Tim Hudson hanging on to Hall of Fame eligibility

Even if Tim Hudson is not going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, he is still looking at getting another chance.

There are specific thresholds that players eye when it comes to the Hall of Fame. Obviously, the biggest one is 75% – that number means immortality as it is the minimum percentage of votes required to be inducted into the Hall. However, the 5% mark is important as well as it ensures another year on the ballot. That is the number that Tim Hudson is aiming for.

As of now, he is in good shape. With 21 ballots having been announced, Hudson has received three votes, keeping him above that 5% mark.

At this point, Hudson needs 17 more votes out of the 379 outstanding ballots. While this is not a given, it would seemingly put him in solid shape to get at least a second year on the ballot.

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Hudson has an interesting case for the Hall. He was a four time All Star, but never won a major award, finishing second in the 2000 AL Cy Young vote. His overall numbers – a 222-133 record with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.239 WHiP – are not overly impressive. Likewise, his 2080 strikeouts in 3126.2 innings will not blow anyone away.

But there needs to be some context when it comes to Hudson’s career. He joined the majors at the height of the PED Era, when the top sluggers were putting up video game numbers and being a pitcher qualified for hazard pay. The idea of pitchers going deep into games was starting to fall by the wayside during his time, minimizing his ability to pitch deep into games.

Considering when Hudson pitched, his performance was solid. He was one of the better pitchers of his time even if he did not have the hardware to prove it. His case is going to be one of the first of the new era of pitchers, where they may not have the same counting numbers, but their impact will need to be measured instead.

For now, Tim Hudson is looking at a second year on the ballot. It is still early in the process, but he is in good shape for now.