The 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was released on Monday and fans of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in particular will likely be keeping a close eye on a pair of newcomers, as well as two players in their final year of eligibility.
David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez are arguably the two biggest names among the 13 former MLBers who are making their debut on the ballot. “Big Papi” spent the first six seasons of his career with the Minnesota Twins before joining the Red Sox in 2003.
After an ordinary run in Minnesota, Ortiz went on to put together one of, if not the most impressive careers for any designated hitter during his final 14 MLB seasons — all spent in Boston — and earned the reputation as the most clutch playoff hitter in franchise history. Ortiz finished his career as a 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series-champion, while winning seven Silver Slugger awards and capturing the 2004 ALCS MVP honor and 2013 World Series MVP crown.
“A-Rod” was selected first overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 1993 MLB June Amateur draft and made his MLB debut the following season at just 18 years old. In his third big league season, Rodriguez made the first of his 14 All-Star games and won the first of his 10 Silver Slugger awards.
Between seven years in Seattle, three with the Texas Rangers and 12 with the New York Yankees, A-Rod won three MVP awards, two Gold Glove awards and one batting title, as well as one World Series championship — in 2009 with the Yankees. Rodriguez ranks in the top-10 all-time in home runs at 696 (fourth), runs batted in with 2,086 (fourth), total bases with 5,813 (seventh) and runs scored with 2,201 (eighth).
The 11 other players who are in their first year of eligibility include Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, A.J. Pierzynski, Jimmy Rollins and Mark Teixeira. The four players who are in their 10th and final year of eligibility are Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa.
Carl Crawford
| Carl Crawford | |
|---|---|
 Crawford with the Dodgers in 2013
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| Left fielder | |
| Born: August 5, 1981 Houston, Texas |
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Batted: Left
Threw: Left
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| MLB debut | |
| July 20, 2002, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 3, 2016, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .290 |
| Home runs | 136 |
| Runs batted in | 766 |
| Stolen bases | 480 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Medals
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Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981), nicknamed “The Perfect Storm”,[1][2] is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted and threw left-handed.
Crawford is best known for his nine years with the Rays, during which he was considered one of the best baserunners in baseball. He led the American League in stolen bases and triples four times each while with Tampa Bay.
Awards and accomplishments
- American League All-Star (2004, 2006, 2009, 2010)
- Gold Glove Award (2010)
- Silver Slugger Award (2010)
- Fielding Bible Award (2006, 2008, 2009)
- American League stolen base leader (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007)
- American League triples leader (2004), (2005), (2006), (2010)
- All-Star Game MVP (2009)
- MLB modern-era, single-game, stolen-base record: 6 (May 3, 2009)
- International League Rookie of the Year (2002)
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum “Cool Papa Bell Legacy Award” (2003)
- Tampa Bay Chapter/BBWAA Devil Rays Most Valuable Player (2004, 2010)
- Tampa Bay Chapter/BBWAA Devil Rays Most Outstanding Rookie (2002)
- Rays’ single-season runs record: 110 (2010)
- Rays’ single-season triples record: 19 (2004)
- Rays’ single-season stolen base record: 60 (2009)
- Rays’ all-time leader in at bats, plate appearances, RBIs, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, strikeouts, stolen bases, and singles.
- Named the Rays’ “Face of the Franchise” by ESPN
Rollins was included on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2022 when it was announced on November 22, 2021.
Prince Fielder
| Prince Fielder | |
|---|---|
 Fielder with the Detroit Tigers in 2012
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| First baseman | |
| Born: May 9, 1984 Ontario, California |
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Batted: Left
Threw: Right
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| MLB debut | |
| June 13, 2005, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 18, 2016, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .283 |
| Home runs | 319 |
| Runs batted in | 1,028 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Prince Semien Fielder (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. He was selected in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the Brewers out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida, and spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the Brewers before signing with the Tigers, in January 2012. In November 2013, Fielder was traded to the Rangers, where he played the remainder of his career.
Fielder is a six-time All-Star. He holds the Brewers’ team record for home runs (HR) in a season and is the youngest player in National League (NL) history to hit 50 home runs in a season. He became the first Brewer to win the Home Run Derby, defeating Nelson Cruz in the final round of the 2009 derby. Fielder also won the 2012 derby, joining Ken Griffey, Jr. and Yoenis Céspedes (later joined by Pete Alonso) as the only players to win more than one derby and becoming the first player to win the Derby as both an American League (AL) and NL All-Star.
On August 10, 2016, Fielder announced that he would be unable to continue his playing career after undergoing a second neck surgery in three years. He was released by the Rangers on October 4, 2017. He ended his career with 319 home runs, the same number as his father, Cecil Fielder. Prince and Cecil Fielder are also the only father-son duo to each hit 50 MLB home runs in a season, and were the only father-son duo to hit 40 MLB home runs in a season until 2021, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined his own father in achieving the feat.
