Peter Botte

I don’t go by career numbers as much as the year by year. Felix was much better, & more dominant. Two ERA titles. Three top-2 Cy Young finishes, one win.
Buehrle very durable, but didn’t have one season with an ERA under 3 and only 3 under 3.50. Only received any Cy votes once in his entire career.

I can’t speak for other voters. I would not have voted for Vlad off a 68-win team. I wouldn’t have voted for ARod the year he won for Texas or Dawson when he won for the Cubs.
Point is Abreu wasn’t considered a top-10 NL player in any season, made two AS teams. Fine player but falls short for me.

The Phillies were 77-85. The Reds were 96-66.
Vaughn carried them. I know Abreu had a higher war. It’s not Stats of the Year. It’s MVP. It would take an extraordinary feat (like Ohtani on the angels) to vote an MVP off a bad team.

Premium defender at a premium position. Won an MVP. I get that OBP would be appreciated more if Abreu were playing today, but zero top-10 MVP seasons.

Extremely durable, but didn’t have one season with an ERA under 3 and only 3 under 3.50. Only received any Cy votes once in his entire career.

It is. It’s why I came around on Rolen and was hoping Mattingly got in on the Vets ballot.

Their overall numbers are pretty close. I’d give Felix an edge though, had a more dominant stretch. Two-time ERA leader, more All-Star teams, finished top 5 in Cy four times (including one win and two seconds). Hamels finished fifth one time.

Entering my 30th year in the @BBWAA, this is my 20th as a Hall voter.
Five holdovers, two adds, always willing to discuss.

(Before you ask/rip, I don’t vote for players who failed PED tests or got suspended after those rules were implemented).

With 200 ballots revealed, including 10 this morning from The Post, looks like two definite (Ichiro/CC), a third probable (Wagner) and a fourth possible (Beltran) will make the HOF tonight.
All four played multiple seasons in NY. (Will Ichiro be unanimous)?

Baseball Hall of Fame class could have a distinct New York flavor If Sabathia and Beltran get in, it could be the first time players identified as Yankees and Mets on their Hall of Fame plaques are enshrined in the same year.

Full NY Post reveal,
@tonycal.bsky.social @notmrtibbs.com @shutthedore.bsky.social

nypost.com/2025/01/21/s...

Jimmy Carter lived nearly 44 years after leaving office (in 1981), the most of any U.S. president. A warm, decent and deeply caring humanitarian.

The Feast of the 7 Fishes (calamari, scungilli, shrimp, clams, lobster, crab and octopus makes 7)!
Let’s roll. #ChristmasEve #TheBear

And you didn’t come off as rude, we are allowed to disagree.

Same reason I don’t vote for Buehrle, who was very durable but rarely great.

I believe you have to have an outlier year to win MVP on a terrible team, like Ohtani. I don’t believe ARod should’ve won that year in Texas. My point on Abreu is he never was considered a top player in his league/never led the league in any category except 2Bs one time. Not enough dominance for me.

The Reds were 96-67.

The Phillies were 77-85 that year.

More weight because he’s a SS. Also won an MVP, while Abreu never finished top-10.

I would argue there are different levels of actual crimes, too (felonies, misdemeanors, driving violations, etc). I consider the PED suspensions as a worse infraction than stealing signs. I also did not vote for Beltran his first year because of it.

I will revisit them again next year. I do like Felix better, I think he had a stretch of dominance, which Abreu never did. (No top-10 MVPs, never led league in anything except doubles one time).

Pedroia was my closest no vote, but I foresee adding him, maybe even next year.

Most of the egregious Hall of Famers were put in by the Vets committees.

I stand by it.

Lee Smith was not voted in by the writers, but by a 16-person vets committee. He was on the writers ballot for the full 15 years and never got particularly close.

Pedroia was my closest No vote. Will reconsider next year.

Good interesting or bad interesting? :)

Buehrle, not very, so durable, but only received Cy votes in one season.
Felix was closer, six top-8 Cy finishes (won once), 2 ERA titles.
Abreu, look at every year, good OPS, again, not one top-10 MVP finish.

I would say Pedroia is closer. Kinsler never finished top-10 in MVP.

First post:
My HOF ballot has five holdovers, two first-ballots, and after much consideration, I have decided to add Wright in Year 2. As always, happy to discuss.
(Before you ask/rip, I don’t vote for players who failed PED tests or got suspended after those rules were implemented).