Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Analysis: Who Was Snubbed from the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024?!

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 was announced on Tuesday evening. The trio of Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer will join longtime manager Jim Leyland in Cooperstown’s hallowed halls this summer. They’re all deserving of their enshrinement in the hallowed halls of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

And now, as is tradition, now that the newest Hall of Famers have been elected, all eyes turn to those who didn’t get it. 

Here’s a look at who was snubbed from the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

LHP Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner really brought the heat. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/k9N5Nwk5qd

— MLB (@MLB) January 21, 2024

Former Houston Astros’ closer Billy Wagner was oh so close to getting his call to the Hall in 2024. But alas, it was once again not meant to be for the flamethrower. 

Wagner received 284-votes, or 73.8% of ballots, coming in just shy of the 75% required for induction. That’s a nearly 4% increase from 2023 when Wagner received 68.1% of the vote. The problem for Wagner is timing. While his vote percentage is increasing, and creeping closer to the 75% mark, he is running out of time. Next year will mark year 10 for Wagner on the ballot and failure to garner a few more votes will mean exclusion from the Hall of Fame for the foreseeable future.

Wagner’s issue isn’t statistics. In 16 Major League seasons, Wagner compiled 422 saves with a 2.31 ERA, 1,196 strikeouts, a .998 WHIP, and a 27.8 WAR. Wagner was a seven-time National League All-Star and former National League Rolaids Relief Man of Year Award recipient. His 422 saves is good enough for the sixth most all-time and his 2.31 ERA is better than current inductees Dennis Eckersley and Trevor Hoffman. 

So, what gives? 

It’s all about timing (again). 

Wagner –while one of the premier closers for a generation– played alongside Hoffman and, perhaps the greatest closer of all-time, Mariano Rivera. And while Wagner was always “in the conversation” with Hoffman and Rivera, he never put up their type of numbers. Rivera (652) and Hoffman (601) rank No.1 and No. 2 all-time in saves, respectively. That’s a tough act to follow. 

That being said, it’s looking positive for Wagner as he heads towards his final year of eligibility. Since 2020, Wagner’s vote percentage has climbed from 31.7% to this year’s 73.8%. That’s pretty remarkable and it bodes well for 2025.

Gary Sheffield

Gary Sheffield talking about his stance is *chef’s kiss* pic.twitter.com/Q1RBpxVWhz

— MLB (@MLB) January 22, 2024

A .292 career batting average, 509 homers, Nine All-Star appearances, five Louisville Silver Slugger Awards, a National League batting title, and a World Series Championship is usually a good enough resume to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Usually…

That’s a snapshot of Sheffield’s achievements over a 22-year Major League career. What’s left out of the above snippet is the December 13, 2007, Mitchell Report allegations of steroid use. 

Sheffield was alleged to have used performance enhancing drugs after he began training with Barry Bonds’ former trainer Greg Anderson in the early-2000’s. He was named in the Mitchell Report and further reporting by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams in their book, Game of Shadows. 

While he should be considered a “snub,” Sheffield’s exclusion from the Hall of Fame SHOULDN’T be a surprise. In fact, it’s a surprise he was able to achieve 63.9% of the vote during his time on the ballot. 

Andruw Jones

4 #MLB players all-time have 10+ Gold Gloves AND 400+ home runs:

—Andruw Jones
—Willie Mays
—Mike Schmidt
—Ken Griffey Jr.@Braves legend Andruw Jones belongs in the @baseballhall.pic.twitter.com/2QDjo0ScNB

— Andrew Gibson (@1010XLAG) January 23, 2024

Hall of Fame football writer Ray Didinger always liked to say –and I’m paraphrasing, forgive me for butchering it! – that the Hall isn’t the Hall of Very Good. And that’s Jones’ problem. 

He was very good, but not great. 

Jones was a ten-time Gold Glove Winner and a five-time All-Star. During a breakout 2005 season, Jones won a Louisville Silver Slugger Award and led the National League in home runs and RBI. He finished his Major League career with a .254/.337/.486 slash line with 434 career homers, 1,289 RBI, and 1,748 strikeouts. He averaged below .250 in nine of his 17 Big League seasons. 

In the end, Jones should be remembered as one of the more memorable players of a generation –especially in the field– but he’s not worthy of a spot in Cooperstown unless he’s buying a ticket.