2015 Hall of Fame Ballot Includes Angels Darin Erstad & Troy Percival

The 2015 Hall of Fame Ballot has been released. Two prominent former Angels are first-timers on Cooperstown's scorecard. Darin Erstad and Troy Percival were added to the ballot by the Baseball Writers Association. The simplest qualification is to be a former MLB player retired for at least five seasons after having appeared in games for a minimum of ten seasons.

Two prominent ex-Angels who qualified for the ballot were not listed at all on the new ballot: Kelvim Escoabr and Jarrod Washburn. Pitcher Paul Byrd, who threw for the Halos one season was also overlooked for inclusion in his first year of eligibility.

Escobar has more career Wins Above Replacement than six of the new additions to the ballot and Washburn is ahead of seven of them. Percival is, ironically, one of that group but his 358 career Saves are what qualified him.

The new class added to the ballot:

Rich Aurilia
Aaron Boone
Tony Clark
Carlos Delgado
Jermaine Dye
Darin Erstad
Cliff Floyd
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian Giles
Tom Gordon
Eddie Guardado
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Troy Percival
Jason Schmidt
Gary Sheffield
John Smoltz

• Escobar had more career WAR than Aurilia, Boone, Clark, Dye, Guardado and Percival.
• Washburn is ahead of all these players and Cliff Floyd in career WAR.
  

A player must receive 75% of the vote to make it into the Hall of Fame. He remains on the ballot if he receives more than five percent of the vote. Former Angel Lee Smith, a mentor to Percival, is the only Angel among them.

Second Year on the ballot:
Mike Mussina – received 20% of the vote in 2014
Jeff Kent – received 15% in 2014

Third Year on the ballot
Craig Biggio – 74.8% of the vote in 2014
Mike Piazza – 62%
Roger Clemens – 35%
Barry Bonds – 34%
Curt Schilling – 29%
Sammy Sosa – 7%

Fifth Year on the ballot:
Jeff Bagwell – 54% of the vote in 2014
Larry Walker – 10%

Sixth Year on the ballot:
Edgar Martinez – 25%
Fred McGriff – 11%

8th Year on the ballot:
Tim Raines – 46%

9th Year on the ballot:
Mark McGwire – 11%

13th Year on the ballot:
Lee Smith – 29%

14th Year on the ballot:
Alan Trammell – 20%

15th (and final) Year on the ballot:
Don Mattingly – received 8% of the votes from the 2014 vote.

The vote will be announced in early January.