If White Sox fans had it their way, Mark Buehrle would be on his way to Cooperstown in a few months. However, that wasn’t the case for the voters in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, however.
In case you haven’t seen, the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 has been announced. David Ortiz (77.9%) was the only election, while players like Barry Bonds (66%), Roger Clemens (65.2%), Scott Rolen (63.2%), and Curt Schilling (58.6%) fell short.
Buehrle received 11% of the vote in 2021 on his first year on the ballot, receiving 44 votes. He received just 23 votes this year, falling to 5.8% of the vote and barely remaining on the ballot.
Moving from 11% to 5.8% isn’t great for Buehrle, but he survives a brutal ballot year with the ability to gain some traction next time around. In other White Sox news, A.J. Pierzynski received just two votes and will fall off the ballot.
With a much lighter ballot this upcoming year, players like Mark Buehrle finally have a chance to make up some ground. The former White Sox left-hander finished his career with a 214-160 career record and a 3.81 ERA. The 5-time All-Star threw 14 consecutive seasons with 200 or more innings pitched, falling just four outs short of extending that streak to 15 in his final season. He will enter his third year on the ballot in 2023.
It’s unclear if Buehrle will ever find himself in the Hall of Fame – his chances of getting in via the BBWAA appear slim. However, he’s earned himself another year on the ballot, and because of that, anything can happen.
He’s a Hall of Famer in my mind – and here’s why.
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