Wagner Just Short; Utley, Rollins, Abreu Miss Hall of Fame Call

The 2024 Inductees to the National Baseball Hall of Fame were announced on Tuesday evening.  Three players were elected to the 2024 class by the Baseball Writers Association of America:  third baseman Adrián Beltré, first baseman Todd Helton and catcher Joe Mauer.  They'll take the stage with former MLB manager Jim Leyland this July.  Four Phillies got measurable votes, but none moved on.

Closer Billy Wagner was closest.  Wagner received 284 votes for 73.8% of the vote.  That was just 1.2% shy of the 75% needed for election.  Wagner has one more year left on the ballot to convince five more voters to check the box next to his name.  Wagner was an All-Star in one of his two seasons with the Phillies.

But perhaps of bigger note for Phillies fans:  Chase Utley appeared on the ballot for the very first time.  His performance was perhaps a little lighter than expected.  Utley appeared on 111 ballots, good for 28.8%.  Some players gain votes as time goes on; some voters see "first ballot" as an additional honor reserved for no-doubt-about-it candidates.

Utley could gain votes over time.  Either a voter thinks the player is not worthy of that first ballot but worthy none the less.  Or, others can grow in appreciation for a player as time goes on.  New voters also enter the BBWAA.  Helton, for example, took six years before being voted in this year.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins and outfielder Bobby Abreu each received 57 votes, good for 14.8% of the total.  It was Abreu's fifth appearance and the third for Rollins.   Rollins increased his percentage slightly from 12.9% last year.  However, Abreu fell from his 15.4% mark last year.  Rollins began with 9.4% his first ballot.  Abreu began at 5.5% his first ballot.

All four will reappear on next year's ballot  since they received at least 5%.

Former Phillies outfielder (briefly) Jose Bautista received six votes, which at 1.6% of the total means he will not appear on the Hall of Fame ballot again.