Is UCLA Alum Trending in Right Direction for Hall-of-Fame Nod?

Former UCLA Bruin Chase Utley was not selected for the MLB Hall of Fame in 2025, but is he trending in the right direction for a potential nod in the future?

Jun 21, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Former Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley speaks at a ceremony celebrating his retirement before the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-Imagn Images / John Geliebter-Imagn Images

The future looks bright for UCLA baseball as it is less than two weeks away from Opening Day. Meanwhile, the MLB season is approaching as well, which makes baseball talk quite appropriate right now.

Former UCLA Bruin Chase Utley, in his second year of eligibility for the MLB Hall of Fame, was not selected to join Cooperstown this season. Utley played in the MLB for 16 seasons, spending time with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While Utley was not selected, he is trending in the right direction for a potential call from the Hall of Fame. In his first season of eligibility in 2024, Utley appeared on 28.8% of the ballots in 2024, which jumped up to 39.8% in 2025.

The Hall of Fame is obviously for the best of the best, but only a select few can go in each season. Given that Utely has not been selected in his first two years on the ballot, he should not fret. It took Billy Wagner until his final year of eligibility to get the call that he had been voted into the Hall.

Wagner saw his numbers increase over the years of eligibility, going from 10.5% in his first year on the ballot (2016) to 73.8% in 2024. Just looking at that alone, Utley seems to be in a good spot for a potential nod.

New names will enter the bidding war in the hope of one day calling themselves a Hall of Famer. Utley could easily see his trend improve when looking at the players who are entering their first year of eligibility.

Utley finished in sixth place for the Hall of Fame voting in 2025 but remains far back when looking at the other two players that did not get in above him. Utley, highly touted for his years as a defensive player with a strong bat, would be a great addition to Cooperstown.

In his career, Utley slashed a career .275 batting average, smashed 259 home runs, batted in 1,025 RBIs, and had a career WAR of 64.5. To add to that, Utley is a six-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger and a 2008 World Series Champion. We'll see if the former Bruin gets the nod next year.

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