On a ballot packed with qualified candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is it possible that none of them will be elected this year?

If that happens, as it did last year, it would be the third time in the last decade that the qualified voters of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) have thrown a shutout at the Hall of Fame. This is an odd paradox considering that after the Big Zilch of 2013, the BBWAA in subsequent years went on to elect 22 players across the next seven ballots, with the various guises of the veterans committee voting in another five players (and six non-players) during that seven-year span. (In 2013, the veterans committee did elect three candidates to the Hall.)

Last year, Curt Schilling, who had garnered 70 percent of the vote on the previous ballot, seemed to be a lock for election. Instead, he stalled with a negligible increase in support, then threw a social-media Trumper tantrum declaring that he wanted to be removed from this year's ballot. The Hall of Fame quickly responded that it would not do so.

In a tumultuous year that was not normal for anything and everything including baseball, one thing that might be back to normal is voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Granted, the 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has 14 returning candidates, with just about every one of them owning cases for induction that range from borderline to compelling.

It never stops for us at Notinhalloffame.com and nor do we ever intend for it to.

Early in the new year, the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing the Class of 2019 but before that we have updated our Baseball Futures and here are the potential additions to the that ballot in 2022.

In alphabetical order by their first name:

A.J. Pierzynski:  The Catcher was certainly famous (or infamous in some cases) is a two time All Star, one time Silver Slugger but importantly was the pulse that helped the Chicago White Sox win the 2005 World Series.

Alex Rodriguez:  Love him or hate him, PED or not, A-Rod was one of the greatest players of all time. A three time MVP and fourteen time All Star, Rodriguez retired with 696 Home Runs, 3,115 Hits, 2,086 Runs Batted In and a bWAR of 117.8, which are all first ballot Hall of Fame numbers however he WAS caught with PEDs and suspended.  He does however have a job broadcasting so his forgiveness trail seems much quicker than some.  

Angel Pagan:  Pagan was a two time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants and he would lead the National League in Triples in 2012.  Pagan is also a two time Silver Medalist at the World Baseball Classis representing Puerto Rico.

Billy Butler:  Mostly used as a Designated Hitter, Butler would go the All Star Game in 2012, which would be the same season he was named the winner of the Edgar Martinez Award.

Carl Crawford:  Crawford was at his best when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays and it was there where he would become a four time All Star who woud also lead the American League four times in Triples and in Stolen Bases.  He would collect 1,931 Hits over his career.

Coco Crisp:  Crisp would help the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2007 and he would also lead the AL in Stolen Bases in 2011.  He would have 1,572 Hits over his Major League Baseball career.

Colby Lewis:  Lewis would have a decent career as a starter where he would win 77 Games.

David Ortiz:  “Big Papi” is a legend in Boston and how can he not be?  Ortiz powered the Red Sox to three World Series Championships and he was a ten time All Star.  Ortiz is in the opinion of many the greatest Designated Hitter that ever lived and he has 541 career Home Runs with an OPS of .931.  He should receive a very healthy first year ballot percentage.

Jake Peavy:  Peavy was the National League Cy Young Award winner in 2007 and was a three time All Star. He would win 152 Games, 92 of which were with the San Diego Padres.

Javier Lopez:  Lopez only won 30 Games with 14 Saves over his long career as a Relief Pitcher but he is a four time World Series Titles, one with Boston and three with the San Francisco Giants.

Jeff Francouer:  Francouer would win a Gold Glove in 2007 and would have 1,373 Hits over his career.

Jimmy Rollins:  A three time All Star at Shortstop, Jimmy Rollins would win the National League MVP in 2007 and lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series the nest year. He retired with 2,455 Hits and 231 Home Runs.

Joe Nathan:  Nathan was a six time All Star closer who won the Rolaids Relief Award in 2009.  He finished his career with 377 Saves.

Jonathan Papelbon:  Papelbon was named to the All Star Game six times and he was huge part of the Boston Red Sox 2007 World Series win.  He retired with 368 Saves.

Juan Uribe: Uribe was a two time Wilson Defensive Player and the infielder would accumulate over 1,500 Major League Hits.

Justin Morneau:  The 2006 American League MVP with the Minnesota Twins was a four time All Star. Late in his career he would have a resurgence where he won the Batting Title (2014) with the Colorado Rockies.

Kyle Lohse:  Lohse would win 147 Major League Games and he helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 2011 World Series.

Mark Teixeira:  A five time All Star, Mark Teixeira would blast 4009 Home Runs with 1,862 Hits over a career that is best known with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.  A member of the Yankees 2009 World Series Team, the First Baseman is also a three time Silver Slugger and five time Gold Glove winner.

Marlon Byrd:  An All Star in 2011, Marlon Byrd would have over 1,500 Hits over his career.

Matt Thornton:  A Relief Pitcher throughout his career, Matt Thornton was an All Star in 2010 and a World Series winner the next season with St. Louis.

Michael Bourn:  A two time All Star, Michael Bourn would lead the National League in Stolen Bases three times and was also a two time Gold Glove winner.  Bourn also would finish first in Total Zone Runs twice.

Omar Infante:  Infante was an All Star in 2010 and collected 1,427 Hits over his career.

Prince Fielder:  Fielder was a powerhouse like his father and the six time All Star was the Home Run leader in the National League in 2007.  A three time Silver Slugger belted 319 Home Runs over his career.

Ryan Howard:  The 2006 National League MVP played his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies and he would later propel them to the 2008 World Series.  Howard blasted 382 Home Runs over his career and was a two time league leader in that statistic.

Ryan Vogelsong:  Vogelsong was a two time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants who was also an All Star 2010.  He would win 61 Games over his career.

Scott Kazmir:  Kazmir was a three time All Star who won 108 Games over his career.  As a Tampa Bay Devil Ray, he would lead the American League in Strikeouts in the 2007 season.

Tim Lincecum:  Lincecum was a two time National League Cy Young Award winner who was also a four time All Star.  “The Freak” would win 110 Games in the Majors.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look at the full list of 2022 Future Baseball Hall of Fame Eligibleplayers and cast your vote and offer your opinions.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support!

Prince Fielder reminded everyone of his dad Cecil, and how could he not?

Prince Fielder would follow into his father’s footsteps as like his father, he would blast 50 Home Runs in a season and captivate his home town crowd.  Fielder was a power machine, hammering 230 Home Runs as a Brewer (including becoming the first Brewer to win the Home Run Derby) also while winning both a Home Run and RBI Title while playing for Milwaukee.

Although Prince Fielder did not officially retire, he did announce this week that his career playing professional baseball is over.

Following his second spinal fusion surgery, in an emotional press conference the now former slugger stated that “the doctors told me since I had two spinal fusions” that he couldn’t “play Major League Baseball anymore.”

The son of former Home Run champion, Cecil Fielder, Prince Fielder was drafted 7th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.  Making the big leagues in 2005, Fielder would have his expected breakout season in 2007, where he would blast 50 Home Runs, winning the Home Run Title.  Named an All Star for the first of six times, Fielder would finish third in MVP voting, also winning the Silver Slugger, which would be one of three that he would win.

Fielder would spend four more seasons with Milwaukee, where he would enjoy two more top five National League MVP top-five finishes, an All Star Game MVP, a Home Run Derby win and an RBI Title.

As a Free Agent, Fielder would sign with the Detroit Tigers in what was then the richest contract in franchise history.  In two years with Detroit he went to two All Star Games and had 55 Home Runs but he was traded to the Texas Rangers after the 2013 Season, as speculation was that he was going to decline.

That was exactly what occurred as back injuries piled up and at the age of 32, we have seen the last of Prince Fielder in MLB.

Prince Fielder will ironically retire with 319 Home Runs, the exact number that his father Cecil had.

While the two have patched up their differences in recent years, the documented acrimony between father and son is certainly part of their intertwined history.  The fact that they finished with the same Home Run title seems to meld them even deeper.

Overall, Prince Fielder retires with traditional numbers of (in addition to his 319 Home Runs) of 1,645 Hits, 1,028 RBIs and a Slash Line of .283/.382/.506. 

While those numbers are solid, Fielder was a somewhat one-dimensional player and was very poor defensively.  He retires with a bWAR of 23.8, hardly a Hall of Fame number.  His JAWS of 24.1 isn’t much better.

Sadly it is safe to say that like his father, Prince Fielder will be known for his blasts but not enough of them to make Cooperstown.

Still, this was an exciting career, and we think one worth celebrating.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Prince Fielder the best in his post-playing career.