Edgar Martinez Miss Hall Call by 20 Votes

For the 9th consecutive year, Mariners legend Edgar Martinez was not inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The dynamic right-handed hitter missed induction by a measly 20 votes.

Edgar finished the balloting with 70.4% of the vote, needing 75% to be enshrined. The near miss for Martinez did continue the growing trend of “yes” votes for Edgar. Take a look at the voting pattern below:

https://twitter.com/SeaTimesSports/status/956308258741981185

As you can see, Edgar’s Hall of Fame votes have spiked by 45% in the past 5 years, including a 27% jump since 2016.  As a result, he now sits just 20 votes shy of induction. The trend is exciting, and proves 2 things.

First, it proves the campaign is working. The “stat nerds” message is getting through to most voters. We saw a similar trend with 2017 inductee Tim Raines, who jumped from 46.1% in 2014 to 86% in 2017. The demographic of voters is getting younger, more open-minded, and smarter to new analytics, all of which bode well for Martinez.

However; we, the logical portion of baseball minds, need to continue our campaign, because we still haven’t reached enough people. Martinez has made marvelous strides in 3 years, and is now a mere 20 votes from baseball immortality.

While we must keep up our strong campaign, we must also remember to do so with class. Baseball writers are humans, and being screamed at doesn’t help your cause. Has it been your experience that being called an idiot makes you inclined to change your opinion? Or does it just make you dig in your heels?

Edgar Martinez has had many factors working against him that have unfairly kept the Mariners legend out of the Hall of Fame. Remember, our cause is just, but screaming at adults online will not win Edgar any extra votes.

Next: Better Fit for Seattle: Alex Cobb or Lance Lynn

Therefore, we are on the cusp of what we crave most. No player who has achieved 70% of the vote one year was not elected the following season. The Mariners community has 1 last shot to help our beloved player reach the pinnacle of his profession. Lets do it. #EdgarHOF