Baseball Hall of Fame: A way-too-early look at the crowded Class of 2025 ballot and beyond
The 2024 Hall of Fame voting cycle is over, and three new former players (plus manager Jim Leyland, who was elected by the veterans committee late last year) will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.
This cycle might've ended less than 24 hours ago, but it's never too early to peer into the future and see what awaits. With 12 players moving off the ballot in 2025 (three due to election, one due to ballot limits and eight due to low support), let's take a look at the next few years of eligible players and who could get their call to the Hall.
2025 ballot
Eligible first-year candidates:
Martin Prado
Final year on the ballot:
Billy Wagner
Next year's class is massive. The Baseball Hall of Fame website lists 22 eligible candidates for the Class of 2025, nearly double the number of first-year candidates on this year's ballot. That's due to the COVID season in 2020, which pushed many older players into retirement for one reason or another. If 22 is how many actually make it onto the 2025 ballot, voters will have to make their choices carefully, as numerous candidates would be in danger of falling below the key 5% threshold and being eliminated from the ballot.
Sabathia and Suzuki shouldn't have to worry about that, though. Suzuki is all but guaranteed to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and possibly the second unanimous selection in baseball history. Sabathia will also garner plenty of votes and could get in on his first ballot.
As for candidates already on the ballot, it's Wagner's last year of eligibility. But considering that he was just five votes short in 2024, he has a good chance of getting over the line in 2025. Andruw Jones (61.6% in 2024) will also have the opportunity to build strong support as he approaches his 10-year limit.
2026 ballot
Eligible first-year candidates:
Final year on the ballot:
Manny Ramirez
There will be just 13 new candidates in 2026, which will be a relief after the absolute flood that was 2025. But unlike 2025, there aren't any obvious Hall of Famers in this group. Braun's a fascinating candidate, but his more-than-casual flirtation with PEDs and comparatively short career (15 years, three years shorter than the average) make him unlikely to earn induction. Hamels has a stronger case than you might think, even with just one top-five Cy Young finish in a 15-year career, but he might be a Hall of Very Good player more so than a Hall of Fame player.
A ballot with a weak first-year class is good for existing candidates. With the decks cleared of obvious Hall of Famers, players such as Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones (if he isn't already in) can build support. Looking ahead, they'll have a few years to do so.
2027 ballot
Eligible first-year candidates:
Wade Davis
Final year on the ballot:
Andruw Jones
Buster Posey might want to send a bouquet of flowers to Joe Mauer after this Hall of Fame cycle. Mauer set a new induction standard for catchers with short careers and high, intense peaks. Posey, like Mauer, is an MVP-winner, and despite just a 12-year career, he won three World Series rings. He also caught three no-hitters and won Rookie of the Year. It'll be interesting to see how the voters handle Posey.
2028 ballot
Eligible first-year candidates:
Final year on the ballot:
Andy Pettitte
Pujols as a first-ballot Hall of Famer is pretty much a sure thing, but Molina should be a more interesting case. Unlike fellow catchers Mauer and Posey, he wasn't a heavy hitter. He had a few high-average/high-OBP years but was largely league-average or below, and he hit more than 20 homers in a season just once in his 19-year career. That said, the voters love a defensive catcher, and Molina was a very good one. He won nine Gold Gloves, including eight straight from 2008 to 2015. That could be enough for him to overcome questions about his hitting.
2029 ballot
First-year candidates known so far:
The cupboard is a little bare five years into the future. The 2024 season hasn't started yet, so unless a player has officially retired, we don't quite know who played their final game in 2023 and therefore is eligible for the 2029 ballot.
But of the four who officially ended their careers in 2023, Cabrera is by far the standout. He's a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer. Just like Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Chipper Jones did when they retired, Cabrera essentially went on a yearlong retirement tour during which many teams held pregame ceremonies and gave him special gifts. That's not the reason he's going to be a Hall of Famer, of course, but average players don't get farewell tours.
