Dustin Pedroia will remain on the Hall of Fame ballot next year, but it's going to be an uphill battle to get his call to Cooperstown.

Dustin Pedroia was one of several former Red Sox players who landed on the latest Baseball Hall of Fame voting ballot this year.

On Tuesday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum revealed the 2025 Hall of Fame class, which included former Boston Red Sox reliever Billy Wagner. Wagner, 53, was a first-round pick of the Houston Astros in the 1993 MLB draft out of Ferrum College. He debuted with Houston in 1995 and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004.

Last year at this time, Joe Mauer was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. And I — well, my ego — needed to grieve. In all my self righteousness garnered through 15 years covering MLB as a reporter,