Rolen elected to HOF in 6th year of eligibility
Scott Rolen has been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his sixth year of eligibility on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot after receiving 76.3% of the vote.
| Player | Vote Percentage |
|---|---|
| Scott Rolen | 76.3% |
| Todd Helton | 72.2% |
| Billy Wagner | 68.1% |
| Andruw Jones | 58.1% |
| Gary Sheffield | 55.0% |
| Carlos Beltran | 46.5% |
| Jeff Kent | 46.5% |
| Alex Rodriguez | 35.7% |
| Manny Ramirez | 33.2% |
| Omar Vizquel | 19.5% |
| Andy Pettitte | 17% |
| Bobby Abreu | 15.4% |
| Jimmy Rollins | 12.9% |
| Mark Buehrle | 10.8% |
| Francisco Rodriguez | 10.8% |
| Torii Hunter | 6.9% |
Rolen spent his 17-year career between the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Toronto Blue Jays. The eight-time Gold Glove winner is one of the most decorated third basemen in MLB history for his defense, playing 2,033 of his 2,038 career games at the hot corner while hitting 316 homers and collecting 1,287 RBIs.
Scott Rolen's 10.2% in his first year on the ballot is the lowest in a player's debut year on the ballot who eventually got in on the writers' ballot (since voting returned to being annual in 1968)
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) January 24, 2023
Very cool to see
Rolen is just the 18th third baseman inducted into the Hall of Fame, the fewest of any position.
Insane defensive plays. Countless clutch hits. Scott Rolen’s Hall of Fame career had it all. pic.twitter.com/5VsKlDQn73
— MLB (@MLB) January 24, 2023
Helton fell just 11 votes shy of election in his fifth year of eligibility, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
"Obviously, I'm disappointed. But I can't control it," Helton said, according to the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders. "I'm just thankful for the people who voted for me."
Meanwhile, 2000 National League MVP Jeff Kent failed to gain induction in his 10th and final year on the ballot, earning 46.5% of the vote. Kent will be eligible for the contemporary era committee for the first time in 2026.
Players falling off ballot
| Player | Vote Percentage |
|---|---|
| Bronson Arroyo | 0.3% |
| R.A. Dickey | 0.3% |
| John Lackey | 0.3% |
| Mike Napoli | 0.3% |
| Huston Street | 0.3% |
| Matt Cain | 0.0% |
| Jacoby Ellsbury | 0.0% |
| Andre Ethier | 0.0% |
| J.J. Hardy | 0.0% |
| Jhonny Peralta | 0.0% |
| Jered Weaver | 0.0% |
| Jayson Werth | 0.0% |
The 2023 induction ceremony is scheduled for July 21-23 in Cooperstown, New York. Rolen will join Fred McGriff, who was unanimously selected by the contemporary era committee in December. Chicago Cubs radio broadcaster Pat Hughes will also be honored as this year's recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.