In 2022, the Baseball Hall of Fame welcomes seven new members into the exclusive club. That was after no name made the cut the previous year. With the likes of David Ortiz, Tony Oliva, and others not in the Hall, baseball enthusiasts and punters can shift their attention to the 2023's class of Major League Baseball talents that stand a good chance.
In fact, many online bookmakers have already released odds to that effect, with multiple interesting names topping the list. Unless otherwise stated, the date of the 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is July 23 of the same year.
Of course, there are many retired baseball players with all the qualifications needed for consideration by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). However, not all of them will receive the much-coveted honor. Going by their history in the sport and what the bookies say through odds, here are some names whose induction won't surprise any baseball fan.
While Carlos Beltran may fall just short of the multiple benchmarks used for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame (not quite at 3,000 and 500 career hits and homers, respectively), he does have gravitas, longevity, and peak of a future Hall of Fame inductee.
Having featured for a whopping 20 seasons, mainly with the Royals and the Mets, Carlos deservedly won the Rookies of the Year award in 1999 and received MVP votes on seven occasions. He is also a nine-time All-Star and winner of the 2017 World Series. Other teams he played for during his career include the Rangers, Yankees, Cardinals, Giants, and Astros.
That said, it is important to point out that Carlos has a few things that work against him. These, among others, include failure to win an MVP (NBA Most Valuable Player) award. Another possible obstacle in his way could be his Astros cheating scandal in 2017. Of course, he is appearing on the ballot for the first time, but anything could happen.
Yes, Carlos has a good chance of making the cut in 2023, but Scott Rolen could be the only real lock in Major League Hall of Fame odds. And while he is not anywhere near Beltran's huge offensive milestones, he boasts some decent longevity and has got rate stats under his belt. Moreover, his stellar defense career earns him many vital points; Scott Rolen won the Gold Glove award eight times.
In 2022, Rolen garnered 65.2% of the vote, falling short of the 75% threshold needed to break into the Hall of Fame. It will be his sixth stab at the honor, and with big boys like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds not in the contest, he should amass enough votes to earn a place in the Hall.
Having garnered 52.6 percent in 2020, Omar is clearly a candidate for the Hall of Fame, although his numbers have since declined. But he could bounce back in 2023, given that he already commands a following of diehards. His case for induction is based on defense and longevity- not to mention his three-time All-Star and 11 Gold Gloves.
Before his retirement at age 45, Omar had graced baseball pitches for 24 seasons. People may be wondering about is whether a player with 688 career on-base plus slugging (OPS) can really become a Hall Famer in this day and age. Well, that can only be left to chance.
Bill Wagner is another figure that may benefit from next year's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. By getting 51% of the vote in 2022, Wagner fell short of the threshold by 24%, so he will be hoping to hit the magic number this time round.
This will be his eighth attempt at becoming a Hall Famer, and he could have a good chance given that some of his competitors in the previous years are already inductees. Regarding all-time saves in MLB, Wagner ranks sixth. He is a seven-time All-Star and is considered one of the all-time best left-handed relief pitchers.
Cain is a three-time All-Star who entertained the baseball world for 13 good seasons, playing for a single team: the Giants. He made it into the top 10 National League Cy Young Award voting twice and was included in the Giants' World Series championship team in 2010, 2012, and 2014. During the 2010 Postseason, he recorded 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 21.1 innings.
That year, he allowed one unearned run and 13 hits. With his achievements well-documented, there is no doubt that Cain has what it takes to be inducted as one of the Baseball Hall Famers. Nevertheless, it is a matter of wait-and-see.
The list of retired baseballers who could make it into the Hall of Fame in 2023 is long, and limiting the names to only five above would be an injustice. Here are some other names that could achieve the feat:
