Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, and Dale Murphy have advanced to the next round of voting on the Hall of Fame’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot. They will be joined by former Toronto Blue Jays players Carlos Delgado and Jeff Kent, as well as Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela in the upcoming session on December 7 in Orlando, Florida. To secure induction, a 75 percent vote is required. The elected candidates will be officially inducted on July 26, along with those chosen in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote scheduled for January 20.
Albert Belle, Rafael Palmeiro, and Curt Schilling did not make the cut after being featured on the previous contemporary era ballot in December 2022. Notably, Fred McGriff was unanimously elected in that round with 16 votes. Mattingly received eight votes, Schilling seven, Murphy six, and Belle, Bonds, Clemens, and Palmeiro garnered less than four votes each.
In 2022, the Hall revamped its veterans’ committees for the third time in 12 years, introducing separate panels for the contemporary era starting from 1980 and the classic era. These committees convene every three years, with the next session in December 2026 set to consider contemporary managers, executives, and umpires. Meanwhile, classic era candidates will be evaluated in December 2027, followed by a revisit to contemporary era players in December 2028.
Pete Rose could potentially appear on the December 2027 ballot, marking his first chance at Hall of Fame inclusion after Commissioner Rob Manfred’s ruling in May that Rose’s lifetime ban ceased upon his passing in September 2024. The Hall’s regulations prohibit individuals on the permanent ineligible list from featuring on a ballot.
A new rule implemented by the Hall in March stipulates that any candidate receiving fewer than five votes will be excluded from the committee’s ballot for the next three-year cycle. Furthermore, a candidate dropped from consideration and failing to secure five votes upon a return to the ballot will be barred from future appearances.
Bonds and Clemens, who missed out on Hall of Fame induction in their final BBWAA ballot appearances, have denied allegations of using performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP and all-star outfielder, holds the career home run record with 762 and the single-season record with 73 homers in 2001. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, boasts a remarkable record of 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts.
Sheffield, a nine-time all-star and NL batting champion in 1992, amassed impressive stats with a .292 batting average, 509 home runs, 1,676 RBIs, and 253 stolen bases. Murphy, a seven-time all-star outfielder, recorded 398 home runs, 1,266 RBIs, and 161 stolen bases in his career. Mattingly, a six-time all-star first baseman, achieved a .307 batting average with 222 home runs and 1,099 RBIs over 14 seasons.
Delgado, Kent, and Valenzuela also made notable impacts in baseball, with Delgado hitting .280 with 473 home runs and 1,512 RBIs, Kent batting .290 with 377 home runs and 1,518 RBIs, and Valenzuela achieving a 173-153 record with a 3.54 ERA and 2,074 strikeouts in 17 seasons.
The BBWAA’s 11-person historical overview committee determined the ballot for this Hall of Fame voting cycle, setting the stage for a significant decision in the baseball world.