The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot includes 12 newcomers. Let the debates begin.
Few candidates get on the ballot who are beyond debate. This year, Adriân Beltré is one of them, thanks to 3,166 hits, 477 homers and five Gold Gloves. Only Willie Mays reached those thresholds.
Voting is hard, however, because most candidates fall on the borderline. That’s especially true of first-time candidates this year such as Joe Mauer, Chase Utley and David Wright. Each was at some point among the best players in the game. Did their peak last long enough? Did they do enough after their peak? How do they measure against those at their position in the Hall of Fame?
