Ortiz Lone Inductee into Baseball Hall of Fame, Hunter Remains on Ballot Next Season

COOPERSTOWN, NY (KDLM) – David Ortiz, who spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Twins before he was released in late 2002, was the lone inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot on Wednesday night.

Ortiz was one of five former Minnesota Twins up for the Hall of Fame, including his former teammates Torii Hunter and AJ Pierzynski, Justin Morneau, and Joe Nathan.

Ortiz received 77.9% of the votes (new inductees need to be on 75% of the ballots). Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, in their 10th and final year on the hall of fame ballot, failed to make the cut with 66.0% and 65.2%, respectively.

In order to stay on the ballot another year, players need to receive 5% of the votes from the baseball writers. Torii Hunter, receiving 5.3% of the votes on his second Hall of Fame ballot, will remain on the ballot for the 2023 voting process.

Joe Nathan, whose 377 career saves rank eighth all-time in baseball history, fell below the required 5% of the ballot and won’t be eligible for the Hall of Fame until he appears on Veterans Committee ballots. Nathan received 17 total votes (4.3%) and was three votes short of staying on the ballot for 2023.

Morneau got five votes (1.3%), and Pierzynski only received two Hall of Fame votes.

Ortiz is one of the greatest what-ifs in Twins history. After six seasons with the Twins, he was released in December 2002. He was putting up mediocre numbers for a designated hitter (20 home runs, 85 RBI) in 125 games and was dealing with numerous wrist injuries. He signed with the Boston Red Sox the following month and his journey to Cooperstown began.

In his first season in Boston, Ortiz finished in the top-5 for AL MVP voting. Over the next 14 seasons, he hit .290/.386/.570 (.956) with 483 home runs and 1,768 RBI. Ortiz was a 10-time All-Star, a 7-time Silver Slugger winner,  finished in the top-5 for AL MVP in five straight seasons, and led the Red Sox to three World Series titles. He won the World Series MVP in 2013 after batting .687 with six RBI, was named ALCS MVP in 2004 after helping his team overcome a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS.

Meanwhile, the Twins have lost 18 consecutive playoff games dating back to 2004.

Ortiz will join former Twins Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat as a part of a seven-member Hall of Fame class when the new inductees are immortalized in Cooperstown on Sunday, July 24th.