MLB Hall of Fame Ballot 2025: The next 5 players who could punch their ticket to Cooperstown

The Hall of Fame Class of 2024 was announced this Sunday, and it included legends like Jon Mauer, Jim Leyland, Adrian Beltré and Todd Helton. After witnessing the induction of these legends at Cooperstown, fans are already speculating about the next ballot.

Five players have a good chance of being on the list, so let's take a look at these names.

5 potential players who could make it in the HOF Class of 2025

#1. Ichiro Suzuki

The 2025 Hall of Fame ballot would be the first time Ichiro Suzuki's name appears for induction in Cooperstown. Not only that, but he might follow in the footsteps of Mariano Rivera, the only unanimous Hall of Famer in MLB history.

Suzuki broke several records during his tenure in the major leagues; he is a member of the 3000-hit club and holds the record for most hits in one season.

This is when he joined the league at the age of 27, which makes his achievements even more commendable. He even has a great career record in NPB as well.

#2. CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia's entry into the Hall of Fame is special because it's been a while since a starting pitcher has been a part of the BBWAA ballot. Not only that, he's the biggest pitcher since Roy Halladay, who was inducted in 2019, to enter the elite club on the Hall of Fame ballot. The left-handed pitcher had 3,093 strikeouts in his 19 years of baseball and 251 career wins.

He won the World Series with the New York Yankees and a Cy Young Award in Cleveland. Also, some pundits believe that after Sabathia, there'd again be a drought in the number of Hall of Fame starting pitchers.

#3. Billy Wagner

The 2025 HOF ballot would be Billy Wagner's last chance to be inducted. He missed out on Cooperstown by five votes this year. Wagner has been losing votes for the previous three years, but this could change.

There have been other players who have made it into the Hall of Fame in their final year. Larry Walker became a Hall of Famer in his 10th year in 2020; similarly, Edgar Martinez did it in 2019.

#4. Carlos Beltrán

Carlos Beltrán ranked eighth all-time among center fielders in career WAR (70.1). He amassed an impressive 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases. Additionally, his defensive abilities solidified his position as an elite center fielder.

He possessed a rare combination of power hitting, consistent batting average, and base-stealing statistics, while anchoring center field with defensive excellence. However, as of now, Beltrán's path to Cooperstown remains skeptical, but there are good chances he punches his ticket.

#5. Félix Hernández

The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot will see the inclusion of Seattle Mariners legend Félix Hernández. From 2009 to 2015, Hernández established himself as one of the premier pitchers in Major League Baseball.

This culminated in a masterful 2010 season, where he secured the coveted Cy Young Award. His statistics that year were awe-inspiring: a league-leading 2.27 ERA and an impressive 232 strikeouts across 249.2 innings.