Former Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday falls off Hall of Fame ballot in first year

The Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2024 was announced on Tuesday evening, and while no St. Louis Cardinals were expected to be inducted, it was a bit surprising to see the lack of support for former outfielder Matt Holliday.

Holliday, in his first year of eligibility, received a vote from just 1% of those who cast their ballots, which means he will not make a return to the ballot in the coming years.

Holliday began his career in Colorado and was a three-time All-Star during his five seasons there, including finishing second in Most Valuable Player voting during the 2007 season, the year he led the Rockies to their lone World Series appearance in franchise history. One of his Rockies teammates, Todd Helton, was inducted this weekend.

Following the 2008 season, Holliday was dealt to the Oakland Athletics, and after a nice first half, he was traded again to the Cardinals. In the 63 games he played in the second half for St. Louis, Holliday was a monster at the plate, slashing .353/.419/.604 with 16 HR and 55 RBI as the Cardinals made a playoff push.

Holliday resigned with the Cardinals in the offseason and went on to have an incredible eight-year run with St. Louis, including four All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger, MVP votes in four seasons, and winning the World Series with the club in 2011. Over the course of his time in St. Louis, Holliday posted a 138 OPS+ and was a steady force in the middle of their lineup as they continued to be a force in the National League. They made the World Series in 2013 with Holliday in the heart of their order and two additional NLCS appearances in 2012 and 2014.

While Holliday was seen as a long shot at making it into Cooperstown, he was inducted into the Cardinals' Hall of Fame in 2022 and gave one of the more memorable speeches I can remember from recent inductees.

Holliday will be remembered by Cardinals fans for a long time for his steady presence in the Cardinals lineup. He may not have had the highs of other Cardinals legends when it comes to individual performances, but few have been as consistently productive as Holliday.

While he stepped away from a coaching opportunity with St. Louis before the 2023 season, it's widely expected that Holliday will jump back into Major League Baseball as a manager someday. His oldest son, Jackson, is the top prospect in baseball in the Orioles system, and his second oldest son, Ethan, is the top-ranked player in the class of 2025. Holliday's legacy in the game of baseball will only continue to grow from here.