Part 2: The 2025 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Ballot:
- Ethan Semendinger
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
By: Ethan Semendinger
November 7, 2025
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Earlier this week, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced their ballot for the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee to vote on. These are the last 4 players on the list.
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Player: Don Mattingly
Position: First Base
Key Statistics: +42.4 bWAR, 2,153 Hits, 222 Home Runs, MVP
The Case: There are few baseball players in the modern era to have an almost universal admiration. Don Mattingly is one of those players. He's also been involved in baseball as a player, manager, and/or coach since 1982. While his career was cut short due to injuries, he has definitely put in a lifetime's worth of work and dedication to the sport of baseball. However, I think one of the biggest components to Mattingly's story is that he's never been able to reach the pinnacle of the sport. As a player, he missed the Yankees World Series appearance in 1981 by a year, and then he retired in 1995 and missed the Yankees 1996 World Series win by one year. As a manager, he missed the Dodgers making the World Series by two years, and the Dodgers World Series win in 2020 by five years. Just this past year, as a coach with the Toronto Blue Jays, he missed a World Series ring by mere inches.
The Anti-Case: While Don Mattingly has been involved in professional baseball for over 40 years, the most important consideration is the statistics. Unfortunately, Don Mattingly does not have the accumulation of statistics necessary to make an incredibly strong case as a player. His career numbers sit alongside many other great players, but do not make it into that next tier for true Hall of Fame consideration. This is the largest obstacle that will need to be hurdled by the committee.
What I Think: I don't think the statistics matter much here, however, and I think the best thing that will ever happen to Don Mattingly is losing the 2025 World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays. It makes complete opposite sense than what we are used to hearing about, but the story of Don Mattingly is exactly what a committee looks to remedy. A player who was beloved, who was great, but just never reached the mountaintop. Not as a player, a manager, or a coach. The committee will finally make Mattingly a winner, in every sense of the word. Don Mattingly will, in one months time, be a Hall of Famer.
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Player: Dale Murphy
Position: Outfield
Key Statistics: +46.5 bWAR, 398 Home Runs, 2,111 Hits, 2 MVP's
The Case: For many years, the character clause has been used as an excuse for writers to purposefully leave worthy players for the Baseball Hall of Fame off their ballots. These are the concerns that plagued the cases of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and many others. The writers- as a plurality- have decided in many cases that personal grudges are more important than the statistics. If that is the reason that so many legendary players can be kept out of Cooperstown, then it should also be a reason to allow great and borderline players into Cooperstown. Similarly to what I said about Don Mattingly (above), Dale Murphy stands out as one of the greatest people to play baseball. If the character clause can be used for bad, then it is only fair that it be used for good; for the good of a man like Dale Murphy. And, he was one of the best hitters of the 1980s.
The Anti-Case: Dale Murphy was a power hitter who didn't reach 400 home runs. Dale Murphy was a hitter who made it just over 2,000 hits. Dale Murphy never cracked 50 bWAR. As far as there being a statistical argument for Murphy, there isn't much there.
What I Think: I firmly believe the committee is going with Don Mattingly, as a way to remedy the shortcomings of his career. I also firmly believe the committee is going to vote for another player (later) for his legacy. If the committee truly bonds together and conspires against Bonds, Clemens, (and Sheffield), then I could see them bonding together to put in three non-statistical, but good guys, in the Hall of Fame. Dale Murphy is third on that list, and I could see it happening, but I wouldn't hold out hope if I was in the Murphy camp.
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Player: Gary Sheffield
Position: Outfield
Key Statistics: +60.5 bWAR, 509 Home Runs, 2,689 Hits
The Case: There are certain career milestones of which I believe should mean an automatic entry into Cooperstown upon a players retirement. Milestones like 3,000 hits (33 hitters), 300 wins (24 pitchers), 3,000 strikeouts (20 pitchers), and, I believe every player with 500 home runs (28 batters) should be in the Hall of Fame. Gary Sheffield is a member of the 500 home run club. I'm not worried about steroids. They're already actively shown in the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum and there are players in the Hall of Fame who have taken them. As far as I am concerned, 500 home runs is a worthy career achievement and milestone.
The Anti-Case: Steroids and PED's, and a dislike from the media. Add in that Gary Sheffield is miles behind Barry Bonds in terms of career numbers, and- just like Bonds- it will be many many years until he sniffs Cooperstown.
What I Think: I made the case for years on ballots that I would strongly endorse Gary Sheffield. I loved watching him play as a kid. Every kid growing up in the 90s and 2000s loved him. Every little boy in that era grew up, playing wiffle ball, and swinging their bat like a mad-man because of him. I'd even equate it to the backwards cap look of Ken Griffey Jr. It's a nostalgia thing, but I'd like to see Sheffield in the Hall someday.
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Player: Fernando Valenzuela
Position: Starting Pitcher
Key Statistics: +41.4 bWAR, 173 Wins, 2,074 Strikeouts, Cy Young
The Case: Fernandomania saved the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team that just won back-to-back World Series in 2025 and 2024. Fernando Valenzuela did that for the team in 1981. He brought the city and the community of Los Angeles back to the Dodgers with that season. He also has a strong-enough case on top of that with over 2,000 strikeouts, a Cy Young Award, Rookie of the Year Award, and a stretch of dominance from 1981 to 1986 that would remind many of another Dodgers legendary pitcher, Sandy Koufax.
The Anti-Case: Fernando Valenzuela was not Sandy Koufax. Fernando Valenzuela had a short peak of just a few years, and while he pitched for a long time (17 seasons), he really only had three great seasons (1981, 1982, 1985). As with many players who will be considered by this committee, the overall career numbers do not inspire much of a great legacy on the field.
What I Think: On the heels of the Dodgers winning back-to-back World Series, it is the perfect storybook ending at the end of these past two seasons to put one of their great players into the Hall of Fame. And, it is an ending. Unfortunately, Fernando Valenzuela will not be around to see his induction happen, as he passed away late in October, 2024. The Los Angeles Dodgers wore his number 34 (as a patch) through the 2024 World Series, 2025 season, and the 2025 World Series. In the exact opposite reason for why I think Don Mattingly will make it into Cooperstown, I also think the committee will be heavily weighing the Dodgers recent success and the recent passing of Fernando Valenzuela into serious consideration for his getting in.
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Wrap-Up: I believe, in one month's time, the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee will induct two new players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame: Don Mattingly and Fernando Valenzuela. I believe they will approach the voting through a desire to right the wrongs of great players and storylines that very well deserve to be remembered. Don Mattingly and Fernando Valenzuela were larger-than-baseball, cultural icons of the 1980s. They will be voted in.
(And, if the committee is in a great mood to elect great people, then I also see an outside of the box chance that Dale Murphy is the third selection.)
Bonds, Clemens, Kent, and Sheffield will all have to wait until the steroid issue is no longer a worry for the image of baseball. (This is slowly happening.)
Carlos Delgado will never be a Hall of Famer.
