Derek Jeter, Larry Walker elected to Hall of Fame

There was really never any doubt that Derek Jeter would be elected to the Hall of Fame this year. Based on tracking done here by a team led by Ryan Thibodaux, the only question was whether he would be elected unanimously.

The answer:

Jeter played 20 seasons for the Yankees and finished his career with 3,465 hits, which ranks sixth all-time. He was a 14-time All-Star, played in 16 postseasons and won five World Series rings.

Also elected was Larry Walker, who played most of his career for the Expos and Rockies and had his best years in Colorado, winning the National League MVP award in 1997, when he hit .366/.452/.720 with 49 home runs.

Walker becomes the second Canadian-born Hall of Famer. Cubs star Fergie Jenkins was the first.

Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa received 55 votes (13.9 percent). That’s up from 36 votes last year (8.5 percent). Sammy has two years left on the ballot; it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be elected, but he’ll stay on the ballot in 2021 and 2022.

The only other Cubs player on the ballot this year was Alfonso Soriano. Soriano got six votes and thus will fall off the ballot in future years. This surprises me a bit; the first half of Soriano’s career was headed toward Hall-worthy, but the second half wasn’t, and his poor defensive numbers weighed down a career of 412 home runs and 289 stolen bases.

Here’s all the balloting for this year. Jeter and Walker will be inducted into the Hall in Cooperstown Sunday, July 26.