Published by
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
By Matt Martell In early 2020, just after the results of the 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot were revealed, I wrote a column calling for the Hall to get rid of its 5% rule. Most readers of the Five-Tool Newsletter probably know the rule, but let’s explain it just in case. To be considered for election to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, players must have “received a vote on a minimum of five percent (5%) of the ballots cast in the preceding election,” unless it is their first year of eligibility, according to the Hall of Fame’s website. My focus in that piece …