Longtime Baltimore sportswriter David Ginsburg recently revealed he selected Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Andy Pettitte on his Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Former second baseman Jeff Kent was already chosen as part of the class by Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December. The results of the writers’ election will be unveiled on Jan. 20, with players needing 75 percent of the vote for enshrinement. It appears Beltrán will sail into Cooperstown on his fourth try, while it will be a close call for Jones.
When Beltrán retired, it seemed like he might even be a first-ballot selection. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound outfielder was a .279/.350/.486 lifetime hitter and racked up 435 home runs, 565 doubles, 78 triples and 312 steals throughout a 20-year career. He earned American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1999, won three Gold Gloves and was named an All-Star nine times.
However, Beltrán was involved in the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal that shook the sport, perhaps delaying his Hall of Fame induction.
Beltrán is a holdover from Ginsburg’s ballot a year ago.
“I think it’s — and I thought the same last year — time to forgive him for the cheating scandal with the Astros, which was really despicable but it’s only a small portion of his resume,” Ginsburg said on Glenn Clark Radio Jan. 9. “I think that’s why he’s been on the ballot so long. He’s got some really good numbers, including these nine All-Star appearances, Rookie of the Year, played 20 years, hit 435 homers. He probably, had he not been part of that sign-stealing scandal with the Astros, would have been in earlier.”
Jones and Pettitte are new to Ginsburg’s ballot. Jones is considered one of the best defensive center fielders of all time, winning 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-2007 and helping pitchers Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz reach the Hall of Fame with sterling numbers.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound outfielder pairs that defense with 434 career home runs. However, his production sharply declined after turning 30, turning a slam-dunk Hall of Fame case into a slog. He hit .214/.314/.420 in the final six years of his career, covering his age 30-35 seasons.
Jones has one more shot on the writers’ ballot should he not crack the 75-percent threshold this time around, so he should head to Cooperstown this year or next.
“He helped his team with his glove. He played an important position there,” Ginsburg said of Jones. “To me, a 10-time Gold Glove player — not a first-ballot guy, he’s been there for a while — and I just think it’s time to let him in. Let’s give some credit to the other side of the field — the glove.”
Pettitte appeared on just 27.9 percent of ballots last year, but he is gaining some steam in his eighth year on the ballot, according to early returns. The case for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound left-hander: He piled up 256 regular-season wins, 19 postseason wins and 10 seasons with 200-plus innings pitched. The case against: He had a 3.85 career ERA, just three All-Star selections and admitted to using human growth hormone to bounce back from a 2002 elbow injury.
Ginsburg eventually voted for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, both connected to performance-enhancing drugs, after initially steering clear when they first hit the ballot. He prefers not to vote for players who have been suspended for PEDs, though.
“When he came out and acknowledged that he did use those kinds of drugs, he said it was to help him get over an injury,” Ginsburg said of Pettitte. “I don’t think that added any mileage to his fastball. I think it just enabled him to recover quicker. He admitted it. It wasn’t like he was exposed for using it.”
Ginsburg said he would consider several other players in the future, including outfielder Bobby Abreu, left-handed starter Mark Buehrle and right-handed starter Félix Hernández.
Hernández is one of the top storylines of this cycle, having taken a leap forward in the early returns. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound right-hander was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the early 2010s, winning an American League Cy Young Award, earning six All-Star selections and tossing a perfect game.
“King Félix is someone who was on my radar and probably will be in the future,” Ginsburg said. “I will study a little closer. To me, it’s like the Beltrán thing. He’s not a first-, second-, third-ballot, but he belongs in the Hall. I would really consider that with Félix for some of the things that he did for a very short period but was dominant as anyone in the game for that period of time.”
For more from Ginsburg, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Atlanta Braves