The debate over whether Baseball Hall of Fame ballots should be made public has been a polarizing one for years, but you may be surprised to hear where the majority of voters stand.
After the 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame Class was announced on Tuesday, longtime ESPN reporter Buster Olney suggested that it should be a requirement for Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters to make their ballot public in order to participate in Hall of Fame voting. One voter said he and most of his peers agree, but the higher-ups in Cooperstown will not allow it.
In response to Olney, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared that the BBWAA has voted on two separate occasions to make ballots public. The Board of Directors for the Baseball Hall of Fame shot the idea down anyway.
“As a group, BBWAA has twice voted overwhelmingly to make all ballots public,” Goold wrote on X. “Hall has declined our request and I was president that first time and tried to make a compelling argument. We urge members to make their ballots public — and a majority do.
“Many of us will continue to try for the exact reason you mention: transparency is vital to accountability.”
As a group, BBWAA has twice voted overwhelmingly to make all ballots public. Hall has declined our request and I was president that first time and tried to make a compelling argument. We urge members to make their ballots public — and a majority do.
Many of us will continue to…
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) January 22, 2025
One follower then pointed out that Olney must be familiar with the BBWAA’s history of seeking to have ballots made public. Olney seemed to admit that he is trying to place more pressure on the Hall of Fame to implement such a requirement.
The choice is stark, no question: privilege or principle?
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 22, 2025
Many voters choose to make their ballots public after they vote, but there is no requirement. Without a requirement, decisions like the absurd one we saw with this year’s ballot can be made without an explanation.
Voters can vote for up to 10 players on their ballots. Players need at least 75 percent of the vote to be inducted into the Hall. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are the inductees for 2025.
