2019 Baseball Hall of Fame Odds: Enter Sandman

• The Baseball Writers Association of America has released its annual Hall of Fame ballot
• Will Mariano Rivera become the first player to be elected unanimously?
• Will Edgar Martinez finally be called to the Hall in his 10th year on the ballot?

Mariano Rivera might want to start looking at ticket deals for Cooperstown.

The 13-time All-Star is heavily favored to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer according to the latest odds. Online sportsbook believe there’s an 80% chance Rivera will be called to the Hall during his first year of eligibility.

Online sportsbooks have also created odds for three other eligible players including aces Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina, and sweet-swinging designated hitter Edgar Martinez, who is in his 10th and final year on the ballot. Let’s take a look at the numbers below and see where the value lies.

Mariano Rivera 2019 Hall of Fame Odds

No player has ever been elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously before, but that could change this summer thanks to Rivera’s glowing resume. The longtime Yankee is a five-time World Series champion who holds the Major League record for games finishes, saves, and ERA+. He was as close to a sure thing during his 19 years in the Bigs and remains the gold standard for relievers.

As good as Rivera was during the regular season, he was even better in October. The Panama native was 8-1 with a 0.70 ERA and 42 saves during the postseason, and has World Series MVP and ALCS MVP Awards in his overflowing trophy case. Consider him a lock.

Betting Advice: Yes -400

Roy Halladay 2019 Hall of Fame Odds

Unlike Rivera, Roy Halladay’s Hall of Fame candidacy is a little less cut and dry. The eight-time All-Star didn’t become a dominant starter until his fifth year in the league and retired in 2013 with just 203 wins. That’s fewer victories than Kevin Brown, Mark Buehrle, Kenny Rogers, and Curt Schilling, none of whom are in the Hall.

However, when Halladay was on, he was really on. The former Blue Jay was arguably the best pitcher in baseball from 2002-11, a stretch in which he won a pair of Cy Youngs, threw a perfect game, and became just the second player in Major League history to record a no-hitter in the playoffs. He may not have enjoyed the sustained brilliance of Rivera, but his peak years were just as impressive.

We’re betting that voters will overlook Halladay’s slow start and will reward him instead for his exceptional production during his prime.

Betting Advice: Yes -120

Edgar Martinez 2019 Hall of Fame Odds

Few players have divided voters more than Edgar Martinez, who is in his 10th – and final – year of eligibility.

Everyone agrees that Martinez was among the greatest hitters of his generation (his two batting titles and lifetime .312 batting average speak to that), but not everyone is certain designated hitters belong in the Hall of Fame.

Martinez never finished higher than third in MVP voting and reached the postseason just four times in his 18-year career.

Frank Thomas is the only other full-time DH in Cooperstown, and his numbers dwarf those of Martinez, who never finished higher than third in MVP voting and reached the postseason just four times in his 18-year career.

The good news for Martinez is that he seems to be growing on voters. After earning just 36.2% of the vote in 2010 he reached 70.4% last year. That’s significant since players need at least 75% of ballots to be elected. We see Martinez’s slow-but-steady growth as a positive sign and believe voters will give him one final push this season as a gesture of good will for playing the game the right way during baseball’s most notorious era.

Betting Advice: Yes -200

Mike Mussina 2019 Hall of Fame Odds

Mussina came tantalizingly close in 2017 when he received 63.5% of votes in his fifth year of eligibility. Voters clearly like his 270 career wins and seven Gold Gloves, but continue to be slightly underwhelmed by his 3.68 ERA and spotty postseason record.

Betting Advice: No -400

The Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the results of its Hall of Fame balloting on January 22nd, 2019.