Scott Rolen capped off the largest turnaround in Hall of Fame voting history on Tuesday night when it was revealed that he will be enshrined in Cooperstown this summer.
In five years, Rolen’s candidacy gained support from 66 percent of the electorate to cross the 75-percent threshold needed for election. That ascension was not only remarkable, it was historic. And while Rolen may have been the only player celebrating on Tuesday night, a number of other candidates have plenty of reason for optimism after seeing their own 2023 vote totals.
Let’s take a closer look at four players who, like Rolen, have continued to build momentum in the voting results and could be on the verge of hearing their name called in upcoming years.
Multi-time All-Stars, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winners, MVPs, Cy Young recipients and World Series champions — these 13 players can claim at least one of those achievements. Let’s give them their due.