On Sunday, 16 chosen elites from Major League Baseball will sit around talking baseball. To be more exact, they’ll talk about certain baseball players; eight former players who played between 1980 and 2005 will have their resumes scrutinized up and down to determine if they are eligible for entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame. We won’t have to wait around to find out who passed the muster because the announcements are set for sometime on Sunday after the group finishes deliberating.

What are the rules and who are the chosen ones to vote?

First, to be clear, this is not the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) balloting. Those ballots have already been sent to voters who have been members of the BBWAA for at least 10 years. Those voters – last season there were just under 400 of them – vote for as many candidates as they want to enter the Hall. The ballot includes players who have been retired for five years or more based on various criteria. This committee only considers players from the “Contemporary Era” of 1980-2005 and players are not on both ballots. To be elected by the Contemporary Era Committee, a player must collect 12 out of the possible 16 votes (75-percent).

While many BBWAA voters make their ballots public, these ballots are not made public. The process is much more guarded and the details of the discussions are not made public either. The committee has been very good about not breaking the non-public rule and they take the honor of voting, and the pledge not to disclose very seriously.

Who are these folks? Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Perez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount. Current and former MLB executives Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan are on the committee. Baseball writers Jayson Stark and Tyler Kepner from The Athletic will be voting, as will baseball historian Steve Hirdt from the Elias Sports Bureau.

Who is on this year’s ballot?

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela. Both Murphy and Valenzuela played for the Phillies, though Murphy is best known for his time with Atlanta and Valenzuela is best known for his time with the Dodgers. Just as a side note, did you know that the first team to beat Valenzuela was the Phillies? It was May 18, 1981 and snapped a streak of 7 wins in a row for the lefty. Mike Schmidt homered in the 4-0 win. But, I digress.

By the way, a player must be retired for at least 16 seasons to be considered by the committee.

The case for Murphy and Valenzuela

While Murphy was on the BBWAA ballot, his highest vote total was 23%, far short of the 75% needed to election. Last year he was on 6 Contemporary Era ballots half of what he would need to be elected.

Murphy was one of the defining stars of the 1980s, winning back-to-back MVP awards, five Gold Gloves, and four Silver Sluggers. At his peak, he combined elite power, strong defense in center field, and leadership that made him the face of the Braves franchise. His run from 1980–87 compares favorably with established Hall of Famers, and his durability and reputation for character strengthen his case. Supporters argue that the Hall should honor dominant peak performance, not only career longevity. Some voters these days are looking less at longevity and more at peak periods of performance like Murphy’s strong years between ’80 and ’87, which bodes well for him. A lot of voters are also considering character more and more in their votes. If that’s the case, Murphy – and for that matter, Mattingly – would be shoe-ins.

Don Mattingly: Ideal Candidate for Bench Coach

On the downside, Murphy’s career totals—particularly his batting average, on-base percentage, and lack of significant postseason impact—fall below typical Hall benchmarks. Advanced metrics place him behind contemporaries who are already enshrined.

For Valenzuela, this is his first time on the ballot. After being retired for 28 years, this is the first time that the Hall put him on the Contemporary Era ballot, which is somewhat remarkable. It’s sad that it took his death for him to reach the ballot.

Valenzuela was a cultural phenomenon whose impact went far beyond statistics. “Fernandomania” expanded baseball’s reach, especially within Latino communities. On the field, he won a Cy Young Award, Rookie of the Year, a World Series ring, and was a workhorse over 17 seasons, many of them among the elite pitchers of his time. His historical and cultural significance should elevate his candidacy.

Detractors say that his peak was short, his career ERA+ (104) and total wins (173) are modest for a Hall of Fame pitcher, and he lacked sustained dominance over a long period. Many view him as iconic but not statistically qualified.

Sheffield, Kent and Delgado are the other first timers on the ballot.

The Steroid Boys

Will the committee overlook their attachment to steroids and put Bonds and Clemens into the Hall of Fame? The committee only meets every three years and in their last meeting both were first timers and neither attracted more than four votes, which puts them in jeopardy of not being on the ballot in three more years if they don’t get more votes than that.

It’s hard to see the seven players being too enthusiastic about voting for them. Many players are the harshest critics of those connected with steroids and if the players don’t want them in, then they’re sunk. The votes from the executives would be interesting to know because their teams and jobs were affected by players using steroids and those who didn’t. Hard to tell which way they would vote. Writers didn’t put either in the Hall, so it figures the two writers on the committee – Stark and Kepner – would be difficult to persuade, but who knows? Then, the head of Elias Sports Bureau figures to be a hard sell since he is the big stats guy among the group.

Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro were not included on this year’s ballot.

Where is Curt Schilling?

Schilling was one of many potentially worthy stars who were not included on the ballot by the Historical Overview Committee which decides on the players on the ballot. On the BBWAA ballots, Schilling once got 71% of the votes, putting him close to election. He also got 7 votes in the last Contemporary Era balloting, so his exclusion is interesting. Many believe that his involvement in conservative issues and politics is keeping him from getting in. It says here that politics shouldn’t be an issue, but there are others who disagree. Right or wrong, Schilling’s chances of making the Hall are withering away.

Some other notable exclusions: Dwight Evans, who has the highest career WAR of any eligible right fielder who is not in the Hall of Fame. Lou Whitaker would have been an interesting name on the ballot, especially since Trammell was his double play partner with the Detroit Tigers. Evans and Whitaker are certainly deserving.

Other overlooked players: Albert Belle, Kevin Brown, Joe Carter, Will Clark, David Cone, Nomar Garciaparra, Keith Hernandez, Orel Hershiser, Kenny Lofton, Bret Saberhagen and Bernie Williams.