2022 MLB Hall of Fame ballot features two former Detroit Tigers

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America released its official 2022 Hall of Fame ballot which features 30 players, including 10 players in their final year of eligibility for enshrinement.

The group is headlined by controversial legends of the game such as Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling, and Roger Clemens. Other polarizing players such as Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz will make their first appearance on a Hall of Fame ballot this year.

Two former Detroit Tigers standouts also made the ballot in their first year of eligibility in first baseman Prince Fielder and pitcher Joe Nathan.

Fielder spent two seasons with the Tigers, headlined by his 2011 season in which he finished third in the AL MVP vote with a .313 batting average with 182 hits, 30 home runs and 108 RBI with an OPS of .940. He finished his two-year stint with the Tigers with 356 hits in 1,205 at-bats for a batting average of .295 with 55 home runs, 214 RBI, 160 walks and 201 strikeouts after spending the majority of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers organization from 2005-11.

Nathan also spent only two seasons with Detroit in 2014-15, where he logged 58.1 innings as the team’s closer with an ERA of 4.78. He recorded 36 saves and 55 strikeouts while allowing 32 runs and 29 walks. Nathan spent sevens with the Minnesota Twins, five seasons with the San Francisco Giants, two years with the Texas Rangers, and one season with the Chicago Cubs before retiring at the end of the 2016 season.

Other first-time ballot entries include Carl Crawford, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, A.J. Pierzynski, Jimmy Rollins and Mark Teixeira.

In order to be elected to the Hall of Fame, players must gain at least 75 percent of the total votes from eligible BBWAA members. Players are eligible to remain on the ballot for a maximum of 10 years before they are removed from the voting process.

The official 2022 Hall of Fame class will be released on Jan. 25, 2022, followed by a Hal of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York on July 24, 2022.