Sheffield and Wagner Fall Short, While Other Legends Secure Their Place in Cooperstown

Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer have earned their spots in the prestigious Baseball Hall of Fame, while Billy Wagner and Gary Sheffield narrowly missed out on induction. The trio’s selection was confirmed on Tuesday, marking a major milestone in their illustrious careers.

Beltré, making his Hall of Fame debut, received an impressive 366 votes out of 385, securing 95.1% of the ballots. Helton, in his sixth year on the ballot, garnered 307 votes, achieving 79.7%, surpassing the required 75% threshold by 18 votes. He had fallen just 11 votes short last year. Mauer, also making his first appearance, was elected with 293 votes, translating to 76.1%.

In contrast, Wagner’s tally of 284 votes, while a strong performance, left him five votes short of induction, but he did improve on last year’s 68.1%. He will have one final chance for induction in 2025, when eligible stars Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia appear on the ballot for the first time.

The 346 individuals in the Hall of Fame include 273 players, with Beltré, Mauer, and Helton scheduled for induction at Cooperstown on July 21, alongside manager Jim Leyland, who was elected by the contemporary era committee last month.

Gary Sheffield received 246 votes, 63.9%, a significant increase from his 11.7% in 2015. However, he will now be considered by the contemporary baseball player committee, which will convene in December 2025.