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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-18-2025, 06:58 PM

Omari “Blitz” Green – Starting Pitcher – Denver Dragons – 96.5% First Ballot

Omari Green was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Rosenberg, Texas; a city of around 38,000 people in Houston’s metropolitan area. Green had excellent stuff with solid movement and good control. His velocity topped out in the 97-99 mph range and he had four equally potent pitches; fastball, slider, forkball, and changeup. The nickname “Blitz” came from how quickly Green liked to work on the mound.

Green’s stamina was good relative to most MLB aces and he had ironman durability, tossing 240+ innings in each of his 16 seasons. He was a solid defensive pitcher, but his ability to hold runners was merely okay. Green had tremendously high character and was respected throughout the game as one of the great team captains. His talent, along with his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and intelligence, made Green one of the finest pitchers to ever do it.

For college, Green spent three years at the University of Texas, dominating with a 25-8 record, 1.47 ERA, 294.2 innings, 390 strikeouts, 90 walks, 216 ERA+, and 16.0 WAR. He won Pitcher of the Year honors as a junior in 2006 with a 1.24 ERA over 94.2 innings, 142 Ks, and 6.4 WAR. As of 2037, Green ranks 26^th in WAR in NCAA history. That certainly put him at the top of many draft boards and in the 2006 MLB Draft, Green was picked second overall by San Antonio.

Green was a full-time starter immediately for the Oilers with mixed results initially. He wasn’t elite right away, but his reliable innings made him worth 4+ WAR each year from 2008-11. In 2012, Green had his first of ten straight seasons with 6+ WAR. Despite his efforts, San Antonio mostly remained a bottom-tier franchise. They started to show life going 81-81 in 2010, their first non-losing season since 1998. The Oilers made it to 85-77 in 2011, but collapsed back down to 66-96 in 2012.

2013 was set to be Green’s final season under contract and San Antonio wasn’t sure they could or wanted to afford the deal he was going to command. Thus, the 26-year old Green was traded in the offseason to Los Angeles for two prospects. With the Oilers, Green had a 74-102 record, 3.34 ERA, 1601.2 innings, 1239 strikeouts, 487 walks, 113 ERA+, and 29.7 WAR.

With the Angels, Green led the American Association in strikeouts (289) and shutouts (7) for the first time. He also had a career best 2.38 ERA and 24-6 record, but surprisingly didn’t make the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting. Los Angeles had a historic 119-43 season, the second-most wins in MLB history. However, they were upset in the second round of the playoffs by Phoenix. Green gave up five runs over 9.2 innings as his lone playoff start went into extras.

Green didn’t come to terms with LA and entered free agency at age 27. He was a hot commodity and signed a five-year, $115 million deal with defending World Series champion Denver. This started his signature run with the Dragons in the middle of what became an MLB record 13-year playoff and division title streak. Denver hoped Green could help them create a legendary dynasty run.

He delivered right away, taking third in 2014’s Pitcher of the Year voting. However, Green had a lackluster 4.50 ERA in two playoff starts as Denver fell in the second round. Green redeemed that in 2015 as the Dragons won their second World Series in three years, defeating St. Louis in the Fall Classic. He earned World Series MVP, a rare accomplishment for a pitcher. Over 42 playoff innings and five starts, Green was 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA, 39 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR.

Green was even more dominant in the Baseball Grand Championship. Denver finished 15-4, taking second behind Johannesburg due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. In four starts, Green was 3-0 with a 1.07 ERA, 33.2 innings, 53 strikeouts, 14 walks, and 2.4 WAR. As of 2037, Green’s WAR mark is the eighth-best by a pitcher in BGC history. This forever cemented his spot as an important part of Denver’s lore, regardless of what came next.

While the playoff streak continued, Denver had little postseason luck for the following four years. They had a first round exit in 2016, AACS loss in 2017, and second round exits in 2018 and 2019. In the latter two years, the Dragons had earned the #1 seed, only to go one-and-done. Green’s playoff results were a mixed bag these years, but he remained impressive in the regular season.

He led in strikeouts in 2016 to take third in Pitcher of the Year voting. After the 2017 season, Green signed a six-year, $162,200,000 extension to remain Denver’s ace. In 2018, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading the American Association in WAR (8.8) and FIP- (68). He was even more impressive in 2019 with AA and career bests in strikeouts (310) and WAR (9.4), although he took second in POTY voting behind Las Vegas’s Daniel Newqvist.

Green kept rolling in 2020, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. This was Denver’s strongest season of the playoff streak at 114-48, ending with a World Series win over Cincinnati. Green had a respectable playoff run at 3-1, 3.38 ERA, 29.1 innings, 30 strikeouts, and 0.8 WAR. The 2020 Dragons were the winningest team to claim the World Series to that point and had a case as being MLB’s best-ever team.

Denver then staked their case for being the best-ever team in all of pro baseball history by winning the Baseball Grand Championship at 15-4. Green was again a beast in the BGC, going 3-0 in four starts with a 1.26 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 35.2 innings, and 2.1 WAR. When counting up their regular season, playoff, and BGC results, the Dragons finished 202 at 140-54. That was the best record by a BGC winner to that point and would only later be topped by San Diego in 2027 and Hamamatsu in 2036. In any case, Green was a huge reason while Denver’s 2020 squad was one of the absolute best ever in baseball history.

On May 25, 2021; Green had his lone no-hitter in a 13 strikeout, three walk game against Salt Lake City. He had a strong playoff run with a 1.87 ERA in 33.2 innings, but Denver fell 4-3 to New Orleans in the AACS. For his playoff career, Green had a 13-7 record, 3.16 ERA, 179.2 innings, 152 strikeouts, 39 walks, 122 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 30^th in playoff pitching WAR, 5^th in wins, and 7^th in strikeouts. Green also ranks 11^th in pitching WAR in the BGC despite only appearing in event twice, posting a stellar 1.17 ERA over 8 starts, 6-0 record, 69.1 innings, 100 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR.

Green’s velocity dipped noticeably in 2022, posting career worsts in ERA (4.43), strikeouts (166), and WAR (3.2). He earned his third World Series ring with Denver, but wasn’t used in the playoffs. Green also wasn’t used in the BGC with the Dragons tying for ninth at 10-9. He retired that winter at age 36 and Denver immediately retired his #1 uniform. In nine years in Colorado, Green had a 170-90 record, 2.98 ERA, 2455 innings, 2269 strikeouts, 597 walks, 130 ERA+, and 64.4 WAR.

The final stats for Green had a 268-198 record, 3.07 ERA, 4329.1 innings, 3797 strikeouts, 1143 walks, 340/524 quality starts, 283 complete games, 50 shutouts, 125 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 101.5 WAR. As of 2037, Green ranks 28^th in wins, 42^nd in innings, 10^th in complete games, 19^th in shutouts, 16^th in strikeouts, and 23^rd in pitching WAR.

Depending on your strictness level, Green could qualify as an inner-circle Hall of Famer. He needed a few more years or a bit more dominance to make top 10 lists, but Green’s candidacy wasn’t at all in doubt. He was a critical part of Denver’s decade of dominance and was a major piece for the historic 2020 Grand Champion squad. At 96.5%, Green joined the loaded 2028 Major League Baseball HOF class as a co-headliner.

Victor Burke – Starting Pitcher – Seattle Grizzlies – 71.3% Tenth Ballot

Victor Burke was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Yuba City, California; a city with around 70,000 within the Greater Sacramento area. Burke’s stuff was quite strong, although his movement and control were above average at best. He wasn’t going to overpower many with a 94-96 mph fastball, but his splitter and cutter were equally fast and it was hard to know which was coming. Burke also had a weak knuckle curve as his fourth pitch.

Burke’s stamina was above average to good compared to typical MLB aces. He had great durability, tossing 240+ innings each year from 1998-2011. He had an excellent pickoff move and was considered solid at holding runners and at defense. Burke was also quite intelligent, making the most of his abilities.

From 1992-94, Burke attended the University of Memphis, posting a 19-11 record over 281.1 innings, 2.30 ERA, 341 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, and 12.0 WAR. As a sophomore, he took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Burke was then selected 31^st overall by Los Angeles in the 1994 MLB Draft. He saw limited use in the majors in 1995 and 1997, split between there and minor league Bakersfield. Burke spent all of 1996 in Bakersfield and was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Although he wasn’t used in the playoff run, Burke did earn a World Series ring in 1997 with LA.

Burke got the full-time call up in 1998 and remained a regular MLB starter through 2012. He ate a lot of innings with the Angels, but was generally above average. Los Angeles fell into the middle tier with no playoff berths from 1999-09. With LA, Burke finished with a 121-93 record, 3.64 ERA, 2037 innings, 1620 strikeouts, 633 walks, 107 ERA+, and 32.9 WAR.

The Angels gave Burke a four-year, $19,880,000 extension after the 2001 season. By 2004, LA were sellers and moved Burke in a late June trade to Seattle for two prospects. The Grizzlies just missed the playoffs that year, ending a six-year streak. They thought Burke could give them pitching depth long term though and signed him in May 2005 to a five-year, $34,500,000 extension.

In 2005, Burke led the American Association in wins at 21-7. Seattle took the top seed at 105-57 and won their first-ever World Series, defeating Philadelphia in the finale. Over five playoff starts, Burke had a 3-1 record, 3.07 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 19 walks, 131 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR. The Grizzlies dropped to 82-80 in 2006, but got back to the top seed in 2007 at 102-60. They lost to San Diego in the AACS with Burke posting a 3.55 ERA over 25.1 playoff innings.

Burke stayed steady for the rest of the decade, although Seattle retreated into the middle of the standings. He signed a two-year, $20 million extension after the 2009 season. Burke had his worst ERA of his career in 2010 at 4.44, but bounced back down to 3.21 in 2011. 2011 ended seeing career bests in both WAR (7.2) and complete games (22) at age 37. Ultimately, he was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist.

With Seattle, Burke had a 126-84 record, 3.65 ERA, 1966.1 innings, 1634 strikeouts, 598 walks, 107 ERA+, and 38.7 WAR. He was a free agent for 2012 at age 38 and signed a one-year deal with Baltimore worth $14,800,000. Burke won his 250^th game with the Orioles and had 2.3 WAR and a 3.09 ERA over 183.2 innings. He then signed for two-years and $21,200,000 with New York. Burke was used in long relief for 113.2 innings with the Yankees, but was cut in late July to end his MLB career.

Burke wasn’t ready to be done and put out worldwide feelers. He finished 2013 in West Africa Baseball with 1.4 WAR and 3.28 ERA over 57.2 innings with Accra. Burke tried an MLB comeback and signed a two-year, $22,200,000 deal for 2014 with Las Vegas. However, he was cut following lackluster results in spring training 2014. Burke moved to Iraq with the Arab League’s Sulaymaniyah, but only saw two starts for the Sultans. He retired that winter at age 41.

In MLB, Burke finished with a 263-198 record, 3.61 ERA, 4300.2 innings, 3485 strikeouts, 1304 walks, 303/523 quality starts, 235 complete games, 38 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 74.3 WAR. As of 2037, Burke ranks 31^st in wins, 45^th in innings, 36^th in complete games, 34^th in strikeouts, and 33^rd in walks. Burke notably misses the top 100 for pitching WAR.

The rate stats suggested a guy who sustained above average production over a long period. Many voters thought Burke was never elite enough to be worthy of Hall of Fame induction. Supporters thought he checked the accumulation boxes needed to belong. Most, but not all MLB pitchers that reached 250+ wins and 3500 Ks had made it in. Supporters also pointed out Burke’s role in Seattle’s first World Series ring after 105 years of trying.

Burke debuted at 51.6% in the 2019 ballot and never dropped below 50%, although he stayed in the 50s for his first five tries. Burke got as close as 62.3% in 2024 and 64.2% in 2026, but was still short of the 66% requirement. In his tenth and final try in 2028, Burke got the bump needed up to 71.3% to earn the fourth and final spot in Major League Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class. He became the fifth player in MLB history to earn induction on his tenth ballot.

03-18-2025, 06:58 PM	#2156
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,037	2028 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Omari “Blitz” Green – Starting Pitcher – Denver Dragons – 96.5% First Ballot Omari Green was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Rosenberg, Texas; a city of around 38,000 people in Houston’s metropolitan area. Green had excellent stuff with solid movement and good control. His velocity topped out in the 97-99 mph range and he had four equally potent pitches; fastball, slider, forkball, and changeup. The nickname “Blitz” came from how quickly Green liked to work on the mound. Green’s stamina was good relative to most MLB aces and he had ironman durability, tossing 240+ innings in each of his 16 seasons. He was a solid defensive pitcher, but his ability to hold runners was merely okay. Green had tremendously high character and was respected throughout the game as one of the great team captains. His talent, along with his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and intelligence, made Green one of the finest pitchers to ever do it. For college, Green spent three years at the University of Texas, dominating with a 25-8 record, 1.47 ERA, 294.2 innings, 390 strikeouts, 90 walks, 216 ERA+, and 16.0 WAR. He won Pitcher of the Year honors as a junior in 2006 with a 1.24 ERA over 94.2 innings, 142 Ks, and 6.4 WAR. As of 2037, Green ranks 26^th in WAR in NCAA history. That certainly put him at the top of many draft boards and in the 2006 MLB Draft, Green was picked second overall by San Antonio. Green was a full-time starter immediately for the Oilers with mixed results initially. He wasn’t elite right away, but his reliable innings made him worth 4+ WAR each year from 2008-11. In 2012, Green had his first of ten straight seasons with 6+ WAR. Despite his efforts, San Antonio mostly remained a bottom-tier franchise. They started to show life going 81-81 in 2010, their first non-losing season since 1998. The Oilers made it to 85-77 in 2011, but collapsed back down to 66-96 in 2012. 2013 was set to be Green’s final season under contract and San Antonio wasn’t sure they could or wanted to afford the deal he was going to command. Thus, the 26-year old Green was traded in the offseason to Los Angeles for two prospects. With the Oilers, Green had a 74-102 record, 3.34 ERA, 1601.2 innings, 1239 strikeouts, 487 walks, 113 ERA+, and 29.7 WAR. With the Angels, Green led the American Association in strikeouts (289) and shutouts (7) for the first time. He also had a career best 2.38 ERA and 24-6 record, but surprisingly didn’t make the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting. Los Angeles had a historic 119-43 season, the second-most wins in MLB history. However, they were upset in the second round of the playoffs by Phoenix. Green gave up five runs over 9.2 innings as his lone playoff start went into extras. Green didn’t come to terms with LA and entered free agency at age 27. He was a hot commodity and signed a five-year, $115 million deal with defending World Series champion Denver. This started his signature run with the Dragons in the middle of what became an MLB record 13-year playoff and division title streak. Denver hoped Green could help them create a legendary dynasty run. He delivered right away, taking third in 2014’s Pitcher of the Year voting. However, Green had a lackluster 4.50 ERA in two playoff starts as Denver fell in the second round. Green redeemed that in 2015 as the Dragons won their second World Series in three years, defeating St. Louis in the Fall Classic. He earned World Series MVP, a rare accomplishment for a pitcher. Over 42 playoff innings and five starts, Green was 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA, 39 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR. Green was even more dominant in the Baseball Grand Championship. Denver finished 15-4, taking second behind Johannesburg due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. In four starts, Green was 3-0 with a 1.07 ERA, 33.2 innings, 53 strikeouts, 14 walks, and 2.4 WAR. As of 2037, Green’s WAR mark is the eighth-best by a pitcher in BGC history. This forever cemented his spot as an important part of Denver’s lore, regardless of what came next. While the playoff streak continued, Denver had little postseason luck for the following four years. They had a first round exit in 2016, AACS loss in 2017, and second round exits in 2018 and 2019. In the latter two years, the Dragons had earned the #1 seed, only to go one-and-done. Green’s playoff results were a mixed bag these years, but he remained impressive in the regular season. He led in strikeouts in 2016 to take third in Pitcher of the Year voting. After the 2017 season, Green signed a six-year, $162,200,000 extension to remain Denver’s ace. In 2018, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading the American Association in WAR (8.8) and FIP- (68). He was even more impressive in 2019 with AA and career bests in strikeouts (310) and WAR (9.4), although he took second in POTY voting behind Las Vegas’s Daniel Newqvist. Green kept rolling in 2020, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. This was Denver’s strongest season of the playoff streak at 114-48, ending with a World Series win over Cincinnati. Green had a respectable playoff run at 3-1, 3.38 ERA, 29.1 innings, 30 strikeouts, and 0.8 WAR. The 2020 Dragons were the winningest team to claim the World Series to that point and had a case as being MLB’s best-ever team. Denver then staked their case for being the best-ever team in all of pro baseball history by winning the Baseball Grand Championship at 15-4. Green was again a beast in the BGC, going 3-0 in four starts with a 1.26 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 35.2 innings, and 2.1 WAR. When counting up their regular season, playoff, and BGC results, the Dragons finished 202 at 140-54. That was the best record by a BGC winner to that point and would only later be topped by San Diego in 2027 and Hamamatsu in 2036. In any case, Green was a huge reason while Denver’s 2020 squad was one of the absolute best ever in baseball history. On May 25, 2021; Green had his lone no-hitter in a 13 strikeout, three walk game against Salt Lake City. He had a strong playoff run with a 1.87 ERA in 33.2 innings, but Denver fell 4-3 to New Orleans in the AACS. For his playoff career, Green had a 13-7 record, 3.16 ERA, 179.2 innings, 152 strikeouts, 39 walks, 122 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 30^th in playoff pitching WAR, 5^th in wins, and 7^th in strikeouts. Green also ranks 11^th in pitching WAR in the BGC despite only appearing in event twice, posting a stellar 1.17 ERA over 8 starts, 6-0 record, 69.1 innings, 100 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR. Green’s velocity dipped noticeably in 2022, posting career worsts in ERA (4.43), strikeouts (166), and WAR (3.2). He earned his third World Series ring with Denver, but wasn’t used in the playoffs. Green also wasn’t used in the BGC with the Dragons tying for ninth at 10-9. He retired that winter at age 36 and Denver immediately retired his #1 uniform. In nine years in Colorado, Green had a 170-90 record, 2.98 ERA, 2455 innings, 2269 strikeouts, 597 walks, 130 ERA+, and 64.4 WAR. The final stats for Green had a 268-198 record, 3.07 ERA, 4329.1 innings, 3797 strikeouts, 1143 walks, 340/524 quality starts, 283 complete games, 50 shutouts, 125 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 101.5 WAR. As of 2037, Green ranks 28^th in wins, 42^nd in innings, 10^th in complete games, 19^th in shutouts, 16^th in strikeouts, and 23^rd in pitching WAR. Depending on your strictness level, Green could qualify as an inner-circle Hall of Famer. He needed a few more years or a bit more dominance to make top 10 lists, but Green’s candidacy wasn’t at all in doubt. He was a critical part of Denver’s decade of dominance and was a major piece for the historic 2020 Grand Champion squad. At 96.5%, Green joined the loaded 2028 Major League Baseball HOF class as a co-headliner. Victor Burke – Starting Pitcher – Seattle Grizzlies – 71.3% Tenth Ballot Victor Burke was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Yuba City, California; a city with around 70,000 within the Greater Sacramento area. Burke’s stuff was quite strong, although his movement and control were above average at best. He wasn’t going to overpower many with a 94-96 mph fastball, but his splitter and cutter were equally fast and it was hard to know which was coming. Burke also had a weak knuckle curve as his fourth pitch. Burke’s stamina was above average to good compared to typical MLB aces. He had great durability, tossing 240+ innings each year from 1998-2011. He had an excellent pickoff move and was considered solid at holding runners and at defense. Burke was also quite intelligent, making the most of his abilities. From 1992-94, Burke attended the University of Memphis, posting a 19-11 record over 281.1 innings, 2.30 ERA, 341 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, and 12.0 WAR. As a sophomore, he took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Burke was then selected 31^st overall by Los Angeles in the 1994 MLB Draft. He saw limited use in the majors in 1995 and 1997, split between there and minor league Bakersfield. Burke spent all of 1996 in Bakersfield and was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Although he wasn’t used in the playoff run, Burke did earn a World Series ring in 1997 with LA. Burke got the full-time call up in 1998 and remained a regular MLB starter through 2012. He ate a lot of innings with the Angels, but was generally above average. Los Angeles fell into the middle tier with no playoff berths from 1999-09. With LA, Burke finished with a 121-93 record, 3.64 ERA, 2037 innings, 1620 strikeouts, 633 walks, 107 ERA+, and 32.9 WAR. The Angels gave Burke a four-year, $19,880,000 extension after the 2001 season. By 2004, LA were sellers and moved Burke in a late June trade to Seattle for two prospects. The Grizzlies just missed the playoffs that year, ending a six-year streak. They thought Burke could give them pitching depth long term though and signed him in May 2005 to a five-year, $34,500,000 extension. In 2005, Burke led the American Association in wins at 21-7. Seattle took the top seed at 105-57 and won their first-ever World Series, defeating Philadelphia in the finale. Over five playoff starts, Burke had a 3-1 record, 3.07 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 19 walks, 131 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR. The Grizzlies dropped to 82-80 in 2006, but got back to the top seed in 2007 at 102-60. They lost to San Diego in the AACS with Burke posting a 3.55 ERA over 25.1 playoff innings. Burke stayed steady for the rest of the decade, although Seattle retreated into the middle of the standings. He signed a two-year, $20 million extension after the 2009 season. Burke had his worst ERA of his career in 2010 at 4.44, but bounced back down to 3.21 in 2011. 2011 ended seeing career bests in both WAR (7.2) and complete games (22) at age 37. Ultimately, he was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. With Seattle, Burke had a 126-84 record, 3.65 ERA, 1966.1 innings, 1634 strikeouts, 598 walks, 107 ERA+, and 38.7 WAR. He was a free agent for 2012 at age 38 and signed a one-year deal with Baltimore worth $14,800,000. Burke won his 250^th game with the Orioles and had 2.3 WAR and a 3.09 ERA over 183.2 innings. He then signed for two-years and $21,200,000 with New York. Burke was used in long relief for 113.2 innings with the Yankees, but was cut in late July to end his MLB career. Burke wasn’t ready to be done and put out worldwide feelers. He finished 2013 in West Africa Baseball with 1.4 WAR and 3.28 ERA over 57.2 innings with Accra. Burke tried an MLB comeback and signed a two-year, $22,200,000 deal for 2014 with Las Vegas. However, he was cut following lackluster results in spring training 2014. Burke moved to Iraq with the Arab League’s Sulaymaniyah, but only saw two starts for the Sultans. He retired that winter at age 41. In MLB, Burke finished with a 263-198 record, 3.61 ERA, 4300.2 innings, 3485 strikeouts, 1304 walks, 303/523 quality starts, 235 complete games, 38 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 74.3 WAR. As of 2037, Burke ranks 31^st in wins, 45^th in innings, 36^th in complete games, 34^th in strikeouts, and 33^rd in walks. Burke notably misses the top 100 for pitching WAR. The rate stats suggested a guy who sustained above average production over a long period. Many voters thought Burke was never elite enough to be worthy of Hall of Fame induction. Supporters thought he checked the accumulation boxes needed to belong. Most, but not all MLB pitchers that reached 250+ wins and 3500 Ks had made it in. Supporters also pointed out Burke’s role in Seattle’s first World Series ring after 105 years of trying. Burke debuted at 51.6% in the 2019 ballot and never dropped below 50%, although he stayed in the 50s for his first five tries. Burke got as close as 62.3% in 2024 and 64.2% in 2026, but was still short of the 66% requirement. In his tenth and final try in 2028, Burke got the bump needed up to 71.3% to earn the fourth and final spot in Major League Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class. He became the fifth player in MLB history to earn induction on his tenth ballot. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)