Where does Tim Raines rank?

Who are the best Hall of Fame candidates for 2012?

As ESPN.com's Rob Neyer points out, best may be a relative term in this discussion. There aren't a lot of big names, at least by Cooperstown standards, among the first-time candidates for the Hall of Fame in the next round of balloting. And with Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven gaining entry this year, the list of holdover candidates also lost some luster.

There are no guarantees anyone will be elected in 2012. But before we get to whether or not they belong in the Hall of Fame, how do you first size up some of the strongest candidates? Rank the players below.