Box-Toppers is voting for four players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 2026 Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot.
Box-Toppers Hall of Fame ballot
Here are Box-Toppers' selections in the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. The ballot requires voters to pick as many as 10 candidates—Box-Toppers chose four.Shown first in alphabetical order by last name are the four 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 players Box-Toppers is not voting for Hall induction, also in alphabetical order by last name.
There are 27 candidates on the official BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot and 26 on the IBWAA ballot.†
| YES: Players Box-Toppers is voting for Hall of Fame | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Career BTP | Year on ballot |
| Cole Hamels | 174.2 | 1 |
|
• 14th in career Box-Toppers points among all players since 1995, 12th among all pitchers. • Top 10 in overall B-T points, 2016. • Top 10 AL pitcher twice. • Top 10 NL pitcher twice. | ||
| Félix Hernández | 175.1 | 2 |
|
• 13th in career Box-Toppers points among all players since 1995, 11th among all pitchers. • Top 10 in overall B-T points five times. • Top 10 AL pitcher seven times. | ||
| Torii Hunter | 115.9 | 6 |
|
• 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. |
||
| Chase Utley | 78.6 | 3 |
|
• 3rd in career BTPs among 2Bs since 1995. • Led NL 2Bs 5 straight seasons—2005 (9.7), 2006 (12.0), 2007 (11.7), 2008 (8.5), 2009 (9.5). • Top 10 NL batter 3 times (2006, 2007, 2009). |
||
| NO: Players Box-Toppers is not voting for Hall of Fame | ||
| Player | Career BTP | Year on ballot |
| Bobby Abreu | 95.5 | 7 |
|
• 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. |
||
| Carlos Beltrán | 108.6 | 4 |
|
• Ranks 7th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Top 10 AL batter 2001, 2003. • Top 10 AL OF 3 times, including top AL OF 2001, 2003. • Top 10 NL OF 4 times. |
||
| Ryan Braun | 98.7 | 1 |
|
• Steroids. • Ranks 13th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Led NL batters, 2012. • Top 10 NL batter six times—2008-12, 2016. • Top 10 NL OF 6 times, including top NL OF 4 times—2009-12. | ||
| Mark Buehrle | 116.7 | 6 |
|
• Ranks 46th in career BTPs among all pitchers since 1995. • Top 10 overall 2005. • Top 10 AL pitcher twice. | ||
| Shin‑Soo Choo | 65.2 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 48th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Top 10 AL batter, 2010. • Top 10 AL OF twice—2009, 2010. • Top 10 NL OF, 2013. • Top 5 AL DH, 2017. | ||
| Edwin Encarnación | 88.2 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 6th in career BTPs among all DHs since 1995. • Top AL batter, 2017. • Top AL DH twice—2014, 2017. • Top AL 1B, 2017. • Top 10 AL batter 4 times—2013-15, 2017. • Top 5 AL DH 6 times—2013-18. • Top 5 AL 1B 4 times—2013-14, 2016-17. • Top 10 AL OF, 2014. | ||
| Gio Gonzalez | 108.6 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 58th in career BTPs among all pitchers since 1995. • Top 10 overall, 2012. • Top 10 AL pitcher, 2011. • Top 10 NL pitcher, 2012. | ||
| Alex Gordon | 37.0 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 126th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Best season, 2011, 6.5 B-T points, 11th among AL OFs. | ||
| Andruw Jones† | 96.5 | 9 |
|
• Ranks 14th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Top 10 NL batter twice. • Top 10 NL OF six times. |
||
| Matt Kemp | 68.1 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 43rd in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Top 10 NL batter, 2012. • Top 10 NL OF 4 times—2009-12, 2016. | ||
| Howie Kendrick | 41.5 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 19th in career BTPs among all 2Bs since 1995. • Top 5 NL 2B, 2015. | ||
| Nick Markakis | 53.1 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 68th in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Top 10 AL OF, 2009. | ||
| Daniel Murphy | 48.5 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 14th in career BTPs among all 2Bs since 1995. • Led NL 2Bs, 2013. • Top 10 NL batter, 2013. • Top 5 NL 2B 4 times—2013-14, 2016-17. | ||
| Dustin Pedroia | 39.5 | 2 |
|
• Ranks 20th in career BTPs among all 2Bs since 1995. • Top 5 AL 2B three times. | ||
| Hunter Pence | 64.2 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 51st in career BTPs among all OFs since 1995. • Top 10 NL OF 3 tines—2008, 2010, 2013. | ||
| Andy Pettitte | 138.5 | 8 |
|
• 28th in career BTPs among all pitchers since 1995. • Top 10 AL pitcher 4 times, never higher than 8th. |
||
| Rick Porcello | 64.1 | 1 |
|
• Ranks 166th in career BTPs among all pitchers since 1995. • Best season, 2018, 11.4 B-T points, 17th among AL pitchers. | ||
| Manny Ramirez | 166.2* | 10 |
|
• Steroids. • 17th in career BTPs among all players since 1995, 3rd among all batters. • Top 10 player 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 10 OF 9 times. • Top 5 AL DH three times. • Top NL OF 2008 (13.9). |
||
| Alex Rodriguez | 187.0* | 5 |
| • 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). |
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| Francisco Rodriguez | 63.4 | 4 |
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• 13th in career BTPs among all closing pitchers since 1995. • Top 5 AL closing pitcher 2005, 2006, 2008. |
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| Jimmy Rollins | 50.4 | 5 |
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• 14th in career BTPs among all shortstops since 1995. • Top NL SS 2008 (7.0). • Top 5 NL SS 6 times. |
||
| Omar Vizquel | 42.2* | 9 |
|
• 17th in career BTPs among shortstops since 1995. • Top 5 AL SS twice. • Top 5 NL SS once. |
||
| David Wright | 75.1 | 3 |
|
• 9th in career BTPs among 3Bs since 1995. • Led NL 3Bs in BTPs 3 times—2006 (15.4), 2009 (8.5), 2011 (10.0). • Top 10 overall player 2006 (15.4, 10th). • Top 10 NL batter 3 times. • Top 5 NL 3B 5 times. |
||
† Internet baseball writers of the IBWAA voted Andruw Jones for induction to the Hall of Fame in 2025, so he does not appear on their ballot. However, Jones fell short of official induction by the BBWAA and so remains on that ballot.
Box-Toppers is voting for these players, listed alphabetically by last name. (To jump directly to their Box-Toppers-focused profile below, click the jump link next to their name.)
Hamels is new to the Hall of Fame ballot this year, while the other three—Hernández, Hunter, and Utley—return to the ballot after not receiving the necessary votes to be inducted into the Hall last year.
My Utley exception
Of the three returning candidates on my ballot, I have consistently supported two of them, Hernández and Hunter, every year they have been eligible. The situation is different for Utley. I voted “No” on him during his first two years on the ballot, but I am reversing that decision and casting a "Yes" vote this year.
I typically disdain and criticize Hall of Fame voters who arbitrarily shift their position on candidates year over year. A player's career, concluded years prior, does not change, making most claims of “new insight” baseless. Consequently, my vote for Utley is a rare exception—perhaps the only time I have changed a ballot from “No” in one year to “Yes” in the next.
My willingness to now change my stance rests entirely on this week’s developments, specifically the special committee’s decision to induct fellow second baseman Jeff Kent, which fundamentally reframes Utley’s own candidacy.
The rest of the Hall of Fame ballot
The IBWAA ballot is separate from the “official” ballot conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) for actual induction into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
There are 27 candidates on the official BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot, but just 26 on the IBWAA ballot. That’s because in 2025, the IBWAA voted Andruw Jones for Hall induction, though he fell short on the BBWAA ballot. (Box-Toppers did not vote for Jones for Hall induction in 2025.)
Of the 27 players on the BBWAA ballot, 15 are returning from last year and 12 are first-year candidates.
Here, in alphabetical order by last name, are the 23 players on the official BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot that Box-Toppers does not support for Hall induction. (To jump directly to their Box-Toppers-focused profile below, click the jump link next to their name.)
Andruw Jones (Jump)
The chart on this page shows a brief Box-Toppers-focused biographical synopsis of each of the 27 players on the official BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot.
Box-Toppers criteria for Hall induction
In general, Box-Toppers favors players for Hall induction who have at least 100 career Box-Toppers points and/or have led their league’s batters or pitchers in points for at least one season.
Box-Toppers also considers players whose career Box-Toppers point total puts them among the few best players of their era or players who consistently led their league in Box-Toppers points at their position.
There are some instances of players—especially pitchers—who have more than 100 career Box-Toppers points who Box-Toppers didn’t deem worthy of Hall induction. That’s because, despite their career accomplishment, they weren’t necessarily ever among the top players in any season or any era.
While Box-Toppers bases its determination for Hall of Fame candidacy on these criteria, violations of baseball rules are also weighted when assessing a player’s overall worthiness. Accordingly, Box-Toppers has not supported Hall of Fame candidates implicated in or strongly suspected of utilizing performance-enhancing substances, such as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens, none of whom retain active candidacy on the writers’ Hall of Fame ballot.
Here is a look at players Box-Toppers is voting for Hall induction:
Cole Hamels
The pitcher who played from 2006 to 2020 for the Phillies, Rangers, Cubs and Braves has 174.2 career Box-Toppers points, 14th among all players since tracking began in 1995 and 12th among all pitchers in that span.
Hamels ranked among the overall top 10 players in Box-Toppers points in 2016 with the Rangers—his 17.8 Box-Toppers points that season was sixth among all players. He also ranked among his league’s top 10 pitchers four times:
In 2010 with the Phillies, he ranked 10th among National League pitchers with 15.0 Box-Toppers points.
In 2011 with the Phillies, he ranked eighth among NL pitchers with 15.8 points.
In 2015 with the Rangers, he ranked eighth among American League pitchers with 15.4 points.
In 2016 with the Rangers, he ranked second among AL pitchers with 17.8 points.
Hamels never led his league’s pitchers in Box-Toppers points in any season, coming as close as second among AL pitchers in 2016. But he did rack up an impressive career total in Box-Toppers points that is hard to ignore, earning 10 or more points in 12 of the 14 seasons in which he earned points (2006-19). He earned 10 or more points for 11 straight seasons (2006-16).
Hamels has the third-most career Box-Toppers points of players who never led their league’s position in Box-Toppers points in a season, behind Curt Schilling and fellow Hall candidate, Félix Hernández.
Félix Hernández
The pitcher who played from 2005 to 2019 for the Mariners has 175.1 career Box-Toppers points, 13th among all players since tracking began in 1995 and 11th among all pitchers in that span.
Hernández ranked among the overall top 10 players in Box-Toppers points five times:
2009 (fourth, 19.1 points).
2010 (third, 20.4).
2012 (fifth, 18.7).
2014 (sixth, 20.8).
2015 (eighth, 19.4).
He ranked among the top 10 AL pitchers seven times:
2007 (sixth, 13.0).
2009 (third, 19.1).
2010 (second, 20.4).
2012 (second, 18.7).
2013 (eighth, 14.8).
2014 (third, 20.8).
2015 (third, 19.4).
He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2010, the year he was second among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points (20.4), behind Jon Lester of the Red Sox (23.4).
Hernández has the second-most career Box-Toppers points of players who never led their league’s position in Box-Toppers points in a season, behind only Curt Schilling, who earned 194.1 points from 1995 to 2007. (Schilling began his career in 1988, before the start of Box-Toppers tracking. If his entire career were tracked, he would have an estimated 232 career points. Schilling was not voted to the Hall of Fame in 10 years on the writers’ Hall of Fame ballot ending in 2022, though Box-Toppers supported his candidacy.)
Though Hernández never led his league’s pitchers in Box-Toppers points in any season, one of Box-Toppers’ criteria for Hall induction, he came close and racked up huge season totals—exceeding 20 points twice. He ranked among the top 10 pitchers in career Box-Toppers points since 1995 until he was passed on May 16, 2025, by Chris Sale of the Braves, whose 183.8 career points now ranks ninth.
This is his second year on the ballot.
Torii Hunter
The outfielder who played from 1997 to 2015 for the Twins, Angels and Tigers has 115.9 career Box-Toppers points, 15th among all batters since 1995, fifth among all outfielders in that span.
Hunter led all AL outfielders in 2008 with 12.4 points with the Angels. He was a top 10 AL batter four times:
2002 with the Twins (seventh, 11.5).
2007 with the Twins (10th, 9.5).
2008 with the Angels (second, 12.4).
2010 with the Angels (10th, 8.5).
He was among the top 10 AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points nine times.
This is his sixth year on the ballot.
Chase Utley
The second baseman played from 2003 to 2018 for the Phillies and Dodgers. He had 78.6 career Box-Toppers points, third among all second basemen since 1995, behind Jeff Kent (110.2) and Robinson Cano (85.4).
He led NL second basemen in Box-Toppers points for five straight seasons from 2005 to 2009 with the Phillies:
2005—9.7 points.
2006—12.0.
2007—11.7.
2008—8.5.
2009—9.5.
In three of those seasons, he was among the top 10 NL batters
2006 (ninth, 12.0).
2007 (fifth, 11.7).
2009 (ninth, 9.5).
So while he led his league’s position in multiple seasons, he was far short of the 100-career point threshold. Still, he ranks third among all second basemen over the past three decades.
In Utley’s previous two times on the Hall of Fame ballot—2024 and 2025—Box-Toppers voted “No” on his candidacy, with the reasoning that Jeff Kent, another second baseman with far more career Box-Toppers points (110.2), had not been deemed worthy of Hall of Fame induction. Kent was on the baseball writers’ ballot for 10 seasons ending in 2023 and never received sufficient support for induction. Box-Toppers supported Kent’s candidacy each year. But if Kent was not seen as a Hall of Famer, I’m not sure how Utley could be either, so I voted “No”.
But on Sunday, Kent was elected to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Era Players Committee, removing my explicitly stated stumbling block for supporting Utley, moving him this week from “No” to “Yes” on my ballot.
It should be noted that the second-ranked second baseman in career Box-Toppers points since 1995, Robinson Cano (85.4), will become eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2028. But Cano was suspended twice for performance-enhancing drug use—80 games in 2018 and for the entire 162-game season in 2021—reducing his chances of making the Hall of Fame.
Box-Toppers is not supporting these Hall candidates
Here are players Box-Toppers is not voting for Hall induction:
Bobby Abreu
The outfielder played from 1996 to 2014 primarily for the Phillies, Angels and Yankees and has 95.5 career Box-Toppers points, 15th among all outfielders since 1995. He was never among his league’s top three outfielders in any season, but ranked among the top 10 NL outfielders twice (1998 and 2003) and among the top 10 AL outfielders three times (2006, 2007 and 2008). He also was among the overall top 10 AL batters in 2008 with the Yankees (ninth, 9.2 points).
This is his seventh year on the ballot.
Carlos Beltrán
The outfielder played from 1998 to 2017 for the Royals, Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Astros, Rangers and Giants and has 108.6 career Box-Toppers points, seventh among all outfielders since 1995. He led AL outfielders in 2001 (11.2 points) and 2003 (13.9 points), both with the Royals. He was a top 10 AL batter both of those seasons, was a top 10 AL outfielder three times and a top 10 NL outfielder four times.
With just over 100 career Box-Toppers points and with two seasons leading his league at his position, Beltrán would seem to squeak past the line of Hall worthiness. And if it had not been for the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal in 2017, I likely would vote for him. Beltrán was the only 2017 Astros player named in the commissioner’s report on the scandal, which resulted in sanctions against the club and the Astros firing of their manager and general manager. No players were directly punished by baseball in the report, released in 2019 and focusing on the Astros’ 2017 World Series-winning season. However, before the report, Beltrán had been hired as New York Mets manager for the 2020 season and was fired after the release of the report, before he managed any games.
This is his fourth year on the ballot.
Ryan Braun
Braun’s numbers make an almost compelling case for Hall induction in his first year on the ballot, but his other actions and behaviors immediately disqualify him.
The outfielder and third baseman played from 2007 to 2020 for the Brewers and has 98.7 career Box-Toppers points, 13th among all outfielders since 1995. He led NL batters in 2012 with 12.5 Box-Toppers points and led NL outfielders in four straight seasons:
2009 with 10.5 points.
2010 with 15.0 points.
2011 with 10.5 points.
2012 with 12.5 points.
He ranked among the top 10 NL batters six times (2008 to 2012 and 2016) and ranked among the top 10 NL outfielders six times (2009 to 2012).
However, Braun served a 65-game suspension in connection with baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy in 2013. He had tested positive for elevated testosterone levels in 2011, shortly after winning the NL Most Valuable Player Award. He won an appeal of suspension based on thinly defensible procedural errors, proclaiming his innocence while besmirching the reputation of the collector who took his sample. Only after baseball in 2013 reportedly uncovered evidence “so overwhelming” that Braun used “a sophisticated doping regimen” for an extended period of time, did he accept the 65-game suspension.
In 2011, when Braun won the NL MVP, he was sixth among NL batters with 10.5 Box-Toppers points. His Brewers teammate Prince Fielder led NL batters that season with 15.7 points.
Mark Buehrle
The pitcher played from 2000 to 2015 for the White Sox, Blue Jays and Marlins and has 116.7 career Box-Toppers points, 46th among all pitchers since 1995.
In his best season, 2005 with the White Sox, he had 17.7 Box-Toppers points, which was fifth among all players and second among AL pitchers, behind Johan Santana of the Twins (24.1). He never led AL pitchers in points and had only one other top 10 finish among AL pitchers—2004 with the White Sox when he had 12.7 points, ranked fourth.
This is his sixth year on the ballot.
Shin-Soo Choo
The rightfielder played from 2005 to 2020 for the Rangers, Cleveland, the Mariners and the Reds and has 65.2 career Box-Toppers points, 48th among all outfielders since 1995.
In 2010 with Cleveland, Choo ranked seventh among AL batters with 9.0 Box-Toppers points. He ranked among his league’s top 10 outfielders three times:
2009 with Cleveland (8.7 points, fifth among AL outfielders).
2010 with Cleveland (9.0 points, fifth among AL outfielders).
2013 with the Reds (7.0 points, fifth among NL outfielders).
He also ranked fifth among AL designated hitters in 2017 with Cleveland with 6.0 points.
This is his first year on the ballot.
Edwin Encarnación
Primarily a designated hitter and third baseman, Encarnación played from 2005 to 2020 for the Blue Jays, Reds, Cleveland, the Mariners, White Sox and Yankees and has 88.2 career Box-Toppers points, sixth among all designated hitters since 1995.
Encarnación led AL batters in 2017 with Cleveland when he had 12.1 Box-Toppers points. He ranked among the top 10 AL batters three other times:
2013 with the Blue Jays (8.7 points, ninth).
2014 with the Blue Jays (9.5 points, fifth).
2015 with the Blue Jays (10.4 points, fifth).
Encarnación led AL players at his position in two separate seasons:
In 2014 with the Blue Jays, he led AL designated hitters with 9.5 points.
In 2017 with Cleveland, he led both AL first basemen and designated hitters with 12.1 points.
He also ranked among the top AL first basemen three other times, all with the Blue Jays:
2013 (8.7 points, second).
2014 (9.5 points, third).
2016 (8.0 points, third).
He also ranked among the top five AL designated hitters four other times:
2013 with the Blue Jays (8.7 points, fourth).
2015 with the Blue Jays (10.4 points, second).
2016 with the Blue Jays (8.0 points, third).
2018 with Cleveland (6.5 points, fifth).
Encarnación also ranked among the top 10 AL outfielders in 2014 with the Blue Jays, when his 9.5 points ranked second.
While Encarnación led AL batters once and led at his league position in two seasons, he didn’t quite reach the 100 career point threshold and ranks outside the top five designated hitters (sixth) in career points since 1995.
This is his first year on the ballot.
Gio Gonzalez
The starting pitcher played from 2008 to 2020 for the Nationals, Athletics, Brewers and White Sox and has 108.6 career Box-Toppers points, 58th among all pitchers since 1995.
His best two seasons were 2011 with the Athletics and 2012 with the Nationals:
In 2011, his 15.7 Box-Toppers points ranked sixth among AL pitchers.
In 2012, his 17.7 Box-Toppers points ranked sixth among all players and fourth among NL pitchers.
While he reached 100 career Box-Toppers points, he never led his league’s pitchers in any season, ranking among the top 10 pitchers in his league twice.
This is his first year on the ballot.
Alex Gordon
The leftfielder and third baseman played from 2007 to 2020, all for the Royals, and has 37.0 career Box-Toppers points, 126th among all outfielders since 1995.
His best season was 2011 when he had 6.5 Box-Toppers points, 11th among AL outfielders.
This is his first year on the ballot.
Andruw Jones
The outfielder played from 1996 to 2012 primarily for the Braves and Yankees and has 96.5 career Box-Toppers points, 14th among all outfielders since 1995.
Jones is an edge case for the Hall. He nearly reached the 100-career Box-Toppers point threshold. He was among the top three NL outfielders twice (2005, third with 11.5 and 2006, first with 12.7), both seasons he was among the NL’s top 10 batters. He was among the top 10 NL outfielders six times. But Jones was not a consistent leader at his position and fell just short of the 100-point career threshold, so I leave him off the ballot again in his ninth year of Hall eligibility.
However, the IBWAA voted Jones for Hall of Fame induction in their 2025 vote, garnering 76 percent support, just past the 75-percent induction threshold. Jones has seen a steady increase in official BBWAA support for his Hall candidacy over the years, with his percentage rising from less than 8 percent in his first two years on the ballot (2018 and 2019) to 58.1 percent in 2023, 61.6 percent in 2024 and 66.2 percent in 2025. (Again, 75 percent support is required for induction.)
Matt Kemp
The outfielder played from 2006 to 2020 for the Dodgers, Padres, Braves, Rockies and Reds and has 68.1 career Box-Toppers points, 43rd among all outfielders since 1995. In 2012 with the Dodgers, Kemp ranked third among NL batters with 10.0 Box-Toppers points. He ranked among the top 10 outfielders four times:
2009 with the Dodgers (sixth, 8.7).
2011 with the Dodgers (seventh, 7.0).
2012 with the Dodgers (third, 10.0).
2016 with the Braves (sixth, 7.5).
This is his first year on the ballot.
Howie Kendrick
The second baseman, leftfielder and first baseman played from 2006 to 2020 for the Angels, Nationals, Dodgers and Phillies and has 41.5 career Box-Toppers points, 19th among all second basemen since 1995.
He finished among his league’s top five second basemen in one season: 2015 with the Dodgers, when his 4.0 points was fifth among NL second basemen.
This is his first year on the ballot.
Nick Markakis
The rightfielder played from 2006 to 2020 for the Orioles and Braves and has 53.1 career Box-Toppers points, 68th among all outfielders since 1995.
He finished among his league’s top 10 outfielders in one season: 2009 with the Orioles, when his 7.7 points was sixth among AL outfielders.
This is his first year on the ballot.
Daniel Murphy
The infielder played from 2008 to 2020 for the Mets, Nationals, Rockies and Cubs and has 48.5 career Box-Toppers points, 14th among all second basemen since 1995.
He led NL second basemen in 2013 with the Mets. His 8.5 Box-Toppers points that season also ranked eighth among NL batters. He was a top-five NL second baseman three other times:
2014 with the Mets (second, 7.0).
2016 with the Nationals (third, 7.5).
2017 with the Nationals (second, 7.5).
This is his first year on the ballot.
Dustin Pedroia
The second basemen played from 2006 to 2019 for the Red Sox and has 39.5 career Box-Toppers points, 20th among all second basemen since 1995.
He never led AL second basemen in Box-Toppers points in a season but was among the top five AL second basemen three times:
2011 (second, 7.4).
2012 (fourth, 4.0).
2014 (fourth, 5.5).
Pedroia won the AL Most Valuable Player Award in 2008, a year in which he led the league in runs (118) and hits (213), but his 3.7 Box-Toppers points that year was 76th among AL batters and sixth among AL second basemen. (Aubrey Huff of the Orioles led AL batters in 2008 with 12.5 Box-Toppers points. He finished 16th in AL MVP voting.)
This is Pedroia’s second year on the ballot.
Hunter Pence
The rightfielder played from 2007 to 2020 for the Giants, Astros, Phillies and Rangers and has 64.2 career Box-Toppers points, 51st among all outfielders since 1995.
He ranked among the top 10 NL outfielders three times:
2008 with the Astros (seventh, 8.2).
2010 with the Astros (ninth, 7.0).
2013 with the Giants (seventh, 6.5).
This is his first year on the ballot.
Andy Pettitte
The starting pitcher played from 1995 to 2013 for the Yankees and Astros and has 138.5 career Box-Toppers points, 28th among all pitchers since 1995.
He was among the top 10 AL pitchers four times, but never ranked higher than eighth place, including 2002, when he had 11.7 points. Despite being a key piece of the Yankees dynasty, helping to win five World Series championships, Pettitte’s regular seasons, while commendable, are not dominant enough for Hall induction.
This is his eighth year of Hall eligibility.
Rick Porcello
The starting pitcher played from 2009 to 2020 for the Tigers, Red Sox and Mets and has 64.1 career Box-Toppers points, 166th among all pitchers since 1995.
He never ranked among his league’s top 10 pitchers in any season. His best season was 2018 with the Red Sox when he had 11.4 Box-Toppers points, 17th among AL pitchers.
He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2016 with the Red Sox, but his 8.0 Box-Toppers points that season ranked only 31st among AL pitchers. He led all pitchers with 22 wins that season, but a Box-Toppers examination of his first 20 wins showed that a teammate was frequently the key contributor in those Red Sox wins. Corey Kluber of Cleveland led AL pitchers in 2016 with 21.2 Box-Toppers points.
This is Porcello’s first year on the ballot.
Manny Ramirez
I’m disqualifying Ramirez for consideration because of his ties to the steroids era. Other voters are, too, as this is his 10th year of Hall eligibility.
He played from 1993 to 2011 primarily for the Red Sox, Cleveland and the Dodgers and has 166.2 career Box-Toppers points, 17th among all players since 1995 and third among all batters. (He would have an estimated 173 points if his career from 1993 were tracked.)
He was the top AL batter in 1999 with Cleveland (19.9), the top AL outfielder three times and the top NL outfielder once. He ranked among the overall top 10 players twice, his league’s top 10 batters eight times, his league’s top 10 outfielders 10 times and was a top-five AL designated hitter three times. Without the steroid cloud, Box-Toppers would vote Ramirez for the Hall.
Alex Rodriguez
I’m disqualifying Rodriguez for consideration because of his ties to the steroids era, including a yearlong suspension in 2014 for performance-enhancing drug use. Here is Box-Toppers’ career recap on Rodriguez during his final week as a player in August 2016: Bioexodus: Alex Rodriguez leaves field after long career with taint, but as active career Box-Toppers points leader.
The third baseman and shortstop played from 1994 to 2016 for the Yankees, Mariners and Rangers and has 187.0 career Box-Toppers points, 10th among all players, second among all batters and first among all third basemen since 1995.
When Rodriguez left baseball in 2016, he led all batters in career points since 1995, but now ranks second behind Albert Pujols (207.8).
He led AL batters in 2007 with the Yankees with 18.9 Box-Toppers points. That year, he ranked second among all players, one of only three times a batter has ranked as high as second overall in season points. It was also done in 1996 by Albert Belle of Cleveland (20.4 points) and 2006 by Lance Berkman of the Astros (20.8 points). Rodriguez also ranked seventh among all players in 2000 with the Mariners with 17.0 points.
Rodriguez led AL shortstops five times and led AL third basemen twice. He was among the top 10 AL batters 10 times, top five AL shortstops eight times, top five AL third basemen seven times and top five AL designated hitters five times.
Rodriguez won the AL MVP Award three times:
2003 with the Rangers, when his 6.7 Box-Toppers points ranked a lowly 34th among AL batters. Carlos Delgado of the Blue Jays led AL batters that season with 17.7 Box-Toppers points and finished second in AL MVP voting. (A Box-Toppers look at the rampant bad judgment by baseball writers in the AL MVP vote in 2003.)
2005 with the Yankees, when his 11.9 Box-Toppers points ranked sixth among AL batters. David Ortiz of the Red Sox led AL batters that season with 14.7 Box-Toppers points and finished second in AL MVP voting.
2007 with the Yankees, when his 18.9 Box-Toppers points ranked first among AL batters and second among all players, the fifth-highest single-season point total for a batter since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.
Rodriguez is in his fifth year on the ballot.
Francisco Rodriguez
The closing pitcher played from 2002 to 2017 for the Angels, Brewers, Mets, Tigers and Orioles and has 63.4 career Box-Toppers points, 13th among all closing pitchers since 1995.
He was a top five AL closing pitcher three times, all with the Angels:
2005 (second 10.0).
2006 (fourth, 8.0).
2008 (third, 10.0).
This is his fourth year on the ballot.
Jimmy Rollins
The shortstop played from 2000 to 2016 for the Phillies, Dodgers and White Sox and has 50.4 career Box-Toppers points, 14th among all shortstops since 1995.
He led NL shortstops in 2008 (7.0 Box-Toppers points) and was among the top five NL shortstops six times, all with the Phillies:
2002 (fifth, 5.0).
2003 (fifth, 3.7).
2004 (fifth, 3.5).
2007 (fourth, 4.7).
2008 (first, 7.0).
2012 (fifth, 4.0).
Rollins won the 2007 NL MVP Award, when he led the NL in runs (139) and triples (20). But he had just 4.7 Box-Toppers points, finishing only 64th among NL batters and fourth among all NL shortstops. Matt Holliday of the Rockies led NL batters that season with 16.2 Box-Toppers points and finished second in NL MVP voting.
Rollins is in his fifth year on the ballot.
Omar Vizquel
The shortstop played from 1989 to 2012 primarily for Cleveland, the Mariners, Giants and White Sox. He has 42.2 career Box-Toppers points since 1995, 17th among all shortstops since 1995.
Vizquel ranked among the top five AL shortstops in Box-Toppers points twice and among the top five NL shortstops once.
This is his ninth year on the Hall of Fame ballot.
David Wright
The third baseman played from 2004 to 2018 for the Mets. He has 75.1 career Box-Toppers points, ninth among all third basemen since 1995.
Wright’s career was cut short by injury, spinal stenosis. After the age of 32, he played in only 77 games, retiring at age 35. While he played until 2018, he earned only 1.0 Box-Toppers point after 2014, after averaging 7.8 per season from 2004 to 2012, on what would have been a Hall of Fame pace with four or five more healthy seasons.
Wright was among the top five NL third basemen five times and led NL third basemen in three seasons:
2006—15.4 points.
2009—8.5.
2011—10.0.
He was among the top 10 NL batters three times:
2006 (third, 15.4).
2011 (eighth, 10.0).
2012 (sixth, 9.5).
Wright also ranked 10th among all players in 2006 with 15.4 points. He was one of five batters to rank in the top 10 that season, a period in which it was more common for batters to earn more points. Since then, however, only eight batters total have ranked among the top 10 overall players in the 19 seasons since and no one has done it since 2013.
This is his third year on the ballot.
How Hall eligibility and voting works
Players are eligible to be included on the Hall of Fame ballot if they played at least 10 years and have not been playing for five years. They require a 75-percent vote to be inducted in the Hall. If they do not reach 75 percent, they remain on the writers’ ballot for up to 10 total seasons. Also, if they don’t receive at least 5 percent of writers’ votes, they are removed from the following year’s ballot.
BBWAA voters are allowed to vote for up to 10 candidates for official Hall induction. IBWAA voters are also allowed to vote for up to 10 players. Box-Toppers is voting for four candidates in the IBWAA ballot.
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. (No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.)
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