2023 Hall of Fame Voting: How Did Former Yankees Do?

No former Yankees earned enough votes for induction, but a few made noticeable gains.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is getting a new third baseman.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected Scott Rolen to Cooperstown on Thursday night. An eight-time Gold Glover who played for the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Reds, Rolen received 76.3 percent of the vote on his sixth year on the BBWAA ballot.

Candidates must earn at least 75 percent of the vote for enshrinement. Only Rolen met that requirement, though former Rockies first baseman Todd Helton (72.2 percent) came close.

A handful of former Yankees also appeared on the ballot, though none garnered more than 60 percent of the vote.

Andruw Jones, best known as an Atlanta Brave before ending his career in New York, led ex-pinstripers with 58.1 percent of the vote on his sixth try. A 10-time Gold Glover in center, Jones saw his vote share jump noticeably after he received 41.4 percent last year. Jones was arrested on a battery charge following accusations from his wife in 2012, which could impact his Hall of Fame chances as he gets closer to 75 percent, as off-the-field conduct has affected the cases of other candidates in the past.

Gary Sheffield, who spent three seasons with the Yankees, also made a significant gain, as his vote share went from 40.6 percent in 2022 to 55 percent this year. However, the former slugger with links to performance-enhancing drugs only has one year of eligibility left, which means Sheffield will need an even bigger increase next year if wants to get in on a BBWAA ballot.

Carlos Beltrán, the first player connected to the Astros’ 2017 sign stealing scandal to appear on a Hall of Fame ballot, received 46.6 percent of the vote on his first try. Beltrán spent parts of three seasons with the Yankees after enjoying some of his prime years with the Mets.

Alex Rodriguez, meanwhile, received just 35.7 percent of the vote on his second try. Rodriguez, fifth on the all-time home run list but one of the faces of baseball’s PED era, received 34.3 percent of the vote last year.

Andy Pettitte, a five-time World Series champ with his own ties to PEDs, received 17 percent of the vote on his fifth try after mustering 10.7 percent last year. Bobby Abreu, who spent three years with the Yankees, saw a similar spike, going from 8.6 percent last year to 15.4 percent this year.

And then there’s the oft-injured Jacoby Ellsbury, who received zero votes on his first and last try on the ballot. Players need at least 5 percent of the vote to remain eligible. 

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