Fansided

Red Sox World Series legends headline 2023 Hall of Fame ballot

By Gabrielle Starr |
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: Pitcher Bronson Arroyo #61 of the Boston Red Sox has the ball knocked out of his glove by batter Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees on a tag-out at first base as first baseman Kevin Millar #15 looks on in the eighth inning during game six of the American League Championship Series on October 19, 2004 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: Pitcher Bronson Arroyo #61 of the Boston Red Sox has the ball knocked out of his glove by batter Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees on a tag-out at first base as first baseman Kevin Millar #15 looks on in the eighth inning during game six of the American League Championship Series on October 19, 2004 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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Will any former Red Sox players be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023?

The 2023 Hall of Fame ballot was announced Monday, and several Boston Red Sox legends are among the 28 candidates eligible for this year’s BBWAA election.

Fourteen newcomers grace the ballot this year, including Bronson Arroyo, Jacoby Ellsbury, John Lackey, and Mike Napoli. They join Manny Ramirez, who received 28.2% in his sixth year on the ballot last winter, and Billy Wagner, who briefly pitched for the Red Sox in 2009. Retired players are eligible to remain on the BBWAA ballot for up to ten years as long as they receive the minimum 5% of votes each cycle. 75% is the threshold for election; David Ortiz was the only candidate elected last year, with 77.9% of the vote on his first ballot.

Are any of these former Sox going to join Ortiz in Cooperstown next year? Let’s revisit their careers:

Bronson Arroyo

Arroyo debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000, but they placed him on waivers before 2003, and that’s how the Red Sox got him. Before he made his Boston debut, he threw a perfect game for the Triple-A PawSox.

In 2004, Arroyo worked primarily as a starting pitcher, starting 29 of his 32 games that season. He lead MLB with 20 hit-by-pitch, including fellow HOF candidate Alex Rodriguez, which culminated in one of the Rivalry’s most iconic brawls with Jason Varitek.

A-Rod and Arroyo would cross swords again in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS when the smarmy Yankees slugger knocked a ball out of Arroyo’s glove while running to first.

He should be inducted into the Hall just for these contributions to the Rivalry.

Over a 16-year career with the Pirates, Sox, Reds, and Diamondbacks, Arroyo posted a 4.28 ERA across 2,435 2/3 regular-season innings. He won his only World Series with the Sox in 2004, was an All-Star in his first season in Cincinnati in 2006, and won a Gold Glove in 2010.

While Arroyo never tested positive for any performance-enhancing substance, he admitted in 2009 that he’d taken androstenedione and amphetamines in the late 90s, before they were officially banned. He said he gave up the practice when players began to suspect that the supplements were tainted.

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 30: Jacoby Ellsbury #2 of the Boston Red Sox slides into first base after a rundown against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Six of the 2013 World Series at Fenway Park on October 30, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 30: Jacoby Ellsbury #2 of the Boston Red Sox slides into first base after a rundown against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Six of the 2013 World Series at Fenway Park on October 30, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Jacoby Ellsbury

The Benedict Arnold of the Rivalry is on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, which should make Yankees fans seethe.

Ellsbury was Boston’s first-round pick in the 2005 draft and debuted only two years later. As a rookie in 2007, he collected seven hits in the Sox’ World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies to win their second championship in four seasons.

Over seven seasons in Boston, Ellsbury finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2008, was an All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger-winner, and MVP runner-up in 2011, and led them to another championship during the 2013 Boston Strong season. Thrice, he stole 50+ bases and led MLB in swiped bags in 2009 (70) and 2013 (52).

Then, barely a month after the 2013 World Series, he committed the ultimate crime, defecting to the Yankees. They signed him to a seven-year deal worth $153M with an option for an eighth season. Injuries derailed the remainder of his career; he only played 520 games for New York between 2014-17, and never made it back to the majors after that.

Ellsbury’s career ended so badly that it’s surprising to see him make the ballot at all. Aside from his World Series rings and few accolades, he doesn’t have much of a case for election other than his incredible speed in the early years of his career. His 343 stolen bases rank 117th all-time and his 82.85 stolen base percentage is 29th.

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 05: John Lackey #41 of the Boston Red Sox reacts in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game Two of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 5, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 05: John Lackey #41 of the Boston Red Sox reacts in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game Two of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 5, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

John Lackey

Spoiler alert: every Red Sox player on the BBWAA ballot this year is a World Series champion. However, what sets John Lackey apart is that he won championships with multiple teams, and that’s why he probably has a better chance of getting elected to the Hall of Fame than anyone else on this list.

Lackey was a rookie when the team then known as the Anaheim Angels won their first and only championship in 2002. He finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting that season after posting a 3.66 ERA over 18 games, including the first complete game of what would turn out to be a 15-year career.

Following the 2009 season, Lackey was considered the best free-agent starting pitcher on the market, and the Red Sox signed him to a five-year deal worth $82.5M. Following the 2011 season, he underwent Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the entire 2012 season. He returned in 2013 and posted a 3.52 ERA and threw multiple complete games for the first time since 2008. That October, he made history as the first starting pitcher in MLB history to be the winning pitcher in deciding games of the World Series with two different teams.

The Sox traded Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2014 deadline and he signed a lucrative two-year deal with the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2016 season. That October, he and former Sox teammate Jon Lester were champions once again, as the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought.

All time, Lackey ranks 57th in strikeouts, 88th in starts, 15nd in wins, 162nd in innings pitched, and 195th in pitcher WAR.

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 24: Mike Napoli #12 of the Boston Red Sox looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Two of the 2013 World Series at Fenway Park on October 24, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 24: Mike Napoli #12 of the Boston Red Sox looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Two of the 2013 World Series at Fenway Park on October 24, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Mike Napoli

Two and a half seasons of Mike Napoli’s 12-year career were played in Boston, but he made a significant impact while he was here.

2013 was Nap’s first season with the Sox, and he played a key role in winning a championship for the city while it tried to heal from the Marathon Bombing. In the postseason, he collected four doubles and two home runs, including this seventh-inning blast off Justin Verlander to break up his shutout performance:

And this bases-clearing double off Adam Wainwright in Game 1 of the World Series to put the Sox on the board in the bottom of the first:

Napoli was a career .246/.346/.475 hitter with 1,125 hits, 224 doubles, and 267 home runs amassed across 1,392 regular-season games. Of over 20,000 MLB players throughout the league’s history, he’s in the top-300 all-time in career slugging percentage (249th), home runs (212th), at-bats per home run (58th), and strikeouts (80th).

If he’s not elected to Cooperstown, maybe there’s a Beard Hall of Fame somewhere that will gladly induct him.

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