Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, and Dale Murphy remain on the ballot for the Hall of Fame’s contemporary baseball era committee and will be joined next month by former Toronto Blue Jays players Carlos Delgado and Jeff Kent, along with Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.
The 16-member committee is scheduled to convene on December 7 during the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida, where a 75 percent approval is required for induction. Those selected will be honored on July 26, alongside any players chosen through the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) voting, which will be announced on January 20.
Albert Belle, Rafael Palmeiro, and Curt Schilling have been removed from consideration after being part of the previous contemporary era ballot in December 2022, during which Fred McGriff was elected unanimously with all 16 votes. Mattingly garnered eight votes, Schilling received seven, Murphy had six, while Belle, Bonds, Clemens, and Palmeiro each received fewer than four votes, as reported by the Hall.
In 2022, the Hall modified its veterans’ committees for the third time in 12 years, creating panels to evaluate candidates from the contemporary era starting from 1980, as well as the classic era. The contemporary baseball era features separate ballots for players and another for managers, executives, and umpires.
Each committee convenes every three years. The contemporary managers, executives, and umpires will be reviewed in December 2026, classic era candidates in December 2027, and contemporary players once more in December 2028.
The December 2027 ballot will be the first opportunity for Pete Rose to be considered for the Hall, following baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s ruling in May that Rose’s lifetime ban would conclude with his passing in September 2024. The Hall does not allow anyone on the permanent ineligible list to appear on a ballot.
As per a change announced by the Hall last March, any candidate receiving fewer than five votes on a ballot will not be eligible for that committee’s ballot in the next three-year cycle. If a candidate who has been removed later appears on a ballot and again receives fewer than five votes, they will be disqualified from future ballots.
Bonds and Clemens did not meet the required votes in 2022 during their final appearances on the BBWAA ballot, with Bonds earning 260 out of 394 votes (66 percent). Sheffield achieved 63.9 percent in his last BBWAA ballot in 2024, receiving 246 votes and missing induction by 43 votes.
Bonds has consistently denied that he knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs, while Clemens asserts he has never used PEDs. Sheffield has claimed he was unaware that the substances he used during training prior to the 2002 season contained steroids.
Clemens a 7-time Cy Young Award winner
Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP and 14-time all-star outfielder, holds the career home run record with 762 and set the single-season record with 73 in 2001.
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, finished his career with a record of 354-184, a 3.12 ERA, and 4,672 strikeouts, ranking third behind Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Randy Johnson (4,875).
Sheffield, a nine-time all-star and the 1992 NL batting champion, posted a batting average of .292 with 509 home runs, 1,676 RBIs, and 253 stolen bases. He began his major league career as a shortstop, transitioned to third base, and then moved to the outfield.
Murphy, a seven-time all-star outfielder, finished with a .265 batting average, 398 home runs, 1,266 RBIs, and 161 steals. He appeared on the BBWAA ballot 15 times, achieving a peak of 116 votes (23.2 percent) in 2000.
Mattingly received a maximum of 145 votes (28.2 percent) during his first of 15 appearances on the BBWAA ballot in 2001. A six-time all-star first baseman, he batted .307, hitting 222 home runs and accumulating 1,099 RBIs over 14 seasons.
Delgado received 3.8 percent of the BBWAA vote in 2015 and subsequently was removed from future ballots. He concluded his career with a .280 batting average, 473 home runs, and 1,512 RBIs.
Kent achieved a high of 46.5 percent in his last of 10 appearances on the BBWAA ballot in 2023. A five-time all-star second baseman, he finished with a .290 batting average, 377 home runs, and 1,518 RBIs.
Valenzuela, who passed away in October 2024, garnered 6.2 percent support from the BBWAA in 2003 and 3.8 percent in 2004, leading to his removal from the ballot. A six-time all-star and the 1981 NL Cy Young Award winner, he recorded a career record of 173-153, a 3.54 ERA, and 2,074 strikeouts over 17 seasons.
The ballot was established by the BBWAA’s 11-member historical overview committee:
- Adrian Burgos (University of Illinois)
- Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network)
- Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform)
- La Velle Neal (Minnesota Star Tribune)
- David O’Brien (The Athletic)
- Jose de Jesus Ortiz (Our Esquina Media)
- Jack O’Connell (BBWAA)
- Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
- Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle)
- Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Mark Whicker (formerly Southern California News Group)
