Which Baseball Hall of Fame candidates are being overlooked by voters? Which ace starter has the best Cooperstown case? And how much does a short peak really matter?

When the 2025 Hall of Fame class is announced Jan. 21 on MLB Network, the answers to those questions should become clearer. But for now, we asked 55 MLB.com experts for their thoughts on several key points related to this year’s HOF candidates. (You can also check out our staff predictions on who will be inducted.)

Which returning candidate do you think has been most underrated by BBWAA voters to this point?

Carlos Beltrán: 9 votes
Bobby Abreu: 8 votes
Chase Utley: 8 votes
Andruw Jones: 7 votes
Alex Rodriguez: 5 votes
Torii Hunter: 4 votes
Billy Wagner: 4 votes
Manny Ramirez: 3 votes
Mark Buehrle: 2 votes
David Wright: 2 votes
Francisco Rodríguez: 1 vote
Omar Vizquel: 1 vote
Jimmy Rollins: 1 vote

Interestingly, 13 of the 14 returning candidates received at least one vote here. Only Andy Pettitte was shut out (but he'll be discussed in our next question).

Beltrán, who represented seven clubs from 1998 to 2017, received the most votes in our poll. One of just 58 players to reach the 400-homer benchmark, the nine-time All-Star outfielder was named on 57.1% of BBWAA ballots during 2024 HOF voting, the third-highest rate among returning candidates.

• Complete 2024 Hall of Fame voting results

Players need to appear on 75% of ballots to earn induction, and Beltrán -- with eight remaining years on the ballot -- could be on track to do so.

“He's one of the top 10 best switch-hitters of all time who played a premium position at an elite level for more than a decade,” said Andy Werle, supervising editor for content operations. “He has unfairly borne the brunt of the Astros' 2017 sign-stealing scandal.”

Rodriguez, who received five votes in our poll, has also seen a disconnect between his stellar numbers and his voting share (34.8% in 2024). But that’s due to his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs, for which he was suspended for the 2014 season.

“No question, his PED use tarnishes his achievements to an extent,” club reporter AJ Cassavell said. “But this is pretty simple for me: He's one of the best players of all time and should be in the Hall of Fame.”

Jones, who was named on 61.6% of BBWAA ballots last year, has perhaps the best chance among returnees, other than Wagner, to reach 75% in 2025. The Curaçao native’s 434 homers and an .823 career OPS would already give him a Hall of Fame shot -- and his exemplary ability with the glove could put him over the top.

“Defense has been underappreciated in HOF voting over the years,” said Sweeny Murti, senior contributor for MLB Media. “We all value it as a necessary element of championship teams. Some view the lack of playing defense well -- or at all (DH) -- as a reason not to vote someone for MVP or HOF. I think exceptional defense should be valued the same as exceptional hitting or pitching, and in the case of Jones (or 2023 inductee Scott Rolen), it should be viewed as something that elevates a player with very good offensive numbers."

Speaking of good offensive numbers, one returning player on the 2025 ballot compares well to a legendary hitter who was inducted with 97.6% of the vote on his first try. Bobby Abreu earned eight votes in our poll, tied for the most behind Beltrán, but he got just 14.8% of the 2024 BBWAA vote. MLB.com stats and research director Mike Petriello was one of those who made Abreu’s Cooperstown case.

“Tony Gwynn and Abreu had nearly identical PA and games played totals,” Petriello explained. “Abreu reached base more times, hit twice as many homers, and stole more bases. Each won Gold Gloves. Their OPS+ and fWAR marks were nearly identical. The main difference between ‘first-ballot legend’ and ‘probably dropping off the ballot entirely?’ The love of batting average, and the playing-for-your-hometown-team-your-entire-career factor.”

Chase Utley, Abreu’s teammate on the Phillies from 2003-06, also received eight votes from MLB.com staff. The six-time All-Star was among the best at his position during the peak of his career -- arguably as good as some second basemen already enshrined.

“Chase Utley's seven-year peak WAR was better than Ryne Sandberg's and Roberto Alomar's, to compare him to two modern second basemen in the Hall,” senior prospects reporter Sam Dykstra said. “Focus on that over his counting stats and decline into mediocrity in the Dodgers years.”

Which of the following three SP candidates do you think has the most compelling Hall of Fame case?

Félix Hernández: 32 votes
Andy Pettitte: 18 votes
Mark Buehrle: 5 votes

It's clear that among starting pitchers, CC Sabathia will be considered a cut above this trio, perhaps even going in on the first ballot this year. So we didn't include him in this question.

Given that, King Félix was the king of our poll, with a majority of our voters naming him here. During his tremendous peak, the career Mariner was up there with any starter in MLB, earning six All-Star appearances in seven years -- and winning AL Cy Young the only year he wasn't selected.

• 10 moments that defined King Félix's career

“Mark Buehrle and Andy Pettitte were both excellent for a long time, but neither was ever really in the conversation for baseball's best pitcher,” explained Rick Gold, supervising editor for content operations. “Félix Hernández was truly dominant at his peak, and as pitcher workloads continue to decrease, I think voters will begin to appreciate the true aces more even if their counting stats don't match pitchers of previous eras.”

Despite Hernández’s excellence, his relatively short career could keep him out of Cooperstown. The right-hander never made 30 starts in any season after turning 30, and he pitched his final game at age 33 in 2019. Players like Hernández with short (albeit memorable) peaks often fail to reach the 75% threshold, a fate that could befall the one-time King.

“I get why King Félix will ultimately fall short of the Hall,” senior national reporter Anthony Castrovince said. “But generally speaking, I do think there needs to be a modern recalibration for what constitutes a Hall of Fame starting pitching career. And in that light, his brief but remarkable turn as one of the truly elite arms in the game is impressive. No discussion of the game in the 2010s is complete without him. Interestingly, his seven-year peak WAR (38.5) is right there with John Smoltz (38.7). But again, it's not going to be enough.”

• What does future hold for starting pitchers and the HOF?

Playing entirely during Seattle’s long postseason drought, Hernández never had the chance to make his mark in October. That wasn’t the case for Pettitte, however: Many of our voters who chose the left-hander mentioned his playoff expertise, including his five World Series rings with the Yankees.

“In addition to his 18 seasons in the big leagues, Pettitte compiled another dominant year's worth of stats in the postseason: 276 2/3 innings, 19 wins, 3.81 ERA,” senior content producer Daniel Conroy said. “Even if it was a byproduct of being on the right team at the right time, the big lefty was a reliable arm for nearly two full decades.”

Each of the following four position player candidates had an impressive peak but a relatively short career. Each rates similarly according to analyst Jay Jaffe's widely used "JAWS" metric for Hall of Fame worthiness. Whom do you think has the most compelling HOF case?

Dustin Pedroia: 39 votes
David Wright: 12 votes
Ian Kinsler: 2 votes
Troy Tulowitzki: 1 vote

Several of our voters termed this a close call between Pedroia and Wright, but more than two-thirds of our voters selected the former Red Sox second baseman. One of four players to follow up a Rookie of the Year season with MVP honors in Year 2, Pedroia had a tremendous start to his 14-year career before injuries intervened.

With Pedroia now on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, it’s hard to predict how voters will evaluate his impact on the sport. But even if he doesn’t make it to Cooperstown, his career remains memorable.

• Top 15 by No. 15 -- Pedroia's top moments

“The story of a player like Dustin Pedroia is what makes baseball great,” social media editorial manager Zac Vierra said. “He got every ounce of talent out of his 5-foot-9 frame, played the game harder than anyone and was an elite second baseman. The resume speaks for itself: Rookie of the Year, MVP, All-Star, Gold Glover, World Series champ. If it wasn't for injuries derailing the end of his career, Pedroia would be a no-doubt Hall of Famer.”

Wright, a runner-up with our voters, also dealt with injuries. Held to just 77 games played after his age-31 season, the seven-time All-Star third baseman for the Mets left many people wondering what could have been. But even what was -- Wright’s excellent peak -- was Hall of Fame-worthy by the standards of many.

“I think there's little doubt that if injuries don't completely zap Wright of the majority of his 30s in the big leagues, he's a slam-dunk choice,” said Jesse Borek, content producer for prospects. “Which makes for an interesting argument -- often, it's pitchers whom we seem to focus upon for their ‘peak’ and bypass longevity; in Wright's case, his 2005-13 run with a .302/.384/.505 slash line is surely worthy of consideration alone. Would/should he really have been boosted by a few pedestrian seasons in the back half of his 30s? At his pinnacle, Wright was a middle-of-the-order force on the field and an exemplary representative of the game off of it.”

• The top moments of David Wright's career

Wright received 6.2% of the vote in 2024, his first year on the BBWAA ballot -- not far above the 5% threshold required to stay on. It remains to be seen where Pedroia lands in 2025 voting and if his lead over Wright among our voters will be reflected on the official ballot.

“Pedroia may have an MVP Award and two World Series championships, but Wright was the better player,” said research and breaking news manager Thomas Harrigan. “Wright’s lifetime OPS+ of 133 is north of Pedroia’s single-season high of 131, and he clears Pedroia by a significant margin in homers (102 more), RBIs (245 more), steals (58 more) and All-Star selections (three more).”