starting pitcher

SEASONS: 18

TEAMS: New York Yankees, Houston Astros

W-L: 256-153 (.626)

ERA: 3.85

GAMES/STARTS: 531 / 521

COMPLETE GAMES: 26

SHUTOUTS: 4

IP: 3,316

WHIP: 1.142

K: 2,448

K/BB: 2.37

YEAR ON BALLOT: 6th

LAST YEAR'S VOTING: 17% of ballots

Andy Pettitte won 256 regular-season games and was a key starter on five World Series champions. In the postseason, he made 44 starts and went 19-11. That’s a .633 winning percentage in the biggest games under the brightest lights against the toughest competition. 

Plus, those 19 postseason wins remain the most in MLB history. That pushes him over the top and into Cooperstown, in my opinion. I don’t hold his admitted HGH use against him. Other voters likely do, and that’s their choice.

-- Anthony Rieber

Manny Ramirez

POSITION: Outfield

SEASONS: 19 (1993-2011)

TEAMS: Cleveland, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays

AVG: .312

HR: 555

RBI: 1,831

RUNS: 1,544

2B: 547

HITS: 2,574

OPB: .411

SLG: .585

WAR: 69.3 

YEAR ON BALLOT: 8th

LAST YEAR’S VOTING: 33.2% of ballots

What gets lost in the debate about whether Manny Ramirez should be in the Hall of Fame is just how great a hitter he was. A .312 batting average, 555 home runs, .996 OPS and 154 OPS+ (100 is league average).

Baseball Reference lists the hitters he was most similar to: Frank Thomas, Jimmie Foxx, David Ortiz, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ted Williams are the top five. Ramirez’s 29 postseason home runs are the most ever. He was twice suspended for PED use, and if that is enough to keep him off your ballot, I can’t argue against that. But I have never held back a vote because someone was accused of or admitted to using PEDs. Steroids were part of the game back then, and who knows how many players were using (my guess: a lot).

-- Anthony Rieber

Alex Rodriguez

POSITIONS: Shortstop, Third base

SEASONS: 22 (1994-2016)

TEAMS: Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees

AVG: .295

HR: 696

RBI: 2,086

RUNS: 2,021

2B: 548

HITS: 3,115

STEALS: 329

OPB: .380

SLG: .550

WAR: 117.5

YEAR ON BALLOT: 3rd

LAST YEAR'S VOTING: 35.7% of ballots

This is not a new debate, and your opinion is probably set in stone: should steroid users be admitted into the Hall of Fame? If your opinion is no – as it is with most of the voting members of the BBWAA – then that is your right.

My opinion is that Alex Rodriguez is one of the greatest players ever to play the game and has the numbers to back it up.

I have voted for him every year he has been on the ballot. I’m also of the opinion that he will never get into the Hall, not by the writers or in the future by some committee. He and Barry Bonds and others never will live down their association with steroids. That’s fair. It’s just not how I see it.

-- Anthony Rieber

Gary Sheffield

POSITIONS: Outfield, Third base, Shortstop, First base

SEASONS: 22 (1988-2009)

TEAMS: Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets

AVG: .292

HR: 509

RBI: 1,676

RUNS: 1,636

2B: 467

HITS: 2,689

STEALS: 253

OPB: .393

SLG: .514

WAR: 60.5

YEAR ON BALLOT: 10th

LAST YEAR’S VOTING: 55% of ballots

From a numbers perspective, Sheffield should be a shoo-in for Cooperstown. Universally known as one of the game’s most dangerous hitters, Sheffield’s 509 home runs rank 27th on the all-time list, with 18 of those players already in the Hall of Fame (six on the outside are tainted by steroids, two others aren’t eligible yet). His career 140 OPS+ is tied for 49th with Miguel Cabrera (a HOF lock) and Alex Rodriguez (a PED casualty). Sheffield also is a nine-time All-Star, has a trio of top 3 MVP finishes and a World Series ring.

Sheffield’s biggest roadblock to this point? The PED hardliners that point to his connection to BALCO -- the steroid lab that supplied Barry Bonds -- and Sheffield’s admitted usage of the “cream,” though he claimed to not know it was a PED substance. Since Sheffield was never disciplined or suspended by MLB for that involvement, and Cooperstown sees fit to have him on the ballot, his resume meets the criteria for induction.

-- David Lennon

Chase Utley

POSITION: Second base

SEASONS: 16 (2003-18)

TEAMS: Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers

AVG: .275

HR: 259

RBI: 1,025

RUNS: 1,103

2B: 411

HITS: 1,885

STEALS: 154

OPB: .358

SLG: .465

WAR: 64.5

YEAR ON BALLOT: 1st

Severely underrated during the majority of his lengthy career, Chase Utley is very unlikely to gain induction to the Hall in his first year on the ballot. But expect his chances to gradually increase in future years as Utley’s overall abilities, especially in the field and on the bases, during his 16 seasons get more and more of an in-depth examination by voters. 

-- Erik Boland

Billy Wagner

POSITION: Closer

SEASONS: 16 (1995-2010)

TEAMS: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta

W-L: 47-40 (.540)

ERA: 2.31

SAVES / OPPORTUNTIES: 422 / 491 (86%)

GAMES / FINISHED: 853 / 703

IP: 903

WHIP: 0.998

K: 1,196

K/BB: 3.99

YEAR ON BALLOT: 9th 

LAST YEAR'S VOTING: 68.1% of ballots

One could argue that Wagner was well on his way to Cooperstown enshrinement before the lefty fireballer did the most damaging thing he could possibly do to sabotage that track to immortality: retire at the top of his game.

Yes, Wagner already had proven himself second only to Mariano Rivera on the list of most dominant relief pitchers for 16 years, but walked away at age 38 after posting a career-best 1.43 ERA over 71 appearances for Atlanta with a 13.5 K/9 rate. That abruptly cut him short at 903 innings -- a bit light for a Hall of Fame reliever, through he burned supernova-bright during that span. No one in history above that 900 mark whiffed hitters at a higher rate, be it 11.92 K/9 or 33.2% of all batters faced, and he’s first in that group with a .187 opponents batting average -- 17 points better than the runner-up, Nolan Ryan. His 0.998 WHIP ranks third all-time. Wagner is sixth on the saves list with 422.

-- David Lennon