The 2020 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame will officially be announced on MLB Network at 4 PM MT. This will be Larry Walker’s 10th and final year on the ballot and whether or not he will be inducted looks to be coming down to the wire.
Where Larry Walker Stands
At press time, Walker has received 83.5 percent of the vote on public ballots, according to Ryan Thibodaux’s tracker. Private ballots are notoriously “small Hall,” which is why Nathaniel Rakich’s projection system has Walker receiving 72.9 percent of the overall vote (falling shy of the 75 percent needed for election).
Walker has gained 34 votes among returning voters with public ballots, which is a positive sign. He had not lost any votes from previous ballots until Monday when Peter Gammons revealed his on MLB Network, in which he dropped both Walker and Todd Helton.
On Friday, the Colorado Rockies announced they will be retiring Walker’s number 33.
What About Todd Helton?
Helton is in his second year on the ballot and has collected 32.1 percent of the vote on public ballots. He won’t be elected this year, but this is a better showing than his inaugural campaign. His 68 known public votes are already 10 more than he received altogether in 2019.
Helton has gained 36 votes from returning voters with public ballots but has also lost five.
Other Most Likely Candidates
Derek Jeter will be elected in his first year of eligibility and potentially unanimously as he has received 100 percent of the vote on public ballots. Some voters have even deemed it necessary to only vote for Jeter and remove everyone else they voted for in the past.
The only other candidate who has a chance to be elected is Curt Schilling. He has received 78.8 percent of the vote on public ballots but is projected to finish at 69.3 percent when all ballots are counted.
How to Watch
MLB Network will begin its coverage at 1 PM MT, with the official announcement made at 4 PM MT.