Notoriously one of the most unforgiving Hall of Fame in sports, Cooperstown will be inducting five new members in 2025 − three elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and two by the Classic Baseball Era Committee.
Since 2020, only one other Hall of Fame class has had as many members as this year’s (seven in 2022), making 2025 one of the largest Cooperstown classes in recent memory. With baseball legends like Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia getting enshrined this year, the ceremony is something that no baseball fan should miss.
Here’s everything to know about the 2025 MLB Hall of Fame induction ceremony:
When is the Hall of Fame ceremony?
The ceremony is set for Sunday, July 27 at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB.com and the MLB app. The event will take place at the Clark Sports Center, about a mile south of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Who is being inducted?
The three players inducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America are 2001 AL MVP and single-season hits record holder Ichiro Suzuki, 2007 AL Cy Young winner and member of the 3,000-strikeout club CC Sabathia, as well as seven-time All-Star closer Billy Wagner.
Dave Parker and Dick Allen were elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Both men will be enshrined posthumously. Parker, who died last month, was NL MVP in 1978, won two World Series with the Pirates and Athletics, and was a two-time batting champ. Allen, who died in 2020, was named AL MVP in 1972. He’s a seven-time All-Star with a career .951 OPS, sixth best of all players in the Integration Era with at least 5,000 plate appearances. The only men with better marks are Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Mike Trout, Mark McGwire and Mickey Mantle.
What cap will Sabathia wear in Cooperstown?
Sabathia will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a New York Yankee, the 22nd Yankee to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Sabathia spent 11 years in pinstripes, compared to 7.5 as a member of the Cleveland franchise. Sabathia won his only World Series title with the Yankees. He also finished top five in Cy Young voting in each of his first three seasons in the Bronx.
The decisions for Ichiro and Wagner were much simpler as both players are best known for one team: the Mariners and Astros respectively. Parker will go into the Hall as a Pirate, while Allen will be enshrined as a member of the Phillies.