Overview
- MLB.com writers Mike Petriello and Jason Foster published their first BBWAA ballots, with Petriello using all 10 slots and Foster selecting eight.
- Petriello backed Carlos Beltrán, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez despite off-field baggage, explaining that their on-field value warrants inclusion.
- Both writers endorsed strategic voting to keep candidates alive: Foster labeled Félix Hernández a strategic yes, while Petriello also voted for Mark Buehrle, Cole Hamels and Andy Pettitte to sustain the evolving pitcher conversation.
- Analysts describe a cluster of returning position players stuck in “ballot purgatory,” with last year’s vote shares including Bobby Abreu (19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (18%), Dustin Pedroia (11.9%), David Wright (8.1%) and Torii Hunter (5.1%), who survived by a single vote.
- Evaluations diverged on injury-shortened careers, as Petriello passed on Dustin Pedroia and David Wright while Foster included Wright, reflecting broader disagreement on standards in a cycle widely viewed as light on clear inductees.