Baseball might change forever in a week…. well, maybe.
On December 7, 2025, a sixteen-person committee will sit in a closed room at the Winter Meetings in Orlando and decide how the Hall of Fame is going to remember the Steroid Era.
Just eight names, three votes per person, and one massive question hanging over everything:
Are Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens ever getting into Cooperstown?
They’re joined on the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot by:
Don Mattingly
Fernando Valenzuela
Dale Murphy
Gary Sheffield
Jeff Kent
Carlos Delgado
A nice mix of steroid guys, and 1980 stars.
The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee exists to judge players whose primary impact came from 1980 onward and who are no longer on the BBWAA ballot.
Two rules define this ballot:
1. The “Rule of Three”
Each of the 16 voters can vote for a maximum of three candidates.
On an eight-man ballot, that creates a lot of vote-splitting. A voter who wants to focus on the 80s and reward, say, Fernando Valenzuela, Don Mattingly, and Dale Murphy can not vote in any of the “steroid guys”
Historically this favors safe, consensus names over lightning rods.
2. The “Five Vote Rule”
New for this cycle:
Any candidate who gets fewer than 5 votes (out of 16) is ineligible for the next Contemporary ballot.
Multiple sub-5 showings can mean permanent ineligibility.
This rule is just kicking in now, so previous votes do not count.
Who’s in the Room?
The committee is usually a mix of:
Hall of Famers (former players)
Executives (owners, GMs, presidents)
Media & historians
The rough tendencies:
Hall of Famers – often the hardest line against PED guys. They saw their own numbers overshadowed, and tend to lean heavily on the “character” part of the Hall rules.
Executives – more nuanced about MLB’s role in the steroid mess but still very cautious about being the group that “pardons” Bonds and Clemens.
Media/historians – most likely to say, “If you’re telling the story of baseball, you can’t leave these guys out.”
Even if every media voter checks the box for Bonds and Clemens, they still need multiple Hall of Famers and execs to join them. That didn’t happen in 2022. There’s no clear sign it will in 2025.
For me, I want to see Mattingly, Murphy, and Valenzuela in. As the standards for a Hall of Famer “lessen” due to fewer games and the game becoming a three-outcome sport (HR/SO/BB), those three players deserve their due.
For those of you who have not read my blogs before, I am strongly against any steroid users getting into the Hall. That includes Bonds and Clemens. I will be posting a Bonds blog before Sunday.
Just to give an idea of where voters stand, below are the Hall of Famers on the committee and whether they are open or against having steroid guys.
Barry Bonds – LF
Slash Line (AVG/OBP/SLG): .298 / .444 / .607
WAR: 162.8
Hits: 2,935
Home Runs: 762
RBIs: 1,996
Runs: 2,227
Accolades: 7x NL MVP, 14x All-Star, 8x Gold Glove, 12x Silver Slugger, 2x Batting Title, All-time HR king (762), Single-season HR record (73)
Roger Clemens – RHP
Pitching Line (W–L, ERA): 354–184, 3.12
WAR: 139.2
Innings Pitched: 4,916.2
Strikeouts: 4,672
WHIP: 1.17
Accolades: 7x Cy Young, 1986 AL MVP, 11x All-Star, 2x World Series Champion, 7x ERA title
Don Mattingly – 1B
Slash Line (AVG/OBP/SLG): .307 / .358 / .471
WAR: 42.4
Hits: 2,153
Home Runs: 222
RBIs: 1,099
Runs: 1,007
Accolades: 1985 AL MVP, 6x All-Star, 9x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, 1x Batting Title, Manager of The Year.
Dale Murphy – CF/RF
Slash Line (AVG/OBP/SLG): .265 / .346 / .469
WAR: 46.5
Hits: 2,111
Home Runs: 398
RBIs: 1,266
Runs: 1,197
Accolades: 2x NL MVP (1982, 1983), 7x All-Star, 5x Gold Glove, 4x Silver Slugger.
Jeff Kent – 2B
Slash Line (AVG/OBP/SLG): .290 / .356 / .500
WAR: 55.4
Hits: 2,461
Home Runs: 377
RBIs: 1,518
Runs: 1,320
Accolades: 2000 NL MVP, 5x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger, Most HR ever by a primary second baseman (377)
Carlos Delgado – 1B
Slash Line (AVG/OBP/SLG): .280 / .383 / .546
WAR: 44.4
Hits: 2,038
Home Runs: 473
RBIs: 1,512
Runs: 1,241
Accolades: 2x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 2000 AL Hank Aaron Award, 2006 Roberto Clemente Award, 1993 World Series Champion, Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer
Gary Sheffield – RF/3B
Slash Line (AVG/OBP/SLG): .292 / .393 / .514
WAR: 60.5
Hits: 2,689
Home Runs: 509
RBIs: 1,676
Runs: 1,636
Accolades: 9x All-Star, 5x Silver Slugger, 1997 World Series Champion (Marlins), member of the 500 HR club
Fernando Valenzuela – LHP
Pitching Line (W–L, ERA): 173–153, 3.54
WAR: 41.5
Innings Pitched: 2,930.0 (approx.)
Strikeouts: 2,074
Accolades: 1981 NL Cy Young & Rookie of the Year (same season), 6x All-Star, 1981 World Series Champion, Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
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