Dissecting Ortiz’s Hall of Fame ballots

In the first Plakata Nation episode of 2025, former Major League Baseball All-Star and Emmy Award winner Carlos Peña and his primo Rodney Peña ask former BBWAA president Jose de Jesus Ortiz to explain his National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.

Ortiz, who served as the 2015 president of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, has voted for the Baseball Hall of Fame in each of the last 18 elections.

Ortiz also was part of the 16-member Hall of Fame committee that elected Jim Leyland to the Hall’s Class of 2024. He is also a member of the Hall of Fame’s BBWAA Historical Overview Committee. Carlos Peña, Rodney Peña and Ortiz also discussed their resolutions for 2025.

Carlos and Rodney Peña discussed Bobby Abreu’s candidacy. Ortiz explained why he voted for Billy Wagner, Abreu, Felix Hernandez, Carlos Beltran, Ichiro, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, David Wright, Jimmy Rollins and Andruw Jones.

Ortiz, who has voted for Abreu all five years the former right fielder has been on the ballot, gave a thorough explanation on why he voted for Abreu.

“I’ve voted for Abreu every year,” Ortiz said. “And I wrote a column about it.”

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