As we enter the quiet months of the MLB offseason, a few former Philadelphia Phillies should remain in the news.
That is because the voting for the 2023 MLB Hall Of Fame has begun.
The 2023 ballot consists of 28 players, with five being former Phillies.
Each year the voting for the Hall Of Fame commences as fans hope to see their former legends make it to Cooperstown.
To make the Hall of Fame, a player must receive 75% of the votes on all the ballots cast that year.
Plus, a player can stay on the ballot for up to 10 years, before they are removed.
Also, if anyone receives fewer than 5% of votes in any given year, they are removed.
For Phillies fans, here are the players they will be keeping an eye on this year.
Outfielders
Bobby Abreu and Jayson Werth are the two former Phillies outfielders on the ballot this year.
Both played at different times during the 2000s, but they each had a significant impact on the Phillies.
Werth was a part of the 2008 Phillies World Series team and made his only all-star team in Philadelphia.
Abreu was a better all-around player, but he never won a championship in his career.
The former slugger played nine seasons with the Phillies where he hit .303.
He is also 10th in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in Phillies history, with a 47.2.
It seems likely Werth will be off the ballot after this season, but Abreu will get another year.
Infielders
Two of the players with the best chance of making the Hall of Fame at some point are Scott Rolen and Jimmy Rollins.
Rolen has good returns on the early ballots that have been submitted.
According to Ryan Thibodaux, who tracks the voting each year.
Net gained/lost votes through 117 ballots (~29.7% of the vote):
Jones +20
Kent +20
Helton +19
Sheffield +17
Wagner +17
Buehrle +8
Pettitte +8
Abreu +7
Rolen +7
Rollins +2
A-Rod +2
Hunter +1
Ramírez +1
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Vizquel -2— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) January 4, 2023
Rolen has been on 80.7% of the ballots so far, giving him the highest total of anyone.
For Rollins, he is not expected to make it this year.
But, he just needs to continue trending in the right direction.
Rollins is one of the greatest Phillies of all time, winning a World Series and MVP with the team.
He is also the franchise leader in hits.
Relief Pitcher
The last Phillies on the ballot is former closer Billy Wagner.
The hard-throwing lefty played only two seasons in Philadelphia.
He recorded 56 saves and a 1.86 ERA.
Wagner is sixth all-time in saves with 422.
It is only a matter of time until he is in Cooperstown.
