How 2022 Hall of Fame candidates fared in Box-Toppers

Here are the results of Baseball Hall of Fame voting, with players listed from highest to lowest vote totals. The far right columns show how many Box-Toppers points (BTP) they earned during their careers (since 1995), their overall rank in Box-Toppers points (BT rank) and their rank among players at their position (BT pos rank). Thirty players were eligible for the hall and 28 received at least one vote. Players are listed here by their vote totals received in 2022. David Ortiz is the only player elected for induction by baseball writers to the Hall of Fame, surpassing the 75 percent of the vote necessary (77.9).

Rank Name Votes Pct. Yrs on
ballot		 Pos Yrs active BTP BT
rank		 BT pos
rank
1 *David Ortiz 307 77.9 1 dh 1b 1997‑2016 145.9 28 2
2 ††Barry Bonds 260 66.0 10 lf 1986‑2007 152.2 24 2
3 ††Roger Clemens 257 65.2 10 pi sp 1984‑2007 164.8 17 14
4 Scott Rolen 249 63.2 5 3b 1996‑2012 97.6 92 5
5 ††Curt Schilling 231 58.6 10 pi sp 1988‑2007 194.1 9 8
6 Todd Helton 205 52.0 4 1b 1997‑2013 116.4 52 6
7 Billy Wagner 201 51.0 7 pi cp 1995‑2010 108.7 65 4
8 Andruw Jones 163 41.1 5 cf 1996‑2012 96.5 92 14
9 Gary Sheffield 160 40.6 8 lf 1988‑2009 124.1 44 4
10 Alex Rodriguez 135 34.3 1 3b 1994‑2016 187.0 10 1
11 Jeff Kent 129 32.7 9 2b 1992‑2008 110.2 64 1
12 Manny Ramirez 114 28.9 6 lf 1993‑2011 166.2 16 1
13 Omar Vizquel 94 23.9 5 ss 1989‑2012 42.2 462 11
14 ††Sammy Sosa 73 18.5 10 rf 1989‑2007 113.2 60 6
15 Andy Pettitte 42 10.7 4 pi sp 1995‑2013 138.5 32 24
16 Jimmy Rollins 37 9.4 1 ss 2000‑2016 50.4 378 9
17 Bobby Abreu 34 8.6 3 rf 1996‑2014 95.5 96 15
18 Mark Buehrle 23 5.8 2 pi sp 2000‑2015 116.7 51 38
19 Torii Hunter 21 5.3 2 cf 1997‑2015 115.9 53 5
20 †Joe Nathan 17 4.3 1 pi cp 1999‑2016 52.0 358 27
21 †Tim Hudson 12 3.0 2 pi sp 1999‑2015 157.0 20 16
22 †Tim Lincecum 9 2.3 1 pi sp 2007‑2016 115.0 54 39
23 †Ryan Howard 8 2.0 1 1b 2004‑2016 98.7 91 12
24 †Mark Teixeira 6 1.5 1 1b 2003‑2016 101.3 81 9
25 †Justin Morneau 5 1.3 1 dh 1b 2003‑2016 74.3 176 10
25 †Jonathan Papelbon 5 1.3 1 pi cp 2005‑2016 54.4 328 22
27 †A.J. Pierzynski 2 0.5 1 ca 1998‑2016 47.2 423 12
27 †Prince Fielder 2 0.5 1 1b 2005‑2016 81.8 135 13
29 †Carl Crawford 0 0.0 1 lf 2002‑2016 52.7 350 67
29 †Jake Peavy 0 0.0 1 pi sp 2002‑2016 141.8 31 23
* 2022 Hall of Fame inductee. Received necessary 75 percent of the vote from baseball writers to be inducted.
† Player to be removed the Hall of Fame ballot in 2023 because he did not receive 5 percent of the vote to remain on subsequent year's ballots.
†† Players will not return to the Hall of Fame ballot in 2023 because they had been on the ballot for the maximum of 10 years without being elected.
Note: Some Hall eligible candidates (nine of the 30) had careers that, in part, preceded the era of Box-Toppers player tracking, which began in 1995. However, 21 of the 30 players listed here began their career in 1995 or later, so their entire career was tracked by Box-Toppers.

Ortiz gets call to Hall while 4 candidacies are successfully blocked for 10 years

Though Box-Toppers would not have voted David Ortiz as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, it’s hard to argue that his performance on the field was not worthy.

Box-Toppers Hall of Fame ballot

Here are Box-Toppers' ballot selections for the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) 2022 Hall of Fame selections. The ballot requires voters to pick as many as 12 candidates—Box-Toppers chose nine. (In the "official" vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America—BBWAA—voters can pick as many as 10 candidates.) There are 30 candidates on the BBWAA ballot but only 28 on the IBWAA ballot because internet writers already "inducted" two players passed over by the BBWAA—Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Shown first in alphabetical order by last name are the nine players Box-Toppers is voting for Hall induction, along with their career Box-Toppers point total and the number of years each player has been on the ballot. A brief Box-Toppers-focused biographical synopsis is shown beneath each player.
That is followed by the list of player Box-Toppers is not voting for Hall induction, also in alphabetical order by last name.
Finally, there is the list of two players the IBWAA has already voted for induction.

YES: Players Box-Toppers is voting for Hall of Fame
Player Career BTP Year on ballot
Todd Helton 116.4 4
• 14th among all batters in career BTPs since 1995, 6th among all first basemen.
• Top 10 overall player in 2001 (17.0).
• Top NL batter 2 times—2000 (15.2), 2001 (17.0).
• Top 10 NL batter 5 times.
• Top NL 1B 4 times from 1999-2002.
• Top 5 NL 1B 6 times.
Tim Hudson 157.0 2
• Ranks 20th overall in career BTPs since 1995.
• Ranks 16th among pitchers in career BTPs since 1995.
• Top AL pitcher 2001 (18.8).
• Top 10 overall player three times.
Torii Hunter 115.9 2
• Ranks 15th among all batters in career BTPs and 5th among all OFs since 1995.
• Led AL OFs 2008 (12.4).
• Top 10 AL batter four times.
• Top 10 AL OF nine times.
Jeff Kent 110.2* 9
• Top-ranked 2B in career points since 1995.
• Ranks 17th among all batters in career BTPs since 1995.
• Top NL 2B 6 times: 1997 (11.2), 1998 (10.0), 2000 (12.9), 2001 (9.2), 2002 (10.9), 2004 (7.5).
• Top 5 NL 2B 11 times.
• Top 10 NL batters twice.
Tim Lincecum 115.0 1
• Ranks 39th among pitchers in career BTPs since 1995.
• Top NL pitcher 2009 (19.7).
• Top 10 overall player 4 times.
Jake Peavy 141.8 1
• Ranks 31st among all players in career BTPs since 1995, 23rd among pitchers.
• Led all players 2007 (23.4).
• Top NL pitcher 2007 (23.4).
• Top 10 player 2005, 2007.
• Top 10 NL pitcher 5 times (2004-2008).
Curt Schilling 194.1* 10
• Ranked 9th among all players since 1995.
• Five-time top 5 in season BTPs.
• Nine-time top 10 pitcher in league in BTPs.
Mark Teixeira 101.3 1
• 24th among all batters in career BTPs since 1995, 9th among 1B since 1995.
• Top 10 AL batters 3 times.
• Led AL 1B 2011 (9.0).
• Top 5 AL 1B 8 times.
• Top 5 NL 1B, 2007.
Billy Wagner 108.7 7
• Ranked 3rd among all closing pitchers since 1995.
• Top NL closer three times: 1998 (12.0), 1999 (15.0), 2010 (13.0).
• Seven times top 5 NL closer.
• Top 10 NL pitcher twice.
NO: Players Box-Toppers is not voting for Hall of Fame
Player Career BTP Year on ballot
Bobby Abreu 95.5 3
• Ranks 15th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995.
• Top 10 AL batter 2008.
• Top 10 AL OF 3 times.
• Top 10 NL OF twice.
Mark Buehrle 116.7 2
• Ranks 38th in career BTPs among all pitchers since 1995.
• Top 10 overall 2005.
• Top 10 AL pitcher twice.
Carl Crawford 52.7 1
• 67th in career BTPs among OFs since 1995.
• Top 10 AL OF four times.
Prince Fielder 81.8 1
• Ranks 13th in career BTPs among all 1Bs since 1995.
• Top NL batter 2011 (15.7).
• Top 10 AL batter twice, 2013, 2015.
• Top 5 NL 1B twice, 2007, 2011.
• Top 5 AL 1B twice, 2013, 2015.
Ryan Howard 98.7 1
• Ranks 12th in career BTPs among all 1Bs since 1995.
• Top NL 10 batter 5 times.
Top NL 1B 2007 (11.2).
• Top 5 NL 1B 7 times.
Andruw Jones 96.5 5
• Ranks 14th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995.
• Top 10 NL batter twice.
• Top 10 NL OF 6 times.
Justin Morneau 74.3 1
• Ranks 22nd in career BTPs among all 1Bs since 1995.
• Led AL 1Bs 2007 (10.5)
• Top 10 AL batter twice.
• Top 5 AL 1B 4 times.
• Top 5 AL DH 2009.
Andy Pettitte 138.5 4
• 24th in career BTPs among all pitchers since 1995.
• Top 10 AL pitcher 4 times, never higher than 8th.
Joe Nathan 52.0 1
• 28th in career BTPs among all closing pitchers since 1995.
• Top 5 AL CP 3 times.
David Ortiz 145.9 1
• Steroids.
• 28th in career BTPs among all players since 1995, 8th among all batters.
• Top 10 player 2006.
• Top AL batter 2005 (14.7), 2006 (16.7).
• Top 10 AL batter 6 times.
• Top AL DH 3 times 2005 (14.7), 2006 (16.7), 2013 (12.4).
• Top AL DH 10 times.
Jonathan Papelbon 54.4 1
• 22nd in career BTPs among all closing pitchers since 1995.
• Top 5 NL CP, 2012.
A.J. Pierzynski 47.2 1
• 12th in career BTPs among all catchers since 1995.
• Top 5 AL catcher 5 times.
Manny Ramirez 166.2* 6
• Steroids.
• 16th in career BTPs among all players since 1995, 3rd among all batters.
• Top 10 players twice, 1998 & 1999.
• Top AL batter 1999 (19.9).
• Top 10 AL batter 7 times.
• Top 10 NL batter once.
• Top AL OF three times 1999 (19.9), 2000 (13.2), 2005 (14.0).
• Top AL OF 9 times.
• Top 5 AL DH three times.
• Top NL OF 2008 (13.9).
Alex Rodriguez 187.0* 1
• Steroids.
• 10th in career BTPs among all players since 1995, 2nd among all batters.
• Top 10 players, 2000 & 2007.
• Top AL batter 2007 (18.9).
• Top 10 AL batter 10 times.
• Top AL shortstop 5 times, 1996 (11.2), 1999 (13.7), 2000 (17.0), 2001 (12.5), 2002 (15.2).
• Top 5 AL SS 8 times.
• Top AL 3B twice, 2005 (11.9), 2007 (18.9).
• Top 5 AL 3B 7 times.
• Top 5 AH DH 2015 (13.9).
Scott Rolen 97.6 5
• 5th in career BTPs among all 3Bs since 1995.
• Top 10 NL batters three times.
• Top NL 3B three times 2002 (10.0), 2004 (13.5), 2010 (12.0).
• Top 5 NL 3B 6 times.
Jimmy Rollins 50.4 1
• 9th in career BTPs among all shortstops since 1995.
• Top NL SS 2008 (7.0).
• Top 5 NL SS 6 times.
Gary Sheffield 124.1* 8
• Steroids.
• 11th among batters in career BTPs since 1995.
• Would have about 155 BTP if career from 1988 were tracked.
• Top 10 overall in 2004.
• Top AL batter in 2004 (16.2).
• Top 10 AL batter twice.
• Top 10 NL batter four times.
• Top AL OF in 2004 (16.2).
• Top 10 AL OF twice.
• Top 5 AL DH once.
• Top NL OF in 2000 (14.2).
• Top 10 NL OF four times.
Sammy Sosa 113.2* 10
• Steroids.
• 16th among batters in career BTPs since 1995.
• Would have 134 BTP if career from 1989 were tracked.
• Top 10 overall 1995.
• Top NL batter twice 1995 (15.9), 1998 (15.5).
• Top 10 NL batter three times.
• Top 5 AL DH once.
• Top NL OF three times 1995 (15.9), 1998 (15.5), 2001 (16.0).
• Top 10 NL OF 7 times.
Omar Vizquel 42.2* 5
• 11th in career BTPs among SSs since 1995.
• Top 5 AL SS twice.
• Top 5 NL SS once.
ALREADY IN: Players IBWAA voters have already voted to Hall of Fame
Player Career BTP Year on ballot
Barry Bonds 152.2* 10
• Steroids.
• 5th among all batters in career BTPs since 1995.
• Would have 230 BTP if career rom 1986 were tracked.
• Top 10 overall player three times.
• Top NL batter twice, 1999 (15.2), 2002 (20.7).
• Top 10 NL batter 10 times.
• Top 10 NL OF 10 times.
Roger Clemens 164.8* 10
• Steroids.
• 14th among all pitchers in career BTPs since 1995.
• Would have 320 BTP if career from 1984 were tracked.
• Top player 1997 (27.4).
• Top 10 overall player three times.
• Top AL pitcher twice—1997 (27.4), 1998 (25.8).
• Top 10 AL pitcher seven times.
• Top 10 NL pitcher once.
*Career began prior to 1995. Box-Toppers tracking did not begin until the 1995 season.

Yet, several other candidates with Hall-of-Fame worthy careers were not voted for induction Tuesday because of their ties to the steroid era. In fact, it can be argued that righteous baseball writers did a noble thing Tuesday by blocking three such candidates—Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa—for their 10th and final time on the ballot.

Ortiz was the only player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday. He received 77.9 percent of the vote from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the only one of the 30 players on the ballot to receive the necessary 75 percent of the vote.

Box-Toppers supported the candidacies of nine players with its vote in the separate internet writers ballot via the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA). None of Box-Toppers nine candidates was elected to the Hall and Box-Toppers also, reluctantly, did not support the candidacy of Ortiz. However, the entire body of the IBWAA voted Ortiz with 79.4 percent of the vote, the only candidate with the required 75 percent support for induction.

Box-Toppers voted against Ortiz and in a Dec. 1 post, gave this reasoning:

“I’m withholding judgment on Ortiz at least for now because of his suspected ties to the steroids era. In 2009, the New York Times reported that Ortiz allegedly tested positive in 2003 in a confidential survey that was leaked. However, after baseball adopted a drug-testing program in 2006, Ortiz never tested positive. Still, in his first few seasons, Ortiz earned relatively few Box-Toppers points (only 3.7 total in his first four seasons) and then skyrocketed in 2004 earning 10 or more points in five of six seasons from 2004 to 2009.

“I’m generally opposed to withholding a vote simply to prevent someone from being a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. A player is either a Hall-of-Famer or not. For Ortiz, it’s not exactly clear. The leaked confidential report is suspect and there really is no other proof that Ortiz might have been a PED user.

“Judging by Box-Toppers points and rankings alone, Ortiz belongs in the Hall of Fame. But because of the suspicion, I’m going to hold off this year. I could change my mind next year, which is something I’ve not done before on Hall of Fame votes. But the point could be moot because Ortiz could very well receive enough votes to be inducted this year.”

Ortiz played from 1997 to 2016 for the Red Sox and Twins and has 145.9 career Box-Toppers points, 28th among all players, eighth among all batters and second among all designated hitters since 1995. (Among DHs, he trails only Jim Thome’s 146.7 career points.)

He led American League batters twice, both with the Red Sox (2005, 14.7 points and 2006, 16.7 points). He led AL designated hitters three times (2005, 2006 and 2013 with 12.4 points). He was  among the top 10 overall players in 2006 (his 16.7 points ranked fourth overall). He was a top 10 AL batter six times and a top five AL designated hitter 10 times.

Ten-year ballot tenure ends

Notably, four players in their 10th and final year of consideration on the writers’ ballot did not receive 75-percent support. 

Three of the four had ties to the steroids era—Barry Bonds (who received 66.0 percent of the vote), Roger Clemens (65.2 percent) and Sammy Sosa (18.5 percent). 

Curt Schilling (58.6 percent) is the fourth player whose 10-year tenure on the writers’ hall ballot ended without election. While none of the four will appear on writers’ ballot next year, they still have the opportunity for induction by a vote of a veteran’s committee.

While Bonds, Clemens and Schilling have earned support from two-thirds or more of writers this year or in recent years, they never reached the 75-percent threshold of support. And while some may cry that a Hall of Fame without players like Bonds and Clemens (and Pete Rose and Joe Jackson) is not worthy, Box-Toppers has supported keeping players out of the Hall who violated the rules of the game. In that way, Tuesday was a great victory because writers, tested and buffeted with steroid poster boys Bonds and Clemens on the ballot, said “no” each time for 10 straight years.

Here is a look at the four key players whose 10-year tenure on the writers’ ballot ended Tuesday:

Curt Schilling

In his 10th and final year of eligibility, Schilling received 58.6 percent of the vote, a substantial drop from the 71.1 percent of the vote he received in 2021.

In fact, Schilling’s support had continued to grow each season so that it seemed inevitable he would be elected in 2022. However, after being rejected for the ninth time in 2021, Schilling asked to be removed from the 2022 ballot by baseball writers and take his chances of being voted in the hall in the future by players’ committees. Baseball writers did not comply with removing him from the ballot, but many fewer voters chose not to check the box next to his name for 2022.

Schilling also voiced support for the Capitol Insurrection of 2021 and over the years has made bigoted, stupid comments. That turned writers off. It turned me off, too. Yet, I still supported Schilling’s candidacy for the Hall. Though he may be an idiot, it does not affect what Schilling did as a player. 

Schilling played from 1988 to 2007 primarily for the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Red Sox and had 194.1 Box-Toppers points since 1995, ranked ninth on the “all-time” list (eighth among all pitchers).

He is Box-Toppers’ highest-ranked Hall-eligible player not to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Two players ahead of him in Box-Toppers rankings are Hall-of-Famers—pitchers Randy Johnson (282.5 Box-Toppers points) and Pedro Martinez (244.8).

Barry Bonds

In his 10th and final year of eligibility, he received 66.0 percent of the vote, up from the 61.8 percent he received in 2021. His career began in 1986 and he earned 152.2 Box-Toppers points from 1995 to 2007, 24th among all players and second among all outfielders. (If his entire career were tracked, projections put his Box-Toppers point total at about 230.)

Roger Clemens

In his 10th and final year of eligibility, he received 65.2 percent of the vote, up slightly from the 61.6 percent he received in 2021. His career began in 1984 and he earned 164.8 Box-Toppers points from 1995 to 2007, 17th among all players and 14th among all pitchers. (If his entire career were tracked, projections put his Box-Toppers point total at about 320.)

Sammy Sosa

In his 10th and final year of eligibility, he received 18.5 percent of the vote, up from the 17.0 percent he received in 2021. His career began in 1989 and he earned 113.2 Box-Toppers points from 1995 to 2007, 60th among all players and sixth among all outfielders. If his entire career were tracked, projections put his Box-Toppers point total at about 135.

Box-Toppers’ 2022 Hall of Fame choices

Here are the players Box-Toppers voted for induction to the Hall of Fame on the IBWAA ballot and the percentage of votes they received in Tuesday’s announced vote from the BBWAA:

Of the nine players Box-Toppers supported for the hall, only four will return to the ballot for 2023. One of them, Schilling, as previously mentioned, was not elected during his 10-year tenure on the ballot and will not return. Four others did not receive the necessary 5 percent of the vote to remain on subsequent year’s ballots—Hudson, Lincecum, Teixeira and Peavy. That means Helton, Wagner, Kent and Hunter will appear on the ballot in 2023. It will be Kent’s 10th and final year in 2023.

Here’s a look at other key players in this week’s Hall of Fame voting:

Scott Rolen

In his fifth year on the ballot, Scott Rolen received 63.2 percent of the vote, up from the 52.9 percent he received in 2021. He received the most votes among players who will return to the ballot for 2023 and his vote total is building to the point where his induction seems inevitable in the next couple of years.

Box-Toppers has not voted for Rolen for Hall induction.

The third basemen played from 1996 to 2012 primarily for the Phillies, Cardinals and Reds and has 97.6 career Box-Toppers points, fifth among all third basemen since 1995. While he did lead NL third basemen three times (2002 with 10.0 points, 2004 with 13.5 points and 2010 with 12.0 points), he fell just short of 100 career Box-Toppers points. He also ranked among the top 10 NL batters three times and among the top five NL third basemen six times.

Todd Helton

In his fourth year on the ballot, Helton received 52.0 percent of the vote, up from the 44.9 percent he received in 2022.

Box-Toppers supported Helton’s Hall candidacy.

The first baseman who played from 1997 to 2013 for the Rockies has 116.4 career Box-Toppers points, 14th among all batters and sixth among all first basemen since 1995. 

He led National League batters in Box-Toppers points in two different seasons—2000 (15.2) and 2001 (17.0). He led NL first basemen in points four straight seasons from 1999 to 2002. 

He was among the top 10 overall players in 2001 (ranking eighth with 17.0 points) and was among the top 10 NL batters in five seasons and a top five NL first basemen six times. This is Helton’s fourth year on the ballot. Box-Toppers has voted for him each year.

Billy Wagner

In his seventh year on the ballot, Wagner received 51.0 percent of the vote, up from the 46.4 percent he received in 2022.

Box-Toppers supported Wagner’s Hall candidacy.

The closing pitcher played from 1995 to 2010 primarily for the Astros, Mets, Phillies and Braves and has 108.7 career Box-Toppers points, third among all closing pitchers since 1995, behind Trevor Hoffman (129.4) and Mariano Rivera (126.4), both Hall of Famers. 

He led NL closing pitchers in Box-Toppers points three times, 1998 (12.0) and 1999 (15.0) with the Astros and in 2010 (13.0) with the Braves. He was among the top five NL closers seven times and was among the top 10 overall NL pitchers twice. 

Jeff Kent

In his ninth year on the ballot, Kent received 32.7 percent of the vote, up from the 32.4 percent he received in 2022.

Box-Toppers supported Kent’s Hall candidacy.

The second baseman who played from 1992 to 2008 for the Mets, Giants, Astros and Dodgers has 110.2 career Box-Toppers points since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began, which is most among all second basemen in that span. 

Kent’s career started in 1992, before the advent of Box-Toppers tracking, and estimates put his actual career total at 125 points. Still, given his career points since 1995, he ranks 17th among all batters. 

He led NL second basemen in Box-Toppers points in six different seasons—1997 (11.2), 1998 (10.0), 2000 (12.9), 2001 (9.2), 2002 (10.9), all with the Giants and 2004 (7.5) with the Astros. Kent was among the top five NL second basemen 11 times. He ranked among the top 10 NL batters twice—2000 (12.9, ranked fourth) and 2002 (10.9, ranked sixth), both with the Giants. 

Despite his sustained offensive excellence and his dominance among all players at second base over the past quarter century (the second-place second basemen since 1995 is Robinson Cano of the Mets with 85.4—which is 24.8 points behind), Kent has now not been elected to the Hall in nine tries.

PED-associated players

Six total players associated with performance enhancing drugs who otherwise might have been shoo-ins to the Hall of Fame were again denied induction. In addition to Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, previously detailed, Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez also were denied induction:

  • Gary Sheffield, in his eighth year of eligibility, received 40.6 percent of the vote, steady from the 40.6 he received in 2021. Sheffield has 124.1 career Box-Toppers points since 1995, ranked 44th among all players and fourth among all outfielders. If his entire career from 1988 to 2009 were tracked, he would have roughly 155 career Box-Toppers points.

  • Alex Rodriguez, in his first year of eligibility, received 34.3 percent of the vote. Rodriguez has 187.0 career Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among all players, second among all batters (behind Albert Pujols’s 204.8) and first among all third basemen.

  • Manny Ramirez, in his sixth year of eligibility, received 28.9 percent of the vote, up slightly from the 28.2 percent he received in 2021. Ramirez had 166.2 career Box-Toppers points since 1995, ranked 16th among all players and first among outfielders. (Ramirez began his career in 1993, prior to Box-Toppers tracking. If his entire career were tracked, rough projections put his career total at about 173.)

First year of eligibility

There were 13 players who were in their first year of Hall eligibility, having played at least 10 seasons and been retired for five.

Of those 13, one was elected for induction (Ortiz) and only two others received 5 percent or more of the writers’ votes to remain on the ballot in 2023—Rodriguez (34.3 percent) and shortstop Jimmy Rollins (9.4 percent). The other 10 players received less than 5 percent of the vote, including two who received no Hall of Fame votes.

In addition to those 10, Tim Hudson will not return to the ballot in 2023 after recieiving only 3.0 percent of the vote in his second year on the ballot, down from the 5.2 percent he received in 2021.

2022 induction ceremony

Ortiz will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in ceremonies in July in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with six former players elected in December by two Eras Committees—Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva and Buck O'Neil.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

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