After a seven-inductee Baseball Hall of Fame class in 2022, MLB has contracted its circle of the elite in 2023. Only two players are being enshrined in Cooperstown this year: Fred McGriff (voted in by the Contemporary Era committee) and Scott Rolen (voted in by the Baseball Writers' Association of America).
McGriff was nearly the sole inductee this year as the writers' vote for Rolen was tight. Rolen needed 292 votes for enshrinement; he received 297. Rockies legend Todd Helton came up short of the cutoff with 281 votes.
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Enshrinement weekend is July 21-24 in Cooperstown, N.Y., site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. McGriff and Rolen were both corner infielders, and in some ways perfect mirrors. McGriff was a left-handed first baseman while Rolen patrolled third base.
The 2023 class is the smallest since 2016, when Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were inducted.
The Baseball Hall of Fame is arguably the most exclusive Hall of Fame in sports. McGriff and Rolen clearly put together the resumes to get in. Here's what to know about the two men who comprise the Class of 2023.
Fred McGriff
McGriff played 19 MLB seasons with the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Rays, Cubs and Dodgers.
The first baseman made just five All-Star Game appearances, but his longevity and three Silver Slugger awards helped him get the enough votes from the Contemporary Era committee.
McGriff is best remembered as a member of the Blue Jays, with whom he began his career, and the Braves (three All-Star appearances, World Series title in 1995). His 52.6 bWAR is on the low end of Hall of Famer totals but nowhere near an outlier.
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McGriff finished his career with a 493 home runs and a .284/.377/.509 slash line. The power is what got him into Cooperstown. McGriff fell off the BBWAA ballot after 10 unsuccessful appearances from 2010-19. His highest vote total was 39.8 percent in 2019, well short of the required 75 percent.
"What an honor," McGriff told the media after he was voted in, per ESPN. "It's a beautiful night in Tampa. I did it. I got in there. I feel as if I've been totally blessed my whole life and I continue to be blessed. It's an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame."
Scott Rolen
Rolen wasn't the journeyman McGriff was, but he, too, wore multiple hats in a long career. Rolen played 17 seasons for the Phillies, Cardinals and Reds as a third baseman. In that time, he accrued 70.1 bWAR, well within the range of Hall of Famers.
Rolen received 76.3 percent of the BBWAA vote for his enshrinement; he was named on 297 of 389 ballots.
He reached the Hall in his sixth year of eligibility, but after the 2022 vote it was clearly just a matter of when, rather than if, he'd make it in. He climbed from 10.2 percent in his first year of eligibility up to 63.2 percent in his fifth year in 2022.
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He appears to be the perfect example of a player voters talked themselves into inducting. Eventually, voting him in made sense. His steady climb made his selection was inevitable.
Rolen's counting stats aren't overwhelming: 2,077 hits, 316 home runs, 1,287 RBIs. He slashed .281/.364/.490 with a career OPS+ of 122. But Rolen excelled with his glove. He won seven Gold Gloves at third base, including five in row from 2000-04. Rolen's signature play was his charging barehand grab and powerful, accurate throw across the diamond.
