Elaine Thompson / Associated Press                                Mariners legend Edgar Martinez has received a major boost in Hall of Fame balloting the past few years.

Elaine Thompson / Associated Press Mariners legend Edgar Martinez has received a major boost in Hall of Fame balloting the past few years.

Edgar rockets up Hall of Fame ballot as DHs gain respect

Boosted by new-age analysis, the M’s legend has risen from an afterthought to the brink of election.

By Ronald Blum

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Edgar Martinez is rocketing up the Hall of Fame ballot, boosted 13 years after his final swing by new-age statistical analyses and campaigning.

His percentage of the vote more than doubled from 2015 to last year, and he is projected to be around the 75 percent needed for election when this year’s voting is announced Wednesday. He could become only the second Hall of Famer who was primarily a designated hitter.

“I think it’s kind of like relief pitchers: Once the first couple started to get in, people had to accept the fact that they’re part of the game now,” said MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby, who voted for Martinez for the first time this year. “You can’t get around them. You can’t ignore it. And so, you have to give them consideration.”

Martinez received 25.2 percent in 2014, when Frank Thomas became the first player elected after spending the majority of his career as DH, a position instituted in 1973. Martinez rose to 27 percent the following year, 43.4 percent in 2016 and 58.6 percent last year. He is on 77.1 percent of the 231 ballots obtained by Ryan Thibodaux and posted on his Hall of Fame vote-tracker.

Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Vladimir Guerrero are likely to be overwhelming picks, and Trevor Hoffman could get in, too, after a near-miss last year.

Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are both tracking at 63.6 percent in the sixth ballot appearance for each. That is up about 3-4 percent from their vote-tracker percentage last year, when Clemens finished at 54.1 percent and Bonds at 53.8.

Martinez’s Hall chances have been aided Ryan M. Spaeder, a 28-year-old fan from Virginia who sent statistical analyses to about 250 voters. Martinez is making the ninth of the 10 appearances he is allowed on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.

“We now have tools to evaluate players that we didn’t have even 10 years ago, and it’s easy now to compare Edgar, not just to other DHs but to other hitters, both of his era and all eras,” former ESPN reporter Jayson Stark said. “He measures up against all of them.”

A seven-time All-Star, Martinez was a designated hitter in 1,412 of 2,055 career regular-season games. During an 18-season big league career spent entirely with Seattle, he won two AL batting titles, earned seven All-Star selections and finished with a .312 average and 309 homers.

Paul Molitor, elected to the Hall in 2004, was a DH in 1,174 of 2,683 games. Thomas DHed in 1,310 of 2,322.

“People are taking a different look about the DH, and they’re looking more about sabermetric numbers and taking into consideration all those numbers and it seems to be helping,” Martinez said last year.

Seattle distributed a 15-page look at his career to potential voters. Spaeder has compared Martinez to Hall of Famers, pointing out an on-base percentage (.418) superior to Stan Musial’s, an OPS (.933) above Frank Robinson’s and a slugging percentage (.515) greater than Willie McCovey’s. His Weighted Runs Above Average led to an additional 54 Mariners wins, Jack Moore pointed out on Fangraphs in 2009. Spaeder said he assisted on Jonah Keri’s campaign for Tim Raines, elected in his final ballot appearance last year after starting at 24.3 percent.

“He invited me to Tim Raines’ Hall of Fame dinner,” Spaeder said.

Jones and Thome would raise to 54 the total of players elected in their first year of eligibility. An eight-time All-Star, Jones won the 1999 NL MVP and the 2008 NL batting title. He batted .303 with 2,726 hits and 468 home runs in 19 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. Thome was a five-time All-Star who hit 612 home runs, eighth on the career list, over 22 seasons.

Hoffman fell five votes short last year, when Jeff Bagwell, Raines and Ivan Rodriguez were elected. Hoffman is making his third appearances and is bidding to become only the sixth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever, after Hoyt Wilhelm (1985), Rollie Fingers (1992), Dennis Eckersley (2004), Bruce Sutter (2006) and Goose Gossage (2008). Relievers and DHs get a boost when Mariano Rivera becomes eligible next year and David Ortiz in 2022.

Hoffman’s 601 saves trail only Rivera’s 652, and he is at 78.4 percent on the vote-tracker, which estimates there are 424 total ballots. Guerrero is at 94.8 percent in his second appearance after falling 17 votes short last year. Jones is at 98.3 and Thome at 93.1.

Guerrero was a nine-time All-Star and the 2004 AL MVP with the Anaheim Angels. He hit .318 with 449 homers and 1,496 RBIs in 16 big league seasons.

Roy Halladay also will be on the 2019 ballot. The retired pitcher died Nov. 7 at age 40 when a plane he was piloting crashed off Florida.

Voters must have been members of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years and their ballots were due Jan. 24. Anyone elected will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 29 along with pitcher Jack Morris and shortstop Alan Trammell, who were voted in last month by the Hall’s Modern Era committee, which considered former players and executives whose contributions to baseball were most significant from 1970-87.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

Silvertips forward Shea Busch participates in the Florida Panthers development camp at Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on July 1, 2025. Florida selected Busch in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on June 28. (Photo courtesy Shea Busch)
Shea Busch experiences whirlwind NHL Draft week

The Florida Panthers selected the Silvertips forward in the fourth round on June 28.

Rome Odunze scans the field in a scrimmage at his youth football camp at Archbishop Murphy High School on July 10, 2025. The former University of Washington star is entering his second NFL season with the Chicago Bears. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Odunze ‘gives back’ in Everett youth football camp

The former University of Washington star hosts a single-day camp at Archbishop Murphy on Thursday.

The New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, top right, celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off sacrifice fly ball during the 10th inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in New York. (Justin Casterline / Getty Images / Tribune News Services)
Yankees walk off Mariners on Judge’s sac fly for series sweep

Seattle blows 5-0 lead after Bryan Woo takes no-hitter into eighth inning.

Raleigh says Munoz tipped pitches during Yankees’ comeback

The Yankees had a bead on Seattle Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz. That’s… Continue reading

Midfielder Christian Soto dribbles up field during Snohomish United's 5-1 win against the Tacoma Stars at Stockers Fields on July 9, 2025 (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Snohomish United keeps playoff hopes alive in home finale

With 5-1 win against Tacoma, the USL2 club’s focus on local talent keys success in inaugural season.

Silvertips forward Carter Bear fields questions after the Detroit Red Wings selected him 13th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles on June 27, 2025. (Photo courtesy Natalie Shaver / CHL)
Two weeks after Draft, Silvertips’ Bear still can’t believe it

The Red Wings’ first-rounder reflects on draft night and his experience at Detroit’s development camp.

AquaSox down Devils for consecutive wins

The AquaSox were on a 2-10 stretch coming into the series.

Cam Schlittler’s strong debut freezes Mariners

The Mariners fell to the Yankees, 9-6, on Wednesday night.

Storm flies too close to the Sun, loses in an upset

Connecticut snapped a 10-game losing streak to beat Seattle 93-83 on Wednesday morning.

Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees flips his bat after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (Evan Bernstein / Getty Images / Tribune News Services)
Raleigh, Judge heat up homer race at Yankee Stadium

In the battle of baseball’s biggest sluggers, Aaron Judge… Continue reading

Seattle Seahawks linebackers Derick Hall (58) and Boye Mafe (53) celebrate a defensive play during the 2024 season. (Rio Giancarlo / Getty Images / The Athletic)
Season to reveal long-term plans for Seahawks linebackers

The Seattle Seahawks selected edge rusher Boye Mafe with… Continue reading

Silvertips defenseman wins U20 Ball Hockey World Title with Canada

Rylan Pearce helps Canada win gold at the ISBHF U20 World Championships in Slovakia.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.