Way too early predictions on former Mets players in the 2025 Hall of Fame vote

The 2024 Hall of Fame voting results were announced on Tuesday and no former New York Mets players were elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton, instead, all reached the 75 percent threshold needed for election.

Billy Wagner, Carlos Beltran, Bobby Abreu, Francisco Rodriguez, and David Wright will return to the ballot next year, while Curtis Granderson is likely to be considered for the first time.
Meanwhile, Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, Adrian Gonzalez, and Bartolo Colon all appeared on the ballot for the first time, but none reached the 5.0 percent plateau needed to stay on for another year.

And so, the bickering among baseball fans and writers continues on for another year regarding the Hall of Fame for 2025, but let's predict how the former Mets will do in next year's voting.

Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner has a compelling case to the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest left-handed relievers in baseball history. He mad the All-Star team seven times (including twice with the Mets in 2007 and 2008), and registered 422 saves during his 16-year career (101 as a Met), which ranks second all-time among lefty relievers, two behind John Franco.

His 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings is the best among pitchers with more than 900 innings pitched, while his career ERA+ of 187 ranks second all-time among pitcher with 500 or more innings pitched to Mariano Rivera.

2025 will be Billy Wagner's 10th and final season on the BBWAA ballot, but he came really close this year, getting 73.8 percent of the vote, or just 5 votes short. Next year has got to be the year he gets in. He belongs in the Hall of Fame. It would be a colossal failure by the voters to keep him out as an elected member.

Prediction: Billy Wagner gets 77.5 percent of the vote in 2025 and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran has a fascinating case as well, thanks to his durability and consistently high level of play during his 20-year career with eight teams, including the Mets. Beltran is the first switch-hitter in baseball history with 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases, amassed 2,725 hits, was a nine-time All-Star, and is tied for the most home run in a single postseason with eight in his legendary 2004 playoff run with the Houston Astros.

Beltran's prime years came with the Mets, where he played from 2005-11, and it is possible that Beltran will wear a Mets cap if he gets inducted. Beltran won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards in center field as a Met.

Beltran improved from 46.0 percent of the vote on his first of the ballot (last year) to 57.0 percent in 2024. The only reason Beltran is not in the Hall of Fame yet is because his role in the Astros' 2017 cheating scandal caused some pause among the voters, but it feels like he is two to three years away from getting inducted.

Prediction: Carlos Beltran will get 65.0 percent of the Hall of Fame vote next year, but will remain on the ballot in 2026.