Three new ex-Blue Jays land on 2025 Hall of Fame ballot alongside two holdovers

It's awards season for Major League Baseball. While awards are being handed out by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) this week for individual accomplishments for the past season, the BBWAA also has its eyes on the next crop of Baseball Hall of Fame hopefuls.

On Monday, the BBWAA announced the 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot. The crop of eligible former players this year includes five former Toronto Blue Jays, including three new candidates. Russell Martin, Troy Tulowitzki and Curtis Granderson are in their first year of eligibility, joining holdovers Mark Buehrle and Omar Vizquel on the ballot.

The results of this year's vote will be revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at 6 p.m. ET live on MLB Network.

Former Blue Jays Russell Martin, Troy Tulowitzki and Curtis Granderson join the 2025 Hall of Fame ballot

Martin, 41, played four seasons for the Blue Jays from 2015 to 2018 as part of his 14-year MLB career. The Canadian catcher, who hails from East York, ON, was a four-time All-Star while also picking up a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove early in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He earned his fourth and final All-Star nod in 2015 in his first season in Toronto when he hit .240, with a .787 OPS (112 OPS+), 23 home runs and 77 RBI. He helped the Blue Jays reach the American League Championship Series in 2015 and 2016 before being traded to the Dodgers ahead of the 2019 season. Martin officially retired in 2022.

All told, Martin played 1,693 MLB games, slashing .248/.349/.397 with 1,416 hits, 191 home runs, 771 RBI and 101 stolen bases while playing for the Dodgers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Jays. He doesn't stand much of a chance of getting into the Hall of Fame, at least on his first try, with a 54 on the Hall of Fame Monitor (HOFm) scale, per Baseball Reference. For reference, a score of under 100 makes election unlikely.

Tulowitzki, 40, spent parts of four seasons in Toronto after being acquired at the 2015 trade deadline and was part of the ALCS teams of 2015 and 2016. The slick-fielding shortstop struggled to adjust at the plate after spending the first nine and half years of his 13-season career in Colorado. He hit .250 with a .727 OPS, 36 home runs and 122 RBI in 238 games in a Blue Jays uniform.

He missed the entire 2018 season due to bone spurs in his heels and was released by the Jays after the season. He finished his career with five games with the Yankees in 2019 before retiring partway through the season.

Tulowitzki played 1,291 games in his career, slashing .290/.361/.495 while collecting 1,391 hits, 225, 780 RBI and 57 stolen bases. He was a five-time All-Star and won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. He currently has 46 on the HOFm scale in his first year on the ballot.

Granderson, 43, played outfield for seven teams in his 16-year career, including the Detroit Tigers, Yankees, New York Mets, Miami Marlins, Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers in addition to his partial 2018 season in Toronto.

Signed as a free agent, Granderson hit .245 with a .772 OPS, 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 104 games before being dealt to the Brewers at the trade deadline. The three-time All-Star won one Silver Slugger as well as the Roberto Clemente Award. He played 2,057 games, gathering 1,800 hits, 1,217 runs, 344 home runs, 937 RBI and 153 stolen bases while batting .249/.337/.465.

Mark Buehrle and Omar Vizquel return on the 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot

Starting pitcher Buehrle, 45, is in his fifth year of eligibility and appeared on just 8.3% of the ballots in 2024. The left-hander finished his 16-year career with three seasons as a Blue Jay from 2013 to 2015. He made 97 starts for Toronto, running a 40-28 record with a 3.78 ERA.

The five-time All-Star won four Gold Gloves and won the 2005 World Series with the Chicago White Sox. He also spent a season in Miami before being traded to the Blue Jays after the 2012 season. He amassed a record of 214-160 in 518 games (493 starts) with a 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over his 3,283 1/3 innings.

Vizquel, 57, is in his eighth year on the ballot after appearing on 17.7% of ballots last year. The three-time All-Star picked up 11 Gold Glove Awards over his 24-season career as a shortstop and third baseman. He played his final season in Toronto in 2012, although he only played 60 games.

Vizquel finished his career with 2,968 games, 2,877 hits, 80 home runs, 951 RBI and 404 steals with a .272/.336/.352 slash line.

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