The Baseball Lifer by Charlie Vascellaro
Ortiz tops list of eligible candidates
on 2022 Hall of Fame ballot

With a hopeful return to normalcy and an eye on the 2022 Hall of Fame Induction, there is a possibility for another first ballot inductee and an outside chance for the inclusion of a controversial last chance carry over candidate.

Considering the strength of the returning field of nominees and newly eligible candidates, the prospect also exists that no one will be elected to the Hall for the second year in-a-row.

Now that Edgar Martinez has opened the Hall of Fame’s doorway to designated hitters with his election in 2019, the strongest candidate on the ballot is first timer David Ortiz, arguably the most productive DH in history. Whether he is elected this year, it’s likely Ortiz will eventually gain admittance and be delivering his acceptance speech on the field at the Clark Sports Center in Middlefield sometime in the not-too-distant future.