Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have been nominated for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame through the Contemporary Baseball Era/Player Ballot. The announcement was made on Monday, revealing an additional six candidates: Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela. The voting results will be disclosed on December 7, 2023, during a broadcast on MLB Network at 19:30 ET.
Bonds, who holds the record for the most home runs in baseball history, and Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, were not elected to the Hall of Fame during their eligibility period with the Baseball Writers Association of America. Their careers have been shadowed by allegations of steroid use, which significantly impacted their chances for induction.
Clemens recently gained high-profile support from Donald Trump, who stated in August that Clemens should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame “now.” Despite this backing, Clemens received less support from the Era Committee in the last voting cycle in 2022 compared to the writers.
The Contemporary Baseball Era ballot is aimed at players whose major contributions to the sport occurred after 1980. The Era Committees, which were previously known as the Veterans Committees, convene annually during Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings in December to review candidates eligible for induction.
To secure a place in Cooperstown, a candidate must receive at least 12 out of 16 votes from committee members. Successful candidates will be celebrated the following July. The committee operates on a three-year cycle, with the Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players committee set to meet in 2026 for potential inductions in 2027, and the Classic Baseball Committee scheduled for 2027 to consider players for 2028.
Eligibility for the Contemporary Baseball ballot requires players to have participated in at least 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, not be listed as ineligible, and have been retired for a minimum of 16 seasons. Notably, Pete Rose, who was removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list following his death, is set for consideration by the Classic Baseball Committee in 2027.
The 16-member committee includes Hall of Famers, executives, and seasoned media professionals. Each member is permitted to vote for up to three candidates. Last year, Dick Allen and Dave Parker were elected by the Classic Baseball Committee, focusing on players whose contributions primarily occurred before 1980.
Starting this year, any candidate receiving fewer than five votes will not be eligible for the subsequent three-year ballot cycle. Additionally, candidates who fail to attain five votes across multiple appearances on Era Committee ballots will also be disqualified from future consideration.
The upcoming vote promises to be a significant moment for Bonds, Clemens, and their fellow nominees as they await the committee’s decision on their legacies within the sport.
