Scott Rolen capped off the largest turnaround in Hall of Fame voting history on Tuesday night when it was revealed that he will be enshrined in Cooperstown this summer.
It may have been hard to fathom this moment just five years ago, when Rolen received only 10.2% of the votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in his first year on the ballot in 2018. Fast forward to Tuesday night, and Rolen’s name was selected on 76.3% of the ballots — enough to surpass the 75% threshold necessary for election.
Rolen’s ascension over the past half-decade was not only remarkable, it was historic. The 10.2% is the lowest debut total for any player who was later elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. But while Rolen may have been the only player celebrating on Tuesday night, a number of other candidates have plenty of reason for optimism after seeing their own 2023 vote totals.
Here’s a closer look at four players who, like Rolen, have continued to build momentum in the voting results and could be on the verge of hearing their name called in upcoming years.
Todd Helton
2023 percent of votes: 72.2%
Increase from 2022: +22.2%
Year on ballot: 5th
Helton made a significant push in 2023, though he ultimately fell 11 votes shy of the 75% threshold needed for enshrinement. Still, he continues to trend upward after receiving only 16.5% of the votes in his first year on the ballot in 2019.
Helton then received 29.2% in 2020, 44.9% in ’21 and 52% last year. With that number jumping to 72.2% in the most recent round of balloting, it seems likely that the lifelong Rockies superstar will be voted into the Hall of Fame at some point in his five remaining years of eligibility — possibly as soon as 2024.
Billy Wagner
2023 percent of votes: 68.1%
Increase from 2022: +17.1%
Year on ballot: 8th
Wagner has only two years of eligibility remaining, but he’s gained some serious momentum on the past few ballots. After hovering around 10% in his first three years on the ballot (10.5% in 2016, 10.2% in ’17 and 11.1% in ’18), Wagner made a marginal jump to 16.7% in ’19.
But that number nearly doubled to 31.7% in ’20, then saw another sizable improvement when it checked in at 46.4% in ’21. With another jump from 51% to 68.1% this year, Wagner suddenly finds himself knocking on the door of Cooperstown.
Andruw Jones
2023 percent of votes: 58.1%
Increase from 2022: 16.7%
Year on ballot: 6th
Jones appeared on less than 10% of the ballots in each of his first two years of eligibility. In fact, his 7.3% in 2018 and 7.5% in ’19 were barely enough to keep him above the 5% threshold needed to remain on the ballot.
The five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner has garnered far more consideration in recent years, going from 19.4% in 2020 to 33.9% in ’21 to 41.4% in 2022. With that number taking another jump to 58.1% this year, Jones — who has four more years of eligibility — will look to continue his climb toward the 75% threshold in the coming years.
Gary Sheffield
2023 percent of votes: 55%
Increase from 2022: +14.4%
Year on ballot: 9th
Sheffield remains a long shot with only one more year left on the ballot, but he’s still seen his total rise from a low 11.1% in 2018 to a high of 55% this year. Of course, that still leaves him well short of the 75% needed for induction — but perhaps it being his final chance next year will sway some voters, especially after his big jump in 2023.