7 Dodgers on 2016 Hall of Fame ballot

A trio of former Dodgers are among 15 new players on the 2016 Baseball Writers Association of America Hall of Fame ballot that was announced on Monday. Another former Dodger, Mike Piazza, is the top returning player and could be elected to Cooperstown as early as next year.

Garret Anderson, Brad Ausmus and Mark Grudzielanek are the three former Dodgers in their first time on the ballot, though the trio played just a combined 455 games and six seasons in Los Angeles. The headlining newcomer on the ballot is Ken Griffey Jr., with closer Trevor Hoffman and outfielder Jim Edmonds among other newcomers on the ballot.

Piazza got 69.9 percent of the vote last year, his fourth year on the ballot, and figures to make it either this year or next year. Nobody who has received as high as 69.9 percent has failed to eventually reach the 75 percent required for induction.

The person to get the closest in that regard was Jack Morris, who received 67.7 percent in 2013 but only had one more year left on the ballot.

Other former Dodgers returnees on the ballot include Nomar Garciaparra (second year, 5.5 percent in 2015), Jeff Kent (third year, 14.0 percent last year) and Gary Sheffield (second year, 11.7 percent last year), giving the Dodgers seven of the 32 total players on the ballot.

The BBWAA says approximately 475 ballots were mailed out this week, trimmed down from several long-inactive members voting in recent years. In 2015, for instance, 549 ballots were submitted.

The voting results will be announced on Tuesday, January 6, at 3 p.m. PT on MLB Network. Induction ceremonies will take place on Sunday, July 24, 2016 in Cooperstown.