The 2017 Hall of Fame ballot: Will these guys be one-and-done?

For the past two weeks, we’ve been dissecting some of the most interesting players, cases and debates on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot. While we’d like to say we saved the best for last, that’s not exactly the case here.

Instead, we close with 15 guys for whom just being on the ballot will most likely be their moment of glory. There are 19 players on the ballot for the first time this year. We’ve already written at length about Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Jorge Posada and revealed whether we’d vote for them. Here’s where we chime in on the rest of the first-timers. Guys like Mike Cameron and Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield and Magglio Ordonez.

It’s safe to say they’ll get significantly fewer votes than Pudge, Vlad and Co. The question, really, is whether any of them will get the necessary five percent of the vote to stay on the ballot. If not, they’ll join the Hall of One-and-Done (which isn’t really a place.)

Here’s a look at the other 15 players on the Hall of Fame ballot, how we’ll remember them and whether we’d vote for them.

CASEY BLAKE
Chris Cwik: No — Casey Blake was more useful than you think, particularly from 2004 to 2009. But the main thing I’ll remember about his career is that he was traded for a young Carlos Santana.

Mike Oz: No — Hall of Famer? No. But when I hear the name Casey Blake, I think he could be a really good magician. So there’s that.

Liz Roscher: No — Blake was good and dependable, but not great. And to be in the Hall, you’ve gotta be great.

Mark Townsend: No — I recently heard someone describing Blake as being “real good at being pretty good.” That about covers it.

PAT BURRELL
Chris Cwik: No — Underappreciated because he typically hit for low averages and poor defense. He more than made up for that with exceptional on-base skills and pop. Good player. Not a Hall of Famer.

Mike Oz: No — In a year without a crowded ballot, I might give him a throwaway vote just for being The Machine. But that’s it.

Liz Roscher: No — Pat the Bat deserves enshrinement based on his legend alone. But that’s not how the Hall of Fame works. But if I had a vanity vote to spare, I’d definitely give it to him.

Mark Townsend: No — Not all former No. 1 picks have careers as solid as Burrell’s. Granted, he was never an All-Star, but he was a World Series hero and a beloved player in Philadelphia, which isn‘t always easy.

ORLANDO CABRERA
Chris Cwik: No — He was never super impressive with the bat in the hands, but he could field with the best of ’em.

Mike Oz: No — He drove in 96 runs one year, proof that you shouldn’t always gauge a player by RBIs.

Liz Roscher: No — There’s some greatness in his 15-year career, but it doesn’t outweigh his overall decent averageness. It’s a no for me.

Mark Townsend: No — Was probably the most important player in the wild four-team trade at the deadline in 2004. He went to Boston and not only replaced Nomar Garciaparra, but truly helped lead Boston to its historic World Series win.

MIKE CAMERON
Chris Cwik: No — One of the most underrated players of his era who gets dinged for low batting averages. He walked, he hit for power, he stole bases and he played tremendous defense in center field.

Mike Oz: No — I’m a no, but it should at least be noted that his 46.5 career WAR is higher than quite a few Hall of Famers. He was better than you might remember.

Liz Roscher: No — He was valuable in the field and disciplined at the plate. If I had a vote to spare I’d give it to him, but with a crowded ballot that’s just not something I can do.

Mark Townsend: No — To be one of only 16 players to hit four home runs in a game is about the coolest claim to fame a non-Hall of Famer can make.

J.D. DREW
Chris Cwik: No — When healthy, J.D. Drew turned in some incredible seasons at the plate. He posted an 8.6 fWAR in 2004!

Mike Oz: No — He had All-Star talent, we all thought, but he just never put it all together.

Liz Roscher: No — He was drafted by the Phillies but didn’t accept their offer, and so my instinct here is to loudly yell “BOOOO” until I run out of breath and fall down.

Mark Townsend: No — I’ll always credit Drew for being a success despite never truly living up to the enormous hype. He put in 14 solid seasons and always made his team better, as evidenced by his teams appearing in eight postseasons.

CARLOS GUILLEN
Chris Cwik: No — Was a bright spot on some pretty awful Tigers teams.

Mike Oz: No — In our podcast last week, I credited him for that crazy warning-track throw, but that was actually Jose Guillen. Fitting, I guess.

Liz Roscher: No — He had a handful of really great years in the middle of his career, which isn’t really enough to merit enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

Mark Townsend: No — I’d forgotten he was included in the Randy Johnson to Houston trade from 1998 and was essentially tasked with replacing Alex Rodriguez in 2001. He was put into some difficult spots but managed to carve out a solid 14-year career.

DERREK LEE
Chris Cwik: No — Impressive player who was often overlooked by other sluggers at first base. He only made two All-Star games, and that seems unfairly low.

Mike Oz: No — He was a beast in 2005. If he played all his seasons like that — 46 homers, 107 RBIs and a 1.080 OPS — this would be a different conversation.

Liz Roscher: No — I adored D-Lee, and looking at his stats, he’s somehow even better than I remembered. I could actually imagine giving him a vote in a year with a less congested ballot.

Mark Townsend: No — Aside from his many mammoth home runs and the unusual spelling of his name, I mostly remember the excited manner in which Len Kasper would scream “DERREK LEEEEE!”

MELVIN MORA
Chris Cwik: No — From 2003 to 2005, he hit .312/.391/.513, with 69 home runs, over 1,713 plate appearances.

Mike Oz: No — He got some MVP votes in 2004, which is more than he’ll get here, unfortunately.

Liz Roscher: No — I love this guy. He’s a renaissance man who played in Taiwan, got a late start to his career, and played multiple positions. Hall of Very Good? Yes. Hall of Fame? Sadly, no.

Mark Townsend: No — For whatever reason it felt like Mora played forever. Maybe that’s because he played every position at one time or another. If there’s a Hall of Fame for utility players, put him in.

MAGGLIO ORDONEZ
Chris Cwik: No — Boy, he could hit. Ordonez put up some fantastic seasons early in his career with the White Sox. A gruesome knee injury robbed him of some crucial seasons. Though he returned and performed well for Detroit, he fell off quickly once he hit 35.

Mike Oz: No — Magglio is one of those players you remember fondly, then look at his numbers and you’re surprised to see he only hit 294 homers. Whatever, he already won one election.

Liz Roscher: No — His name is really fun to say, and he was a great hitter to boot. But those things alone don’t earn him my vote.

Mark Townsend: No — I would argue that Ordonez’s prime was every bit as good as several Hall of Fame players. Of course, the years that followed were all over the place, leaving him in the really-good-for-not-long-enough category.

EDGAR RENTERIA
Chris Cwik: No — In another era maybe he would get more attention. But when you come up with Garciaparra, Jeter and A-Rod, it’s tough to stand out.

Mike Oz: No — Noooooooope.

Liz Roscher: No — His role in two World Series’ should not be forgotten. But to me he’s good, but just not good enough.

Mark Townsend: No — If we’re starting a postseason Hall of Fame, Renteria could get first ballot consideration. His walk-off hit in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series is the stuff legends are made of.

ARTHUR RHODES
Chris Cwik: No — Couldn’t cut it as a starter, but eventually blossomed into a strong reliever. Stuck around for 20 years, so that’s something.

Mike Oz: No — Twenty season and nine teams. That’s quite a run. You probably rooted for him at some point.

Liz Roscher: No — Nine hundred appearances over a 20-year career is incredible. Being a dependable gamer is vital to the game of baseball, but it’s not something that typically earns you a ticket to Cooperstown.

Mark Townsend: No — Rhodes was valuable for a long, long time, but didn’t get many ninth-inning opportunities. He‘s definitely a no, but had those opportunities come he might be higher in the discussion.

FREDDY SANCHEZ
Chris Cwik: No — He won a batting title in 2006, and someone tried to tell me that meant he had a better season than Albert Pujols. These are my memories of Freddy Sanchez.

Mike Oz: No — He’s on the ballot?!? I thought he was still trying to make a comeback.

Liz Roscher: No — A 10-year career just isn’t enough to earn my Hall of Fame vote.

Mark Townsend: No — Won a batting championship in one of the three years he actually qualified. That’s a pretty fun footnote in a solid but unremarkable career.

MATT STAIRS
Chris Cwik: No — A beer-league softball player come to life. It’s fitting that Stairs mashed on the A’s when they didn’t give a damn about defense.

Mike Oz: No — Probably be the first guy chosen today if we were picking softball teams, though!

Liz Roscher: No — If I could give him a vote for being responsible for one of the Phillies greatest postseason moments of all time, I would. But I don’t think I can do that.

Mark Townsend: No — Stairs is one of the few guys everyone rooted for. Of course, part of that was because he played for nearly every organization in existence, but it’s also because he looked like the guy next door, only less athletic.

JASON VARITEK
Chris Cwik: No — Gets slightly overrated for playing in Boston and catching so many no-hitters, but had a solid run from 2002 to 2005.

Mike Oz: No — He was a valuable piece of the Red Sox, and he’ll always be remembered fondly for that around Fenway, but he’s nowhere near a Hall of Famer.

Liz Roscher: No — Is there some kind of good teammate lifetime achievement award Varitek can get? Because he definitely deserves that, though not a place in the Hall of Fame.

Mark Townsend: No — Another guy who seemingly played forever. Varitek was an invaluable contributor during Boston’s reemergence at the turn of the century, but was far from elite.

TIM WAKEFIELD
Chris Cwik: No — One of the most memorable pitchers of his era because he threw the knuckleball. Impressive, long career, but not one destined for the Hall. Still, I’m glad I got to watch him.

Mike Oz: No — When I think of knuckleballs, I think of Wakefield. That may not be a Hall of Fame vote, but for a generation of baseball fans, that’s his legacy.

Liz Roscher: No — Wakefield’s devotion to the knuckleball and his longevity shouldn’t be ignored, but for me, even with his stats they’re not enough for enshrinement into the Hall.

Mark Townsend: No — He’s obviously not a Hall of Famer, but he’s certainly among the standard bearers for knuckleball pitchers. Was really happy for him when he reached 200 wins.

ALSO IN THIS SERIES:
• Jeff Bagwell
• Barry Bonds
• Roger Clemens
• Vladimir Guerrero
• Trevor Hoffman
• Edgar Martinez
• Mike Mussina
• Jorge Posada
• Tim Raines
• Manny Ramirez
• Ivan Rodriguez
• Curt Schilling
• Lee Smith
• Other Returnees: Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa, Billy Wagner and Larry Walker.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz