With the announcement of voting results just over three weeks away (January 26 on MLB Network), there are no clear shoo-ins from the current ballot for enshrinement into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this July. At least not this year.

Thanks to the tireless work of Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs on Twitter) and his team, fans, media, and Cooperstown hopefuls alike can all stay up to date on the influx of ballots that are made public ahead, on, or after the December 31 postmark cutoff date.

Voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America decide whether to make their ballots public — usually via social media — and Thibodaux logs and updates his tracker. It really is a bright spot in the long, dark, baseball-less winter.

According to Thibodaux’s 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame Tracker, with 30.8 percent of ballots logged thus far (as of Monday evening), Barry Bonds (73.8 percent) and Roger Clemens (73.0 percent) are closest to the 75 percent benchmark necessary for enshrinement. Curt Schilling is next in line at 72.1 percent and Scott Rolen (68.9 percent) brings up the rear of potential 2021 electees.

Historically, as more ballots are counted, these percentages drop. It’s entirely conceivable no one will be joining the 2020 Hall of Fame class — Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons, Larry Walker, and longtime MLBPA head Marvin Miller, whose ceremonies were postponed due to COVID-19 last summer — in upstate New York this July.

Though, in years like this, candidates making headway towards future enshrinement becomes the name of the game. And some are truly making waves.

Former Rockies standout Todd Helton (54.9 percent), for example, has picked up 23 new votes (per Thibodaux’s returning voters) this season — his third on the ballot — fueling his push for the park-adjusted glory his former Colorado teammate Walker will enjoy this July (well deserved, on both accounts, if you’re asking me).

Rolen’s gained steam, adding 20 new backers in his fourth year of eligibility. One would assume a .281/.364/.490 career batting line, 2,077 hits, 316 home runs, and 69.9 wins above replacement (FanGraphs; would rank eighth among HOF third basemen), as well as pristine defense, would make his case an easy one.

The same could be said for Gary Sheffield (52.5 percent, +12 votes this year; .292/.393/.514, 509 home runs), but these things take time.

Former Mets (and Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, and Braves) closer Billy Wagner has also seen his candidacy receive a shot in the arm, picking up 18 new votes in his sixth season on the ballot, bringing his voting percentage to a solid 50 percent.

Wagner enjoyed a terrific career. Over his 16-year run in the majors, the Virginia product pitched to a 2.31 ERA (2.73 FIP) with 1,196 strikeouts, 300 walks, and just 82 home runs allowed in 903 innings pitched.

Wagner’s 24 wins above replacement would place him fourth on the Hall of Fame relief pitcher leaderboards, behind Trevor Hoffman (25.9 fWAR) and ahead of Dennis Eckersley (20.4 fWAR). We compared Wagner to Hoffman here in 2018, and the argument still holds water.

Again, it will take a strong finish from any of the above-mentioned players to gain election later this month. But there are surely some worthy candidates and traction is most certainly being made on many fronts.