2024 Hall of Fame ballot released

Adrian Beltré, Joe Mauer and Chase Utley are among the most notable newcomers listed on the 2024 Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot, which was released Monday.

These freshmen candidates are joined by ballot veterans such as Todd Helton, Billy Wagner and Andruw Jones, who tend to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Beltré appears on the ballot for the first time after recording 3,166 hits and 477 home runs during his 21-year career. Mauer’s three batting titles as a catcher and 2009 AL MVP are some of his main reasons for being inducted. Utley made six All-Star teams and won the 2008 World Series with the Phillies. Others new to the ballot include David Wright, Bartolo Colon, Adrián González, Matt Holliday, José Reyes, José Bautista, Victor Martinez, James Shields and Brandon Phillips.

The candidacies of Helton, Wagner and Jones are among the biggest news on this year’s ballot. All three are within the range of the 75% threshold needed for integration after significant progress last year. Helton narrowly fell in his fifth year on the ballot, receiving 72.2 percent of the vote. Wagner and Jones made gains of 17 points in last year’s voting, putting them at 68.1% and 58.1%, respectively, as they enter their ninth and seventh years of voting.

Gary Sheffield saw his support jump 15 points last year, to 55.0%. But he’ll need an even bigger raise to be elected to the Hall of Fame in his 10th and final year on the BBWAA ballot. A member of the 500 home run club, Sheffield is the only player on the ballot entering his 10th voting cycle.

Other notable candidates include Carlos Beltrán, who is one of five players with 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases. He made his debut on the electoral roll last year and received 46.5% of the vote. Alex Rodriguez, now in his third year of eligibility, and Manny Ramirez, in his eighth year, were two of the most fearsome hitters the game has seen. But their ties to performance-enhancing drugs likely kept their voting percentage low. Last year, Rodriguez was on 35.7 percent of the votes cast, while Ramirez was on 33.2 percent of the votes cast.

The remaining candidates are Omar Vizquel (19.5% last year, seventh round in 2024), Andy Pettitte (17.0%, sixth round), Bobby Abreu (15.4%, fifth round), Jimmy Rollins (12 .9%, third round), Mark Buehrle (10.8%, fourth round), Francisco Rodriguez (10.8%, second round) and Torii Hunter (6.9%, fourth round).

All eligible BBWAA voters have until December 31 to submit their ballot. Results will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, live on MLB Network. All players who receive 75% of the vote and anyone elected in the contemporary baseball era manager/executive/umpire ballot will be enshrined at the 2024 induction ceremony on July 21.