Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens once again fell short of the 75 percent vote required to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but the two titans of the Steroid Era are closer than they've ever been to enshrinement.
In their fourth years on the ballot, Bonds and Clemens received a significant increase from the 440 voters this go-round - an outcome possibly tied to the elimination of approximately 100 retired writers from the electorate.
Bonds and Clemens were predicted to receive a five-to-10 percent boost from 2015, which was on par with the results.
PERCENTAGE OF VOTE
| Year | Bonds | Clemens |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 44.3 | 45.2 |
| 2015 | 36.8 | 37.5 |
| 2014 | 34.7 | 35.4 |
| 2013 | 36.2 | 37.6 |
Bonds, the majors' all-time home runs leader, clubbed 762 over his 22-year career - including 73 in 2001 to set the single-season record. The 51-year-old is a 14-time All-Star, eight-time Gold Glove winner, and seven-time NL MVP.
Clemens has an equally impressive resume and is heralded as one of the most dominant pitchers in history. The right-hander is an 11-time All-Star, seven-time AL Cy Young winner, two-time World Series winner, and claimed the AL MVP in 1986 after going 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA.
Both players are eligible to remain on the ballot for six more years, as long as they receive the mandatory five percent of the vote.
