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2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot explanation and discussion on Vizquel, Ramirez | Lewis
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- 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot explanation and discussion on Vizquel, Ramirez | Lewis
We have more ways to measure a player's on-field performance and value than at any previous point in baseball history. It has made voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame as personal of a decision as it has ever been.
Different metrics to value at varied levels means a wider range of opinions, both differing and concurring.
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The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class, as voted upon by qualifying members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America , included a couple of heavyweight newcomers, a few players still tied up in the steroid era controversy, several pitchers worthy of discussion who might have been overlooked in the past and a few notable players in Cleveland baseball history , including CC Sabathia , Manny Ramirez and Omar Vizquel.
This was my first Hall of Fame ballot. Writers gain a vote after being in the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years. It was the cause of a lot of back-and-forth. It was also a genuine honor to be a part of the process, as it's obvious why this means so much to the players who appear on the ballot.
Players needed 75% of the vote to gain induction into the Hall of Fame.
Complete voting results for the 2025 ballot were announced Tuesday night. Ichiro Suzuki , Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected to the Hall of Fame, making it a three-player class from the BBWAA portion of the process.
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Below is my entry for 2025 , in which I voted for the maximum number of 10 candidates, including the reasoning for those votes and further discussion on a few notable players who were left off my ballot.
But, first, here are the 10 players who received a vote on my ballot.
2025 Hall of Fame: Ichiro Suzuki
Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (51) prepares to bat against the Yomiuri Giants on March 18, 2019, in Tokyo, Japan.
One of the headliners in his first year on the ballot, " Ichiro " burst onto the scene in 2001 after arriving from Japan, winning not only Rookie of the Year but MVP while hitting a pretty ridiculous .350 with 56 stolen bases.
He then had a pretty remarkable 10-year run in which he was a 10-time All-Star, won 10 Gold Gloves and appeared on MVP ballots in nine of those seasons.
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He was one of the best combos of contact, speed and defense the league has ever seen. He's going to be in the Hall of Fame at some point. It's just a question as to whether he gets in on the first ballot. It seems likely.
2025 Hall of Fame: CC Sabathia
Former Cleveland player CC Sabathia reacts after throwing out the first pitch before a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 3, 2024, in Cleveland.
Another ballot newcomer with a strong case, CC Sabathia won a Cy Young with Cleveland in 2007 and a World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009.
Sabathia, who along the way did well to change his pitching style, finished his career with 251 wins (which these days is a milestone number), a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts. Those are likely Hall of Fame numbers. He led the rotation during the 2007 run to the ALCS, in which Cleveland fell one win short of a trip to the World Series. Sabathia said last year that Cleveland coming up short that October still haunts him .
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His career fWAR (62.3) is below that of the average HOF starting pitcher (73.0), but I believe those benchmarks need to be adjusted with how starters are used these days (more on that below).
2025 Hall of Fame: Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner collected a franchise-record 225 of his 422 career saves as a member of the Houston Astros.
This is Billy Wagner's 10th and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot (at least the writers' portion). Last year, he fell just short at 73.9% (players need 75%).
It's going to be tough for any reliever not named Mariano Rivera to be inducted for quite some time. Wagner is right on that line as a closer who was a seven-time All-Star and finished top six in Cy Young voting twice. He finished his career with 422 saves .
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And using R-JAWS (a variation on a metric that aims to evaluate a player's worthiness compared to Hall of Fame players from his position), Wagner is the best reliever not in the Hall. He might be right on the line for induction in his final year through this part of the process.
2025 Hall of Fame: Alex Rodriguez
Former New York Yankees players Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter and former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz look on before the 2024 MLB All-Star game on July 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.
Oh, boy, here we go.
A-Rod continues to be one of the faces of the steroid era in baseball, which is worthy of a discussion on its own. It's fair to say that Major League Baseball and former commissioner Bud Selig made an absolute mess of the entire situation. Steroid use was rampant, but no penalties were in place for years, which has created a split among voting blocks when it comes to the Hall of Fame.
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Some voters see a distinction between pre-2004 and post-2004 steroid use, with that line of demarcation being the point at which MLB did implement a known penalty. A-Rod was suspended after that point, and his scorched-Earth attempts to cover it up didn't help his public perception on this matter.
I see the validity in voters separating pre-2004 steroid use (when official testing was put into place) and post-2004, but I still think it all falls under MLB's mess — everyone's numbers still count, players who were suspended technically served their punishment and the league still allows them to be on the ballot regardless.
On the field, of course, he's one of the best players to ever pick up a bat. He was a three-time MVP, a 14-time All-Star and hit 696 home runs while playing the left side of the infield. He likely won't get in due to a split in voting reasoning, though.
2025 Hall of Fame: Manny Ramirez
Former Cleveland player Manny Ramirez speaks after he was inducted to the team’s hall of fame before a game against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 19, 2023, in Cleveland.
One of the most feared right-handed hitters of all time, Manny Ramirez is in a similar boat as Rodriguez .
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His career slash line is one of the most impressive of all time: .312/.411/.585 over 19 seasons . A .996 OPS would make for a tremendous season, and Ramirez did that over nearly two decades. He launched 555 home runs. He was a 12-time All-Star. He never won an MVP but he was top 10 in voting eight consecutive years between 1998 ( with Cleveland ) and 2005.
But he was also suspended multiple times after MLB implemented performance-enhancing drug testing. That willingness to keep using has driven some voters away. I see that reasoning but, again, what outweighs that is the thought that he served his suspension, and MLB made a mess of this whole thing.
2025 Hall of Fame: Carlos Beltran
New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning to tie the score against the Florida Marlins on Sept. 28, 2008, in Queens, New York.
Carlos Beltran is one of the best recent examples of a five-tool player. He was a nine-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glover in center field, and he finished his career as one of only eight players in baseball history with at least 300 home runs (435, to be exact) and 300 stolen bases. Although he barely eclipsed the 300-steal plateau, he has the best success rate (86.4%) of any player with at least 200 attempts. And his career fWAR and JAWS are right in line with those of the average Hall of Fame outfielder.
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However, he also found himself in the middle of one of the biggest scandals in recent sports memory involving the Houston Astros , allegedly some trash cans and the stealing of opposing signs.
It's certainly a black mark on his resume, and it might prevent him from hitting the 75% mark needed for enshrinement. But, again, perhaps that is MLB's mess.
2025 Hall of Fame: Andy Pettitte
Former New York Yankees starter Andy Pettitte throws the first pitch before Game 1 of the ALDS between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals on Oct. 5, 2024, in Bronx, New York.
Andy Pettitte's Hall of Fame case is a great case study in how the benchmarks for starting pitchers to gain induction might need to be tweaked (meaning lowered).
The way teams utilize starting pitchers these days with fewer innings and a lot more caution is making it extremely difficult to reach the average Hall of Fame numbers. Thus, the "average fWAR of starters in the Hall of Fame" might be too high of a bar to reach moving forward.
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Pettitte's 60.2 fWAR falls short of the average HOF starter (73.3), but I'm not sure that directly applies anymore. Pettitte won five World Series with the Yankees , was a three-time All-Star and has about as much playoff experience as a player could possibly have in one career. His case might be right on the line, but considering how I don't think we can simply not enshrine starting pitchers anymore, I think he qualifies.
Felix Hernandez celebrates the final out of his perfect game in 2012.
2025 Hall of Fame: Felix Hernandez
King Felix is a great example of a player who had an incredible peak but a shorter career than most Hall of Fame candidates.
Hernandez was an elite starting pitcher for a eight-year period in which he won a Cy Young, finished top eight in Cy Young voting seven times and earned seven All-Star appearances.
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He never pitched in the majors after his age-33 season, which really hurt his Hall of Fame case. But he was one of the best pitchers in baseball for nearly a decade, and the same lowered benchmark for starting pitchers that applies to Pettitte also earns a vote for Hernandez. The Hall can't be void of starting pitchers just because they're used to a different degree in the modern game.
2025 Hall of Fame: Chase Utley
Chase Utley doesn't have the longevity of some other HOF candidates — he also fell short of the 2,000 hit plateau for his career — but he had a strong peak, was known to excel in several aspects of the game and played a key role in the Phillies ' 2008 World Series title.
Utley finished top 14 in MVP voting five times and was an All-Star five times in a six-year run between 2005 and 2010 . His 64.5 fWAR and 56.9 JAWS are just a hair below the average Hall of Fame second baseman. While he got a bit of a late start to his career, Utley still put up HOF-level numbers and has the postseason credentials to boost his resume.
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Known for his high baseball IQ, Utley carried with him the reputation for being more valuable to his team than what was shown in the box score. He also had some pretty incredible runs in the playoffs, including "The Utley Play" to clinch the 2008 World Series and then a five-homer performance in the 2009 World Series.
2025 Hall of Fame: Andruw Jones
Whether using advanced metrics or the eye test, Andruw Jones, seen here in 2007, was one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball history.
Speaking of a lack of longevity, Andruw Jones saw his career fall off once he turned 31 years old. So why is he even considered for the Hall of Fame? Because for a nine-year run before that, he was arguably (and statistically) the third-best player in baseball.
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Despite not playing a full season after the age of 30, Jones, who made his MLB debut as a teenager, still slugged 434 home runs, and he displayed that power while not only playing a premium position in center field, but being considered arguably the best to ever do it. That combination of offense, defense and being among the best in the game was enough to earn a vote.
Jones won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves , more than any other center fielder not named Willie Mays. While Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz built Hall of Fame careers, Jones was patrolling center field for them.
Between 1998 and 2006, Jones averaged 35 home runs per season and compiled 57.3 fWAR, a number only bested by Barry Bonds and Rodriguez . Had Jones been able to avoid injuries in his 30s, this wouldn't have ever been a question.
My final 2025 ballot: Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Carlos Beltran, Andy Pettitte, Felix Hernandez, Chase Utley and Andruw Jones. I used all 10 available votes.
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Here are some notable players who didn't make my ballot but are worthy of additional discussion.
2025 Hall of Fame: Omar Vizquel
Former Cleveland great Omar Vizquel, left, is presented with his jacket by former teammate Sandy Alomar Jr., right, during his induction into the Cleveland [Guardians] Hall of Fame before a game against the Detroit Tigers on June 21, 2014, in Cleveland.
Omar Vizquel has one of the most complicated Hall of Fame cases of anyone on the ballot.
On the field, Cleveland fans viewed him as a beloved member of the 1990s teams that made two runs to the World Series. He won 11 Gold Gloves , was named to three All-Star teams and became a fan favorite for his bare-handed highlights at shortstop .
Every Cleveland baseball fan from that era remembers his triple during a 12-run comeback win over the Seattle Mariners in 2001, or his incredible, back-handed stop during Game 6 of the 1997 World Series, or a number of other memorable highlights.
But away from Cleveland, Vizquel was never really viewed as an MVP-caliber player. He appeared on MVP ballots only once, during his career-best 1999 season, and never finished in the top 15. He's undoubtedly one of the best defensive shortstops of all time, amassed 2,877 hits and was able to play in the majors for 24 years. Those attributes are enough to build a fringe case for enshrinement. But he didn't have the type of career peak typically shown by Hall of Famers, and that is the major element missing from his resume.
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His career fWAR (45.4) and peak fWAR during his best seven-year run (26.8) fall far short of the average HOF shortstop (67.7 and 43.2, respectively). His 36.2 JAWS is also well below the average of 55.5 at his position.
Vizquel's vote totals increased to their highest point in 2020 , when he earned 52.6% of the vote. It looked like he might have a shot at induction during the writers' portion of the vote (a 10-year limit, in which this is his eighth year on the ballot). His HOF case could be viewed as right on the line (though likely a bit short if anything) when it comes to baseball-centric factors.
Then the allegations began piling up, and alleged off-the-field issues tanked his chances.
In October 2020, Vizquel's second wife, Blanca Garcia, accused him of alleged domestic violence via an Instagram live post stemming from an incident in 2016. It then became known there was another alleged incident five years earlier.
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Vizquel has strongly denied all allegations of domestic abuse .
Then, in August 2021, a former Birmingham Barons batboy, who has autism, sued Vizquel for sexual harassment for an incident that took place in 2019 when he was managing the Chicago White Sox 's Double-A affiliate. Vizquel was eventually suspended with pay and then "amicably" parted ways with the White Sox at the end of the season .
A confidential settlement was reportedly reached between Vizquel, the White Sox and the batboy in 2022.
Through that time, his percentage of the vote has dropped from 52.6 to 17.7 last year.
BBWAA voters are instructed to consider the "character clause" when voting, though it's up to each individual voter as to how to apply that rule. It has also been argued by some there's a bit of hypocrisy there, considering the clause was written during a time when MLB still enforced the color barrier, along with other factors.
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Regardless of whether the clause should or shouldn't be a major part of the process, it's clear Vizquel has an uphill battle to be inducted via the writers' vote, as he has only two years remaining after 2025 before he falls off the ballot and the Era Committees (formerly the Veterans Committees) would have to review his case.
2025 Hall of Fame: Mark Buehrle
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mark Buehrle (56) delivers a pitch against Cleveland on July 7, 2009, in Chicago.
When looking at Pettitte, Hernandez and Mark Buehrle , it's possible the line between Hall of Fame-caliber and just short of enshrinement runs right through them. Pettitte (postseason resume) and Hernandez (elite peak) just had some extra credit compared to Buehrle's case.
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Buehrle was a five-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glover who exemplified durability. He pitched at least 198 innings in 15 consecutive seasons, an almost unheard-of run for a pitcher.
In terms of career fWAR and JAWS, he's right in line with Pettitte's career. It's almost difficult to separate the two. Although playing through an offense-heavy era, he finished with a career 3.81 ERA.
He was likely an under-appreciated pitcher during his career. Considering the belief that the HOF pitcher benchmarks need to be lowered, Buehrle could garner more votes in the future. He was just a little bit behind Sabathia, Pettitte and Hernandez this time.
2025 Hall of Fame: Dustin Pedroia , Ian Kinsler , Jimmy Rollins
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia was a four-time Gold Glove winner during his career.
Dustin Pedroia , Ian Kinsler and Jimmy Rollins all have interesting cases, but all three have blemishes on their resumes.
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Pedroia and Rollins won MVP awards. Kinsler did not, but his career fWAR and JAWS are right in line with Pedroia's. They all won World Series titles and all made at least three All-Star teams. All three, though, fall short compared to positional Hall of Fame averages, and that's where their HOF resumes have struggled. But arguments exist to elevate their cases.
Bobby Abreu had a.928 OPS in nine years with the Phillies.
2025 Hall of Fame: Bobby Abreu
Bobby Abreu stole 400 bases, hit 288 home runs and finished his career with a pretty insane .395 on-base percentage over an 18-year career. He was just a two-time All-Star and was never in the top 10 in MVP voting, but he did appear on MVP ballots in seven different seasons .
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His 60.2 fWAR and 50.9 JAWS fall short of the average Hall of Fame outfielder, but it's not by much.
If an 11th vote was available, Abreu might have gotten in this time around. His case isn't perfect, but there's a lot of validity there.
2025 Hall of Fame: Russell Martin, Brian McCann
Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann (16) runs the bases to score on a two-run home run by pinch hitter Adam Duvall (not pictured) against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the 2019 NLDS playoff series on Oct. 4, 2019, in Atlanta.
Russell Martin and Brian McCann likely fall pretty short in terms of traditional numbers for Hall of Fame catchers, but there's an interesting case to be made given their value as pitch framers, which is still difficult to really quantify.
Martin was a four-time All-Star . McCann was named to seven All-Star teams . But their HOF cases will hinge on pitch framing metrics.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class, ballot, voting results
