This is the ninth annual meeting of the BBF Ballot Screening Committee, where we will tell the BBWAA Screening Committee which players deserve to be on the next Hall of Fame ballot.
Soon the BBWAA Ballot Screening Committee will meet to decide which players will make the ballot for their next election. Ten-year veterans who last played in 2015 will be newly eligible. The committee always does its work "in quiet rooms" hidden from any scrutiny. So I don't know who is on the committee or exactly when they plan to meet. Rule 4-A of the BBWAA election rules outlines their task:
4. Method of Election:
A. BBWAA Screening Committee - A Screening Committee consisting of baseball writers will be appointed by the BBWAA. This Screening Committee shall consist of six members, with two members to be elected at each Annual Meeting for a three-year term. The duty of the Screening Committee shall be to prepare a ballot listing in alphabetical order eligible candidates who (1) received a vote on a minimum of five percent (5%) of the ballots cast in the preceding election or (2) are eligible for the first time and are nominated by any two of the six members of the BBWAA Screening Committee.
In this poll we will consider the first-year candidates for the 2021 BBWAA ballot. Choose as many as you think deserve to be on the ballot. However, try to vote for at least 10, as a bare-bones minimum. Please don't vote for more than 24, try to do a little screening. Here's last year's BBF Ballot Screening.
I have done a prescreening, paring down from 50 to 31 players in the poll. None of those 19 cut are close to minimum standards for making the ballot: position players Jeff Baker, Willie Bloomquist, Alberto Callaspo, Chris Denorfia, Dan Johnson, Reed Johnson, Gerald Laird, David Murphy, Wil Nieves, Skip Schumaker; pitchers Grant Balfour, Joe Beimel, Bruce Chen, Randy Choate, Kevin Correia, Neal Cotts, Jeff Francis, Jason Frasor, Tim Stauffer. Given their usual standards the screeners will place about 16-17 of those 50 on the ballot; although to be honest, only about three of them really have any business being in a poll for the HOF.
This year's award for top sub-10-year man (ineligible for the ballot) goes to Josh Hamilton. His exclusion from this ballot highlights the absurdity of the ten-years rule, as he is one of the top five players retiring in 2015. The first player chosen in the 1999 draft, Hamilton was a 5-time all star. He won the MVP in 2010, finishing 5th and 7th in other years. Struggles with substance abuse delayed his debut until he was 25, then injuries cut him down at age 34. He finished with a 129 OPS+ and 28.2 WAR. Honorable mention goes to Chad Billingsley.
Keep in mind that this poll is not to vote for who you think should be in the Hall, or who you think should be considered, or even who had potential. This poll asks you to decide which guys meet the standards used by the BBWAA Screening committee. If you're not sure what their standards are, look at the 2020 HOF voting.
Here are basic stats for the top 31 newly eligible candidates:
Soon the BBWAA Ballot Screening Committee will meet to decide which players will make the ballot for their next election. Ten-year veterans who last played in 2015 will be newly eligible. The committee always does its work "in quiet rooms" hidden from any scrutiny. So I don't know who is on the committee or exactly when they plan to meet. Rule 4-A of the BBWAA election rules outlines their task:
4. Method of Election:
A. BBWAA Screening Committee - A Screening Committee consisting of baseball writers will be appointed by the BBWAA. This Screening Committee shall consist of six members, with two members to be elected at each Annual Meeting for a three-year term. The duty of the Screening Committee shall be to prepare a ballot listing in alphabetical order eligible candidates who (1) received a vote on a minimum of five percent (5%) of the ballots cast in the preceding election or (2) are eligible for the first time and are nominated by any two of the six members of the BBWAA Screening Committee.
In this poll we will consider the first-year candidates for the 2021 BBWAA ballot. Choose as many as you think deserve to be on the ballot. However, try to vote for at least 10, as a bare-bones minimum. Please don't vote for more than 24, try to do a little screening. Here's last year's BBF Ballot Screening.
I have done a prescreening, paring down from 50 to 31 players in the poll. None of those 19 cut are close to minimum standards for making the ballot: position players Jeff Baker, Willie Bloomquist, Alberto Callaspo, Chris Denorfia, Dan Johnson, Reed Johnson, Gerald Laird, David Murphy, Wil Nieves, Skip Schumaker; pitchers Grant Balfour, Joe Beimel, Bruce Chen, Randy Choate, Kevin Correia, Neal Cotts, Jeff Francis, Jason Frasor, Tim Stauffer. Given their usual standards the screeners will place about 16-17 of those 50 on the ballot; although to be honest, only about three of them really have any business being in a poll for the HOF.
This year's award for top sub-10-year man (ineligible for the ballot) goes to Josh Hamilton. His exclusion from this ballot highlights the absurdity of the ten-years rule, as he is one of the top five players retiring in 2015. The first player chosen in the 1999 draft, Hamilton was a 5-time all star. He won the MVP in 2010, finishing 5th and 7th in other years. Struggles with substance abuse delayed his debut until he was 25, then injuries cut him down at age 34. He finished with a 129 OPS+ and 28.2 WAR. Honorable mention goes to Chad Billingsley.
Keep in mind that this poll is not to vote for who you think should be in the Hall, or who you think should be considered, or even who had potential. This poll asks you to decide which guys meet the standards used by the BBWAA Screening committee. If you're not sure what their standards are, look at the 2020 HOF voting.
Here are basic stats for the top 31 newly eligible candidates:
Jaws | Name | Yrs | From | ASG | bWAR | fWAR | MVPsh | WinSh | HOFm | OPS+ | PA | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG |
CF-34th | Torii Hunter | 19 | 1997 | 5 | 50.7 | 43.0 | 0.37 | 277 | 58 | 110 | 9692 | 2452 | 353 | 1391 | 195 | .277 | .331 | .461 |
3B-61st | Aramis Ramirez | 18 | 1998 | 3 | 32.4 | 38.4 | 0.43 | 272 | 85 | 115 | 8986 | 2303 | 386 | 1417 | 29 | .283 | .341 | .492 |
CF-74th | Shane Victorino | 12 | 2003 | 2 | 31.5 | 29.3 | 0.06 | 153 | 32 | 102 | 5164 | 1274 | 108 | 489 | 231 | .275 | .340 | .425 |
RF-81st | Alex Rios | 12 | 2004 | 2 | 27.3 | 25.8 | 0.04 | 159 | 20 | 100 | 6929 | 1778 | 169 | 794 | 253 | .277 | .321 | .434 |
CF-87th | Grady Sizemore | 10 | 2004 | 3 | 27.7 | 29.7 | 0.22 | 139 | 34 | 115 | 4724 | 1098 | 150 | 518 | 143 | .265 | .349 | .457 |
CF-127th | David DeJesus | 13 | 2003 | 0 | 23.4 | 25.5 | 0 | 147 | 6 | 105 | 5916 | 1434 | 99 | 573 | 66 | .275 | .349 | .412 |
RF-101st | Nick Swisher | 12 | 2004 | 1 | 21.4 | 25.1 | 0 | 172 | 14 | 113 | 6308 | 1338 | 245 | 803 | 13 | .249 | .351 | .447 |
2B-97th | Dan Uggla | 10 | 2006 | 3 | 18.2 | 23.2 | 0.03 | 162 | 35 | 107 | 5509 | 1149 | 235 | 706 | 26 | .241 | .336 | .447 |
RF-145th | Michael Cuddyer | 15 | 2001 | 2 | 17.7 | 17.1 | 0.02 | 153 | 26 | 113 | 6102 | 1522 | 197 | 794 | 75 | .277 | .344 | .461 |
SS-159th | Clint Barmes | 13 | 2003 | 0 | 14.9 | 7.8 | 0 | 81 | 0 | 75 | 4167 | 932 | 89 | 415 | 43 | .245 | .294 | .379 |
RF-158th | Corey Hart | 11 | 2004 | 2 | 14.4 | 12.9 | 0 | 110 | 17 | 112 | 4114 | 1009 | 162 | 538 | 85 | .271 | .329 | .478 |
1B-157th | Adam LaRoche | 12 | 2004 | 0 | 14.2 | 11.5 | 0.19 | 161 | 16 | 111 | 6329 | 1452 | 255 | 882 | 13 | .260 | .336 | .462 |
RF-167th | Cody Ross | 12 | 2003 | 0 | 13.5 | 13.2 | 0 | 100 | 1 | 104 | 3806 | 904 | 132 | 508 | 33 | .262 | .322 | .445 |
LF-302nd | Jonny Gomes | 13 | 2003 | 0 | 3.5 | 7.4 | 0 | 100 | 2 | 106 | 4009 | 835 | 162 | 526 | 50 | .242 | .333 | .436 |
LF-336th | Delmon Young | 10 | 2006 | 0 | 3.2 | -1.3 | 0.11 | 95 | 7 | 98 | 4371 | 1162 | 109 | 566 | 36 | .283 | .316 | .421 |
CF-89th | Josh Hamilton | 9 | 2007 | 5 | 28.2 | 27.9 | 1.52 | 147 | 64 | 129 | 4350 | 1134 | 200 | 701 | 50 | .290 | .349 | .516 |
Jaws | Name | Yrs | From | ASG | bWAR | fWAR | CYAsh | WinSh | HOFm | ERA+ | W | L | ERA | G | SV | IP | SO | WHIP |
SP-90th | Mark Buehrle | 16 | 2000 | 5 | 59.1 | 60.6 | 0.04 | 220 | 52 | 117 | 214 | 160 | 3.81 | 518 | 0 | 3283.1 | 1870 | 1.281 |
SP-84th | Tim Hudson | 17 | 1999 | 4 | 57.9 | 64.5 | 0.68 | 219 | 66 | 120 | 222 | 133 | 3.49 | 482 | 0 | 3126.2 | 2080 | 1.239 |
SP-206th | Dan Haren | 13 | 2003 | 3 | 35.1 | 41.2 | 0.05 | 144 | 30 | 109 | 153 | 131 | 3.75 | 391 | 1 | 2419.2 | 2013 | 1.181 |
SP-249th | Barry Zito | 15 | 2000 | 3 | 31.9 | 36.0 | 0.81 | 145 | 48 | 105 | 165 | 143 | 4.04 | 433 | 0 | 2576.2 | 1885 | 1.337 |
SP-350th | A.J. Burnett | 17 | 1999 | 1 | 28.8 | 35.0 | 0 | 137 | 29 | 104 | 164 | 157 | 3.99 | 435 | 0 | 2731.1 | 2513 | 1.325 |
SP-441st | Randy Wolf | 16 | 1999 | 1 | 22.8 | 30.8 | 0 | 116 | 6 | 99 | 133 | 125 | 4.24 | 390 | 1 | 2328.1 | 1814 | 1.349 |
SP-501st | Aaron Harang | 14 | 2002 | 0 | 20.1 | 21.5 | 0.06 | 102 | 13 | 97 | 128 | 143 | 4.26 | 387 | 0 | 2322.0 | 1842 | 1.360 |
RP-72nd | LaTroy Hawkins | 21 | 1995 | 0 | 17.8 | 15.5 | 0 | 124 | 36 | 106 | 75 | 94 | 4.31 | 1042 | 127 | 1467.1 | 983 | 1.406 |
SP | C.J. Wilson | 11 | 2005 | 2 | 17.5 | 20.0 | 0.05 | 95 | 26 | 110 | 94 | 70 | 3.74 | 444 | 52 | 1430.1 | 1259 | 1.321 |
SP-650th | Scott Baker | 10 | 2005 | 0 | 15.7 | 15.9 | 0 | 58 | 4 | 99 | 66 | 53 | 4.26 | 193 | 0 | 1064.2 | 839 | 1.253 |
RP-125th | Rafael Betancourt | 12 | 2003 | 0 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 0 | 82 | 4 | 133 | 38 | 37 | 3.36 | 680 | 75 | 685.2 | 724 | 1.108 |
RP-139th | Rafael Soriano | 14 | 2002 | 1 | 13.8 | 14.5 | 0.03 | 91 | 40 | 144 | 24 | 28 | 2.89 | 591 | 207 | 636.1 | 641 | 1.078 |
SP-702nd | Wandy Rodriguez | 11 | 2005 | 0 | 13.2 | 14.7 | 0 | 73 | 2 | 100 | 97 | 98 | 4.10 | 275 | 0 | 1557.1 | 1281 | 1.345 |
RP-236th | Jeremy Affeldt | 14 | 2002 | 0 | 9.7 | 7.3 | 0 | 67 | 25 | 110 | 43 | 46 | 3.97 | 774 | 28 | 926.0 | 720 | 1.404 |
SP-944th | Jason Marquis | 15 | 2000 | 1 | 6.8 | 14.4 | 0 | 85 | 10 | 93 | 124 | 118 | 4.61 | 377 | 1 | 1968.1 | 1174 | 1.447 |
RP-590th | Kevin Gregg | 13 | 2003 | 0 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 0 | 65 | 15 | 102 | 30 | 46 | 4.24 | 594 | 177 | 720.1 | 661 | 1.391 |
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