The 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, which was released Monday, featured 19 newcomers and 33 overall candidates. Among those up for enshrinement are seven former players with ties to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The ballot is comprised of Barry Bonds, Chris Carpenter, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon, Vladimir Guerrero, Livan Hernandez, Trevor Hoffman, Orlando Hudson, Aubrey Huff, Jason Isringhausen, Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, Jeff Kent, Carlos Lee, Brad Lidge, Edgar Martinez and Hideki Matsui.
Also appearing are Fred McGriff, Kevin Millwood, Jamie Moyer, Mike Mussina, Manny Ramirez, Scott Rolen, Johan Santana, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Omar Vizuel, Billy Wagner, Larry Walker, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano.
While they spent time with the Dodgers, Hudson, Andruw Jones, Kent, McGriff, Ramirez, Sheffield and Thome would each be immortalized while donning the cap of another club. Kent, McGriff, Ramirez and Sheffield all appeared on the 2017 ballot.
Other returnees include Bonds, Clemens, Guerrero, Hoffman, Martinez, Mussina and Schilling. The group of newcomers is headlined by Chipper Jones, who was the 1999 National League MVP and an eight-time All-Star during his 19-year career with the Atlanta Braves.
The 2018 class may very well include Hoffman and Guerrero, who both fell just short of induction this year. Hoffman needed only five more votes to join the Hall of Fame, and Guerrero was 15 votes shy.
Candidates must be named on 75 percent of ballots cast by selected BBWAA members in order to gain election. Players may remain on the ballot for up to 10 years if they receive at least five percent of the vote each year.
Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson will announce the results of the election live on MLB Network on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, at 3 p.m. PT. The induction ceremony will be held Sunday, July 29, during Hall of Fame weekend.
