We are 2 weeks away from the BBWAA HOF announcement, and judging from the HOF voting tracker, this might be the year for Andruw to get in. What are your thoughts on his chances?
He’s currently on 83.0% of the ballots with 34.7% submitted. Take it with a grain of salt, but the projected vote total is 79.5%. It’s not a slam dunk but his chances are looking pretty good!
Frankly, it's ridiculous he's not in. Based on basically every metric, he's either the best defensive centerfielder of all time, or the 2nd best. On top of that, he was the best power bat centerfielder for nearly a decade in the league. His 1999 season is the best defensive season, by any player, at any position, ever.
5 guys have 400 homers and 10 GG. Griffey Jr, Mays, Schmidt, Kaline and Andruw Jones.
Even ignoring the 400 HRs it has always been baffling to me that in the league’s 150 year history a guy can be the best at one of the 9 defensive positions with a straight decade of GGs to back it up and not be worthy of the HoF. But of course you can’t ignore 400 HRs so it should really be a no-brainer.
I think his biggest problem was he was arguably most hyped player of his generation and remained a disappointment to a lot of people. We all remember Acuña's meteoric rise. Jones' rise was even more impressive and had that 2 homer game in his first WS at bats. I think a lot of people just assumed next Mays or Mantle how unfair that maybe. Then he got accused of being lazy, and that stigma just stuck. Any way, it'll be a well deserved induction if he finally gets in.
I'm convinced he'd have been a first- or second-ballot inductee if he'd chosen to retire in 2007 instead of signing with the Dodgers. But the drop-off once he left Atlanta was so drastic, and his last five years so abysmal, that he was a decade removed from being anything but a replacement-level (and I use that term generously) player by the time he became eligible for induction.
It also probably doesn't help that his best years coincided with the steroid scandal. Even though his name's never been linked to PEDs AFAIK, I wouldn't blame people if they chose to see some smoke there given everything else.
I think it’s 50/50 for this year. It’s not uncommon to see a 10% dip from the tracker to actual results. The more stingy voters tend to overlap with those who don’t share their ballots.
He could glide over and get to balls very few could get to. If you saw him get on his horse, he was getting to balls that he alone could. It seemed like he got the best jump on balls hit to the outfield. I wonder if he has exceptional eyesight. If you can clearly see the bat making contact with the ball, it tells you much about the direction and maybe the sound provided info on depth?
So, its been almost 25 years since this play and I'll still watch the video and halfway through know that there is no earthly way a human being can get to this ball. I don't know that I've ever seen a baseball player cover this much ground to make a catch. Oh yeah, and it ended the game + preserved a Glavine CG shutout.
That is EXACTLY what I am talking about. It seems he was usually already headed in the right direction and in the rare case he wasnt, he had the speed to make up for it. HOFer hands down to me.
Need to keep purging the voter roles for HOF, so many voters that don’t cover baseball anymore. I saw a public ballot a few days ago from a writer that covers horse racing in SoCal and hasn’t written about baseball since the early 2000’s but he keeps voting every year. I also know a hockey beat writer that still has an MLB HOF vote.
Have family in upstate NY that I've never gotten the chance to visit; have said I'm going to change that and attend Andruw's induction! Watched him debut and was watching when he hit his first MLB home run. Favorite player.
He’s currently on 83.0% of the ballots with 34.7% submitted. Take it with a grain of salt, but the projected vote total is 79.5%. It’s not a slam dunk but his chances are looking pretty good!
Frankly, it's ridiculous he's not in. Based on basically every metric, he's either the best defensive centerfielder of all time, or the 2nd best. On top of that, he was the best power bat centerfielder for nearly a decade in the league. His 1999 season is the best defensive season, by any player, at any position, ever.
5 guys have 400 homers and 10 GG. Griffey Jr, Mays, Schmidt, Kaline and Andruw Jones.
How is that guy NOT in the HoF?
Even ignoring the 400 HRs it has always been baffling to me that in the league’s 150 year history a guy can be the best at one of the 9 defensive positions with a straight decade of GGs to back it up and not be worthy of the HoF. But of course you can’t ignore 400 HRs so it should really be a no-brainer.
Best defensive player at a premier defensive position as well.
If Ozzie Smith is in, Andruw deserves to be.
Jones didn’t do enough backflips.
He made the worst error one could possibly make - being really really bad in a Dodgers uniform.
lol
Honestly? I think he would have been in at least three or four years ago if not for the DA charge.
Some h.o.f. voters have come out and said its the domestic violence charges specifically as to why they arent voting for certain players.
Wait until they read about some of the old guys lol
I think his biggest problem was he was arguably most hyped player of his generation and remained a disappointment to a lot of people. We all remember Acuña's meteoric rise. Jones' rise was even more impressive and had that 2 homer game in his first WS at bats. I think a lot of people just assumed next Mays or Mantle how unfair that maybe. Then he got accused of being lazy, and that stigma just stuck. Any way, it'll be a well deserved induction if he finally gets in.
I'm not sure I follow. It's pretty hard to call a guy a disappointment after an insane 10 year run. This isn't a flash in the pan situation.
Exactly!!
I'm convinced he'd have been a first- or second-ballot inductee if he'd chosen to retire in 2007 instead of signing with the Dodgers. But the drop-off once he left Atlanta was so drastic, and his last five years so abysmal, that he was a decade removed from being anything but a replacement-level (and I use that term generously) player by the time he became eligible for induction.
It also probably doesn't help that his best years coincided with the steroid scandal. Even though his name's never been linked to PEDs AFAIK, I wouldn't blame people if they chose to see some smoke there given everything else.
🤞 Chipper has been vocal about him, so hopefully that carries some weight.
After the last two veteran votes (for Dale), my expectations are set fairly low
Dale was only on the former veterans committee once I thought and that was this year?
He was been on the Modern Era Committee ballots twice (2018 and 2020) and the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee twice now (2023 and 2026).
I thought he was under consideration but this was his first year on the actual ballot.
He was actually voted on in 2023 and got 6 votes.
2018 and 2020 he was voted on but they did not record his count as it was too low
Oh ok thanks. So yea he's not getting in at this point.
Kind of ridiculous, but also kind of get it. He'll always be the best clean player that never got in to me.
Dale's peak, while amazing, was 4-5 years. Jones had a higher peak for twice as long.
Oh, I get it, but how long has AJ been passed over on this ballot anyway? He should’ve already been in
I think it’s 50/50 for this year. It’s not uncommon to see a 10% dip from the tracker to actual results. The more stingy voters tend to overlap with those who don’t share their ballots.
He is certainly trending in the right direction. Will be close.
I think he's got a good shot. Lots of first time voters this year which is helping. If not this year definitely next
I think he will probably get in this year based on how it's trending, but if not it'll be super close and he'd be guaranteed to make it next year
I just don’t understand how he’s not already in the HOF. I HOPE he gets in this year!
This should be his year. Weak ballot + Influx of new voters gets it done.
Do you know what you call someone who makes the Hall of Fame in their ninth year on the ballot?
Exactly the same thing as everyone else: a Hall of Famer.
He could glide over and get to balls very few could get to. If you saw him get on his horse, he was getting to balls that he alone could. It seemed like he got the best jump on balls hit to the outfield. I wonder if he has exceptional eyesight. If you can clearly see the bat making contact with the ball, it tells you much about the direction and maybe the sound provided info on depth?
So, its been almost 25 years since this play and I'll still watch the video and halfway through know that there is no earthly way a human being can get to this ball. I don't know that I've ever seen a baseball player cover this much ground to make a catch. Oh yeah, and it ended the game + preserved a Glavine CG shutout.
Web Gem
That is EXACTLY what I am talking about. It seems he was usually already headed in the right direction and in the rare case he wasnt, he had the speed to make up for it. HOFer hands down to me.
Need to keep purging the voter roles for HOF, so many voters that don’t cover baseball anymore. I saw a public ballot a few days ago from a writer that covers horse racing in SoCal and hasn’t written about baseball since the early 2000’s but he keeps voting every year. I also know a hockey beat writer that still has an MLB HOF vote.
Better than 50% odds but def within the margin where it could go either way
Have family in upstate NY that I've never gotten the chance to visit; have said I'm going to change that and attend Andruw's induction! Watched him debut and was watching when he hit his first MLB home run. Favorite player.
I went like 20+ years ago and it was amazing then, I can only imagine how much cooler it is now. Definitely go and see it if you can
My wife and I went in the summer of 2022. It was amazing! We spent two days there and still didn’t see it all!
It’s way past time. Put him in for goodness sake.
I think he’s in. Here’s a tracker (not made by me).
https://onedrive.live.com/personal/f2e5d8fc5199dfaf/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B4902e0d6-166c-4d3f-a1f1-8d418ab21879%7D&action=default&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL3gvYy9mMmU1ZDhmYzUxOTlkZmFmL0VkYmdBa2xzRmo5Tm9mR05RWXF5R0hrQndRUmxiSV8tNmtCZkREZm1HalIwZVE_ZT1ianJ5TEw&slrid=ecc8eaa1-00e8-0000-2c8d-40863cdb66ac&originalPath=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL3gvYy9mMmU1ZDhmYzUxOTlkZmFmL0lRRFc0QUpKYkJZX1RhSHhqVUdLc2hoNUFjRUVaV3lQX3VwQVh3dzM1aG8wZEhrP3J0aW1lPXFzQ1FpalJPM2tn&CID=7c0cd205-4236-4557-96ec-c8c4bcd3f0fd&_SRM=0:G:36
HELL YEAH BROTHER is how I feel
Either him or… oh god, who else from Atlanta has a chance?
Braves legend Cole Hamels has a chance next year
Some people are not voting because of domestic violence history. Anthony castrovince (I think?) was one of the people who said as much.
Here’s the best I’ve ever seen and I watched him a lot as a kid.
He would take a step in the right direction as the guy is swinging the bat. It was crazy to watch.
I don’t track HOF all that much so assumed he was already in. They need to make it right.