3 Former Twins Impacted by 2025 Hall of Fame Voting Results

[Cody Christie]

The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced the results of this year’s voting in recent weeks. For three former Twins players, the results may help their long-term chances of getting into Cooperstown.

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn (Nathan), Jason Bridge (Hunter), Jerry Lai (Santana)-USA TODAY Sports

The 2025 Hall of Fame voting cycle brought long-awaited triumph for some and lingering uncertainty for others. Three former Twins players were impacted in multiple ways, from Billy Wagner’s dramatic election to Torii Hunter’s narrow survival on the ballot. Meanwhile, the precedent set by CC Sabathia’s induction could open doors for starters, including Johan Santana, whose case remains unresolved. Here’s a closer look at how this year’s results shape some notable former Twins' Hall of Fame futures.

Wagner’s Induction Raises Questions for Joe Nathan
After a decade of climbing the ballot, Billy Wagner finally secured his place in Cooperstown in his 10th and final year of eligibility. His election validates the impact of dominant relievers in modern baseball. Still, it also brings renewed scrutiny to one of the best closers of his generation who has yet to receive his due: Joe Nathan.

Nathan’s career numbers put him in elite company. He was a six-time All-Star and the anchor of the Twins’ bullpen during their 2000s run of AL Central dominance. His résumé that holds up well compared to Wagner’s. His 2.87 career ERA is just a tick higher than Wagner’s 2.31, and his 377 career saves rank ahead of Hall of Famers like Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter.

Among pitchers with at least 900 innings pitched, only Wagner and Nolan Ryan have a lower Hits per Nine Innings ratio. He topped the 30-save mark in nine seasons, including accumulating 40 or more saves in four seasons. Even as a reliever, he had multiple top-five finishes in the AL Cy Young Award Voting. Also, Nathan ranks in the top-7 all-time relief pitchers using a hybrid average of WAR, WPA, and situational or context-neutral wins (WPA/LI). Even with these accolades, Nathan’s Hall of Fame candidacy was barely a consideration for the Hall of Fame electorate.

Nathan compares well to Wagner in multiple ways, but his Hall of Fame candidacy was short-lived. In 2022, he first appeared on the ballot and received 17 of 394 votes (4.3%). He fell three votes shy of staying on the ballot and received the most votes of any player who fell off the ballot that voting cycle. It was a crowded year to be on the ballot because Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling were in their final year of eligibility. Some tough choices needed to be made, with writers being limited to 10 votes per ballot.

With Wagner’s induction, Nathan’s case for Cooperstown gains new relevance, but his path is now solely in the hands of the Eras Committee. His dominance during his peak, particularly in Minnesota, should put him on their radar, but relievers have historically faced an uphill battle.

Torii Hunter Stays Alive, And Gains Hope from Andruw Jones
Torii Hunter entered this election cycle teetering on the edge of ballot elimination, needing 5% of the vote to remain in consideration. He finished just one vote above that threshold in a tight race, keeping his candidacy alive for at least another year.

Hunter’s case for the Hall has always been a difficult one. He was never the game’s best hitter, but his blend of power (353 home runs) and defense (nine Gold Gloves) made him one of the most well-rounded outfielders of his era. His 50.2 career WAR (per Baseball Reference) puts him in a gray area, better than some Hall of Famers but behind clear-cut inductees. His defensive impact in center field helped define his era, a rare achievement in a sport increasingly driven by offense. He is one of seven players in MLB history with 350+ home runs and 9+ Gold Gloves.

One factor working in Hunter’s favor is the recent momentum for Jones, another elite defensive outfielder from the same era. Jones saw his vote total rise from near-elimination (7.3% in 2018) to over 66% in 2025, putting him within striking distance of Cooperstown. If Jones can break through in the coming years, it could bolster the argument for other elite defenders, including Hunter.

Next year’s ballot also presents a window of opportunity. With no surefire first-ballot inductees debuting in 2026, Hunter has a chance to make meaningful progress. He could eventually position himself for serious consideration if he can begin a steady climb like Jones.

CC Sabathia’s Election Could Help Starters Like Johan Santana
One of the biggest stories of the 2025 election was Sabathia’s first ballot induction. As a true workhorse in an era where complete games became rare, Sabathia’s election signals that voters are willing to recognize starting pitchers. This group has been underrepresented in recent years. That could be good news for another former Twins ace, Johan Santana.

Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner and arguably the best pitcher in baseball from 2004-2008, fell off the ballot in his first year of eligibility, receiving only 2.4% of the vote in 2018. His relatively short career (12 seasons) hurt his case, but his peak was as dominant as any pitcher of his time. His 2006 season, in which he won the AL Triple Crown for pitchers, remains one of the greatest performances in modern history.

With Sabathia’s induction, voters may reconsider how they evaluate starting pitchers. If peak dominance starts carrying more weight than longevity, Santana should receive renewed attention through the Eras Committee. Other pitchers with short but elite peaks, such as Sandy Koufax, have made it to Cooperstown, and Santana’s case deserves similar consideration.

The 2025 Hall of Fame class brought celebration for some and frustration for others. Wagner’s election shines a spotlight on overlooked relievers like Nathan. Hunter narrowly survived elimination and has a path forward, especially if Jones reaches Cooperstown. Meanwhile, Sabathia’s induction could change how voters evaluate pitchers, which may eventually benefit Santana.

For Twins fans, these results highlight the challenges and opportunities facing former franchise greats. The road to Cooperstown is rarely straightforward, but the conversation isn't over for Nathan, Hunter, and Santana.

Who out of this trio should make the Hall of Fame? Leave a comment and start this discussion.

 

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[Fire Dan Gladden]

Torii feels to me to be in the Hall-of-Very-Good.  Such a strong career, seems to fall a little short.

Nathan is a product of playing for the Twins and not winning a championship.  He was underrated his entire career.  It is a travesty to see guys like Billy Wagner get in and not see Nathan in that discussion.

If only Santana had not thrown 1000 pitches in his no-hitter.  He was really never the same after that game.   He was the best pitcher for a short period of time but could not build up the counting numbers that the HOF tends to need.  Unfortunately he will probably end up with Torii in the HOVG.  

[Rod Carews Birthday]

7 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Torii feels to me to be in the Hall-of-Very-Good.  Such a strong career, seems to fall a little short.

Nathan is a product of playing for the Twins and not winning a championship.  He was underrated his entire career.  It is a travesty to see guys like Billy Wagner get in and not see Nathan in that discussion.

If only Santana had not thrown 1000 pitches in his no-hitter.  He was really never the same after that game.   He was the best pitcher for a short period of time but could not build up the counting numbers that the HOF tends to need.  Unfortunately he will probably end up with Torii in the HOVG.  

Agreed.  Nathan to me is the real candidate among the three. He was dominant for a pretty long time and compares very favorably to HOF relievers.   Loved Hunter, but while he was exciting in many ways for a long time, just didn’t have the really big peak years that position players need for selection.  Santana just didn’t have a long enough career.  Even a couple more seasons that were just “good” might have done the trick.  
 

I think EVENTUALLY Nathan may get in through the eras committees. Let’s hope it doesn’t take as long as it did for Olivia and Kaat. 

[old nurse]

Koufax had 2 World Series MVPs  and a post season ERA under 1.00. Santana is nowhere close to that. As much as fans want to see Santana make it in, using Koufax as a barometer would be the reason not to let him in. 

[DJL44]

48 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Koufax had 2 World Series MVPs  and a post season ERA under 1.00. Santana is nowhere close to that. As much as fans want to see Santana make it in, using Koufax as a barometer would be the reason not to let him in. 

There are many pitchers in the Hall of Fame worse than Koufax. Santana is better than all of those guys too.

[mikelink45]

As a small hall guy I am not concerned about these three.  I am very happy they played for us and they were great, but I would not put in Andruw Jones and I certainly would not elect Torii.  

It is okay to be a great player and not be in the Hall.  Personally I would remove 25% of those who are already in and they should not be the standard for putting someone else in.

Frankie Frisch when he was on the committee

Quote

As a Hall of Famer he was hugely influential in the voting process of the veterans committee for years. Frisch outlived most of his enemies, and as the years passed he slipped several of his former teammates into the Hall of Fame. The list of Frisch inductees includes Dave Bancroft, Chick Hafey, Jesse Haines, George Kelly, Rube Marquard, Ross Youngs, and Jim Bottomley. These inductees are among the very worst in Cooperstown, and Frisch should be blamed for them

I want great - all time great in the Hall.  Mays, Clemente, Aaron are the types that make the hall fascinating to me.  Rollie Fingers, Andruw Jones, and a number of questionable additions are not getting me to Cooperstown.  Yes I have been there.

I personally would like an annual list with a simple yes no by each, not a 10 player limit, just a simple this player is in or not.  At most three years for any player.  Heck if Bert, Tony, and Jim don't make it I could live with it (although I think they belong).

[minman1982]

My two cents, in order of who I would put in the Hall of Fame:

1. Joe Nathan: A truly dominant reliever and closer for over a decade. More than a strikeout per inning, 2.87 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 377 saves (10th all time) for his career. I think the biggest things working against him are the lack of postseason success his teams had and the fact there are very few relievers in the Hall of Fame (only 9) to begin with. Nathan is 50-50 for me.

2. Johan Santana: If only he did not get injured at age 31. His time with the Twins was marked by a stretch of pure dominance that only a select few pitchers have. Look at his 2004-06 stats. This guy was a true ace level pitcher. Given how short his career was, I think it is hard for him to compete against guys like Justin Verlander, Zach Grienke, or Max Scherzer. This seems like a Hall of Very Good player with the asterisk of "oh what could have been" next to his name.

3. Torii Hunter: For the record, I loved Torii Hunter as a player. He was a fun player to watch who made every game entertaining. Unfortunately, it is hard to say he was even the best player on the teams he played for and so he is not a Hall of Fame player for me.

[old nurse]

13 hours ago, DJL44 said:

There are many pitchers in the Hall of Fame worse than Koufax. Santana is better than all of those guys too.

The article specifically mentioned Koufax as a reason to put Santana in the HOF. That there are other pitchers of less stature in the HOF is irrelevant to comparing Santana to Koufax 

[jmlease1]

Hard to know what the committees will do with relievers. Nathan not having a lengthy postseason record may hurt with that group, but if one of his old teammates or managers get on there to champion his case, then maybe. I think he's worthy; during his prime he was the 2nd best reliever in baseball, behind the guy who was probably the best reliever of all-time. But there are still those who don't think relief pitchers deserve to be in there at all.

Torii was an excellent player, but isn't Hall-worthy. His GG's got...questionable, so him just having a ton of them might not help like people might think. He was very good for a long time, but I don't think he gets any real ascent under the BWAA, and after that he'll have to compete with other CFs that probably should have gotten more attention (Edmonds, Lofton). He's quite literally the epitome of Hall of Very Good.

Santana has the best case; his dominance was massive. Sabathia's admission doesn't help him at all, really: very different pitchers and different cases. Sabathia's has more to do with longevity, Santana's is all about peak value. Personally, I think Johan was inhumanly awesome enough for long enough that it shouldn't matter if he didn't have 3-4 more seasons in his 30's to pile up counting stats...but I'll admit to bias on Johan.

[Trov]

First, Hunter nor Jones should be in hall in my opinion.  Jones was well on his way until he fell off the cliff and could not hit at all after age 30.  Hunter on the other hand actually started to be a better hitter later in his career.  He was very good and should be a Twins Hall of Famer, but not baseball HOF.  

Nathan is in a odd situation because relief pitchers, and in his case closers have always been viewed as not HOF, save for a few.  That has changed a bit in recent years, but I have always wondered how much value does a guy who pitches only 50 to 60 innings a year worth?  However, should they be punished for being great at what they do and be asked to just do that?  

Santana should be in hall.  He is compared to many current HOF the article mentions Sabathia, but I always point out Koufax as near identical comparison.  Both had 12 seasons, derailed by injuries.  Santana actually had higher career bWAR.  The main difference is Koufax retired at his peak due to injuries, and Santana played out a few years after his peak that were affected due to injuries so the last voters saw of him was a shell of his peak.  I expect Santana will get in from era vote as he was one of the best, of not the best, over a 5 year span and should have won 3 straight cy youngs but the 21 wins of Colon got it for him, not actually his other numbers.  

[KBJ1]

Nathan should have been a 1st ballot HOF. Closer is a position on a baseball team, therefore deserves recognition as much as any other. Nathan was clearly one of the best at his position. The HOF should NOT be just about Superstar HR hitters.

Santana also merits serious consideration for his multi year dominance at his position. 12 years is plenty long enough.

Hunter, no, the Hall of Very Good! Even though he played 20 years, he was never a Superstar at his position like Nathan & Santana were.

[mikelink45]

Santana is not the only great player to have his career cut short and if we are going to look at that we need another wing and another special committee for short career stars.  

• Thurman Munson
• Don Mattingly
• Dave Stieb
• Orel Hershisher
• Brandon Webb
• J R Richardson
• Stephen Strasburg
• Dustin Pedroia
• Rich Harden
• Marty Cordova
• Rocco Baldelli
• Bo Jackson
• Dean Chance
• Mark Prior 
• Joe Charbonneau
• Mark Fidrych

And then there are the players like Will Clark and Andrew Jones who start great and then stop producing - another special category.

• David Wright
• Nomar Garcia
• Troy Tulowitzki
• Albert Belle
• Roger Maris
• Fred Lynn
• Dale Murphy
• Fernando Valenzuela

And all those lists are without looking back into the earlier history of baseball.  Unfortunately injuries and aging are part of the baseball story.

[Morland]

Nathan belongs in the HOF. His case has always been hampered by the fact that he was second best to Mariano Rivera during his career. Also, by the lack of the Twins winning more post season games or a World Series. I think he'll get in via the era committee, hopefully when he's still alive.

Hunter does not belong in the HOF. He is the very definition of the Hall of Very Good.

Santana's case depends on what you think of Peak Value vs long-term counting stats. Koufax is a tough comp to use because his peak was so high, and he had several highly visible world series performances. I don't know if he will make it.

Using the worst HOF selections, particularly the Frankie Frisch era of the old timer's committee, to justify anyone's selection is a bad idea.

[nicksaviking]

19 hours ago, old nurse said:

Koufax had 2 World Series MVPs  and a post season ERA under 1.00. Santana is nowhere close to that. As much as fans want to see Santana make it in, using Koufax as a barometer would be the reason not to let him in. 

I think you over-estimate the stock today's voters would put into post season awards.

But everyone forgets that Sandy Koufax was only 'Sandy Koufax' for six seasons. His first six seasons were extremely unremarkable.

[old nurse]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

I think you over-estimate the stock today's voters would put into post season awards.

But everyone forgets that Sandy Koufax was only 'Sandy Koufax' for six seasons. His first six seasons were extremely unremarkable.

In the 52 years since Koufax was inducted the BWAA has not voted in a starting pitcher that has had a shortened career. What else would they have to go on to say this person is so exceptional they have to vote him in. Yes Koufax’s first 6 years were not great. Even with that, Koufax retired with a career FIP of of 2.69 versus Santana’s 3.44. You cannot say Santana should be in because Koufax is in. The voters have favored longevity. Santana does not have that 

[nicksaviking]

2 minutes ago, old nurse said:

In the 52 years since Koufax was inducted the BWAA has not voted in a starting pitcher that has had a shortened career. What else would they have to go on to say this person is so exceptional they have to vote him in. Yes Koufax’s first 6 years were not great. Even with that, Koufax retired with a career FIP of of 2.69 versus Santana’s 3.44. You cannot say Santana should be in because Koufax is in. The voters have favored longevity. Santana does not have that 

Nobody has said that. People are saying Koufax's inclusion leaves the door open for Santana.

And as Twins fans well know, the shortened career due to injury isn't unique to Koufax. It's how Puckett got in as well.

[old nurse]

4 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Nobody has said that. People are saying Koufax's inclusion leaves the door open for Santana.

And as Twins fans well know, the shortened career due to injury isn't unique to Koufax. It's how Puckett got in as well.

If the voters have moved away from considering post season accomplishments then why would what a vote from 5 years ago influence today’s voters? 

Puckett had 10 straight years of all star status. Very good to great all 12 years of his career Yes a cut short career but a significantly longer span of greatness . He also had a pretty famous game 6 HR Not a comp 

[DJL44]

12 hours ago, old nurse said:

The article specifically mentioned Koufax as a reason to put Santana in the HOF. That there are other pitchers of less stature in the HOF is irrelevant to comparing Santana to Koufax 

Santana is just about as good as Koufax. That's the whole point, there isn't that much margin between them. Koufax has more postseason heroics but Santana provided more value to his teams during the regular season. Both had a streak of dominance and an early end to their career.

[DJL44]

I will say that Santana is so clearly better than Joe Nathan that it is utterly ridiculous to think Joe Nathan should be inducted and not Johan Santana. They played on the same team for several years and Santana was ALWAYS the better pitcher in each and every one of those seasons. The only seasons Joe Nathan had that were better than Santana's were 1999 before Santana was in the majors and 2012-13 because Santana was out of baseball. In a head-to-head matchup it is not even close.

[old nurse]

13 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Santana is just about as good as Koufax. That's the whole point, there isn't that much margin between them. Koufax has more postseason heroics but Santana provided more value to his teams during the regular season. Both had a streak of dominance and an early end to their career.

In relation to his peers at. The same time, Koufax had the best K%, FIP, and Lowest WHIP. Santana cannot make that claim. The dismissiveness of the post season accomplishments is interesting considering that is goal, to win championships.

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, old nurse said:

In relation to his peers at. The same time, Koufax had the best K%, FIP, and Lowest WHIP. Santana cannot make that claim. The dismissiveness of the post season accomplishments is interesting considering that is goal, to win championships.

Santana was the best pitcher in baseball in 2004 & 2006, 2nd best in 2008, top 5 in 2005, three additional All-Star level seasons.

Koufax was the best pitcher in 1963, 2nd to Marichal in 1965-66, top 5 in 1964, two additional All-Star level seasons.

Santana's run of greatness is actually longer than Koufax. Postseason accomplishments are great, but it's still just 57 innings of Koufax's career. BTW - Santana had 20 really great postseason innings in 2004 and 2006 when he was the best pitcher in the league.