2026 Hall Of Fame Ballot Results

The BBWAA's annual Hall of Fame voting results have been released. 

Carlos Beltran - 84.2% of the vote 

Andruw Jones - 78.4% 

Chase Utley - 59.1% 

Andy Pettitte - 48.5% 

Felix Hernandez - 46.1% 

Alex Rodriguez - 40.0% 

Manny Ramirez - 38.8% (aged off ballot) 

Bobby Abreu - 30.8% 

Jimmy Rollins - 25.4% 

Cole Hamels - 23.8% 

Dustin Pedroia - 20.7% 

Mark Buehrle - 20.0% 

Omar Vizquel - 18.4% 

David Wright - 14.8% 

Francisco Rodriguez - 11.8% 

Torii Hunter - 8.7% 

Dropoffs From Future Ballots 

Ryan Braun - 3.5% 

Edwin Encarnacion - 1.4% 

Shin-Soo Choo - 0.7% 

Matt Kemp - 0.5% 

Hunter Pence - 0.5% 

Rick Porcello - 0.5% 

Alex Gordon - 0.2% 

Nick Markakis - 0.2% 

Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy - 0% 

After several ballots each, Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected by the BBWAA this year. While I am pleased at the induction of Jones, a ten-time Gold Glove centerfielder who hit 434 home runs, I frankly do not think Beltran deserves his plaque. Due to his involvement in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing plot in 2017, one of the worst scandals in baseball history and one that cost him a managing job, I do not believe he is worthy of immortality in Cooperstown. However, I realize that his career record is among the greatest of all time, and that it already was before the scandal. Despite him struggling to get into the Hall on his first three ballots, the BBWAA has proven lenient enough to bypass the incident and focus on the many good things he did in his career. While I ultimately disagree with the voters' decision, I must congratulate Beltran for earning their favor. 

With Beltran's election, the door swings wide for a candidate like Dustin Pedroia, who may or may not have been guilty, but was also part of a team that was nailed for illegal sign stealing. After debuting at 11.9% last year, Pedroia climbed over 20% this year and has an outside shot at induction. Although he played his last full season at age 33 and has meager counting statistics, the 2008 MVP was one of the greatest defensive second basemen of all time and maintained a .300 career batting average until his final seven games. Pedroia should be an intriguing candidate in the coming years. 

At 59.1% on his third ballot, Chase Utley is quickly becoming a likely candidate for induction, perhaps even in the next year or two. A six-time all-star and postseason hero for the Phillies, the slugging second baseman has a compelling case for the Hall of Fame. 

After middling on the ballot for six years, Andy Pettitte jumped to 27.9% in 2025 and 48.5% this year, making him a legitimate candidate for induction. While I personally would not vote for him, he is the winner of 256 games (plus 19 more in the postseason) and five World Series rings, making him an attractive candidate to many voters. 

After debuting at 20.6% last year, Felix Hernandez garnered a surprising 46.1% of the vote in 2026, a second-year tally which has historically bidden well for players. While I believe Hernandez's career is short of the Hall's standards (169-136 record, 3.42 ERA in 2,729 2/3 innings), he seems to be gaining the necessary traction that would lead to his induction. 

Similarly, Cole Hamels debuted with 23.8%, slightly higher than Hernandez's first-year total. Although Hamels's career was more consistent and less spectacular than Hernandez's, their career numbers are nearly identical, and given the outcomes of their respective ballots, it seems clear that the BBWAA's criteria for starting pitchers are changing. 

Although still only at 30.8%, Bobby Abreu jumped from 19.5% on last year's ballot, meaning he may still have a shot at a plaque. A consistent star who performed mostly under the radar, Abreu is one of the best players on the current ballot and has been for years. 

Finally, it is time to say goodbye to Manny Ramirez, who was aged off his tenth and final ballot. Despite 555 career home runs, the Hall has once again shown that it will not cave to steroid users. 

Update On Active Players (2025)

With the conclusion of the 2025 MLB season and all the awards handed out, let's take another look at the best active players and their paths to Cooperstown. 

Locks 

Mike Trout had a little bit of a letdown season in 2025, but he still managed 26 homers and 87 walks in 130 games. He eclipsed both 400 homers and 1,000 RBI's this season, and should continue to add to what is already a Hall-worthy resume. 

Justin Verlander had a rough start to 2025 but turned in a 1.96 ERA across his final seven starts, finishing the campaign at 3.85. Regardless of how he does in the future, he has done enough to earn his Hall of Fame plaque, compiling 266 wins, 3,553 strikeouts, and three Cy Young Awards. 

Max Scherzer struggled to a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this season due to various injuries, but he rebounded with a decent postseason as the Blue Jays captured the American League pennant. At age 41, Scherzer seems to be slowing down, but the three-time Cy Young winner has already done enough to secure his place in Cooperstown. 

Likely Candidates 

Freddie Freeman had another solid season in 2025, batting .295 with 24 homers and 90 RBI's at age 35. The first baseman has made five all-star teams in a row (nine total) and his counting stats are quickly adding up. He should make the Hall of Fame in due time. 

Nolan Arenado had a tough season in St. Louis, batting .237 with 12 home runs in 107 games. An eight-time all-star and ten-time Gold Glover at third, Arenado should still make it to Cooperstown, but probably won't sail in as easily as expected if he doesn't return to form. 

Manny Machado, in many ways Arenado's counterpart at third, enjoyed a productive 2025 season, bashing 27 homers and making his seventh all-star game. The 33-year old collected his 2,000th hit and scored his 1,000th run this season, and should have enough left to finish out a Hall-worthy career. 

Mookie Betts had an off year in 2025, slashing .258 / .326 / .406 (104 OPS+) with 20 home runs. While he will likely finish his career with Hall of Fame credentials, I would never vote for him due to his involvement in the Red Sox's cheating scandal in 2018. However, if Carlos Beltran is inducted this year, then Betts would almost certainly be a lock. 

Jose Altuve, on the other hand, seems to be innocent of illegal sign-stealing, despite his unpopularity. The 35-year old second baseman hit 26 homers in 2025 and is building a Hall of Fame resume. If he can withstand the cheating accusations, then he should be inducted. 

Jose Ramirez had another fantastic season in 2025, hitting 30 homers and stealing 44 bases to finish third in the AL MVP Award voting. One of the top hitters today, Ramirez scored his 1,000th run this year and should have several more productive years left. With a few more quality seasons to round out his counting stats, he should be able to make it to Cooperstown. 

Bryce Harper had a bit of a downturn this season but still produced, belting 27 homers and driving in 75 runs. At age 33, the two-time MVP should have time left to finish making a compelling case for Cooperstown. 

Aaron Judge had another historic season in 2025, leading the Majors in all three slash stats (.331 / .457 / .688) while clubbing 53 homers. Heading into his age-34 season, the seven-time all-star has shown no signs of slowing down, and could easily become a first ballot Hall of Famer. 

Corey Seager only played 102 games in 2025, but he still hit 21 homers and had the best defensive season of his career. At age 31 Seager is still a top hitter, and although his counting stats are a little low, he has plenty of time to round them out, as he is under contract until 2032. His 221 career homers are already ninth on the all-time list for shortstops, making him a likely future Hall of Famer. 

Francisco Lindor enjoyed his third straight 30-homer season in 2025 and sixth overall, hitting 31 dingers and scoring 117 runs for the Mets. One of the best shortstops in the game today, he should make the Hall of Fame if he can maintain his current pace for the duration of his contract (through 2031), which is very realistic. 

Juan Soto had another fine season in 2025, slashing .263 / .396 / .525 with 43 homers and 105 RBI's and finishing third in the NL MVP Award voting. He also surprised the game by leading the NL with 38 stolen bases, far surpassing his previous career high of 12. At age 27, the slugger already has 244 homers and six Silver Slugger awards, certainly putting him on a Hall of Fame trajectory if he can maintain his pace. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. powered the Blue Jays all the way to the World Series in 2025 before falling to the Dodgers. Heading into his age-27 season, Guerrero is under contract through 2039, giving him 14 more years to round out his case. If he even somewhat fulfills that contract, he should be on a fast track to join his old man in Cooperstown. 

Ronald Acuna Jr. struggled with injuries this year but still produced, batting .290 with 21 homers in 95 games. He just turned 28, so he has plenty of time to turn in a Hall of Fame career, but he needs to stay on the field in order to make a solid case. 

Shohei Ohtani had another mind-boggling season in 2025, smashing 55 home runs and posting a 2.87 ERA (in limited action) to take home his third straight MVP and the fourth of his career. He also collected his 1,000th career hit, and will be considered a lock on this list once he reaches his tenth MLB season, officially making him eligible for induction into the Hall. 

Jacob deGrom had a vintage season in 2025, starting 30 games for the first time since 2019 and posting a 2.97 ERA as the American League Comeback Player of the Year. He'll almost certainly reach 100 wins next year and should reach 2,000 strikeouts if he can maintain his health. There's no doubting the three-time Cy Young Award winner's pitching ability, and given the lessening emphasis on pitchers' counting stats and deGrom's impact on the game, he should make it to Cooperstown. 

Chris Sale produced when healthy this year, posting a 2.58 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 21 appearances (20 starts). A nine-time all-star and last year's NL Cy Young Award winner, Sale is still a top pitcher and should reach 3,000 career strikeouts. His 145 wins are a little slim in the context of the Hall, but as previously mentioned, Hall of Fame voters seem to be putting less emphasis on pitchers' counting stats due to increased bullpen use in today's game, so I'd say he's a likely Hall of Fame candidate. 

Kenley Jansen had another fine season in 2025, saving 29 games and compiling a 2.59 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels. He needs three more saves to eclipse Hall of Famer Lee Smith, and the only players ahead of him would be Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. Given the Hall's recent induction of Billy Wagner, Jansen should have no trouble getting in, although reaching 1,000 career innings would certainly help solidify his case. 

Wait And See 

Giancarlo Stanton had only 249 at bats this year, but he made them count, batting .273 with 24 home runs and a .594 slugging percentage. He currently has 453 career homers, but the rest of his counting stats (compiled as a poor outfielder and DH) are somewhat low. If he can produce for a few more seasons, perhaps reaching 2,000 hits and 500 home runs, then he should have a good chance at induction. If not, then the home runs alone won't get him there, as evidenced by the BBWAA's recent treatment of Fred McGriff and Gary Sheffield. 

J.T. Realmuto had a decent season in 2025 (.257 average, 12 homers), but he appears to be slowing down. A defense-first catcher with modest counting stats, I believe he could finish his career as a viable candidate, but due to a late start and the fact that catchers are grossly underestimated, he could have a tough time making it. 

Trea Turner turned in another strong season in 2025, winning his first NL batting title and stealing 36 bases en route to a fifth place finish in the MVP Award voting. At age 32, his counting stats are pretty thin, but he is still a top hitter and could finish rounding out a Hall of Fame career with a few more productive seasons. 

Salvador Perez had another fine season for the Royals, hitting 30 home runs (including his 300th) and driving in an even 100 runs (including his 1,000th). A franchise player in Kansas City and a consistent producer, Perez should have enough on his resume to merit a plaque, but due to a low OBP and WAR (tough on catchers), he may need a few more quality seasons to be sure. 

Gerrit Cole missed the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery and will likely miss the start of 2026 as well. At age 35, he owns a 3.18 ERA and 153 career wins, but he is also short of 2,000 career innings. If he recovers well and has a couple more quality seasons, then he can be a viable candidate; anything less and he could be in trouble. 

Blake Snell made only eleven starts in 2025 due to injury, but he made the most of them, posting a 2.35 ERA. At age 33, he has four more years on his contract, and if he can stay healthy and effective for the duration of his deal, then he should have a decent chance at induction. 

Craig Kimbrel made 14 appearances this year between the Braves and Astros, posting a 2.25 ERA. Currently a free agent, his career seems to be hanging by a thread, and it would be tough to guarantee him a spot in Cooperstown with his current record (although not impossible). The recent induction of Billy Wagner will certainly help his case, as would another productive season or two. 

Aroldis Chapman surprised everybody in 2025, posting a career-best 1.17 ERA and 32 saves as he made his eighth all-star team. His counting stats are still a little thin, but he could definitely come around as a viable Hall of Fame candidate if he can pitch at a high level for a couple more seasons, which does not seem unlikely. 

Unlikely Candidates 

Christian Yelich also had a surprising season in 2025, hitting 29 home runs (his most since 2019) and driving in 103 runs (his most since 2018). The two-time batting champion and former MVP's chances at Cooperstown are still long, but a few more seasons like this and it could be a completely different story. 

As usual, Dansby Swanson was productive but unspectacular in 2025, batting .244 with 24 homers and 77 RBI's while playing good defense at shortstop. Across his career, Swanson has been consistently good but rarely great, and with an abundance of power-hitting shortstops in recent years, Swanson's type is losing appreciation. He could fall behind the others on the ballot and have trouble making it to Cooperstown. 

Ozzie Albies is coming off a down year, hitting only .240 with 16 homers in 157 games this season. After suffering a concerning wrist injury in 2024, many wondered if it would affect his power, and so far that seems to be the case. Albies just turned 29, but unless he has a few more 30-homer seasons in him, I think his Hall of Fame chances are very low. 

Zack Wheeler was enjoying a career year in 2025 before a blood clot was discovered in his pitching arm after an August start. The righthander has announced his intention to retire after his contract runs out in 2027, giving him at most two seasons to pull his case together. With only 283 career starts and 113 wins, I think he is an unlikely candidate at best. 

Aaron Nola struggled mightily in 2025, pitching to a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts due to injury and ineffectiveness. Heading into his age-33 season, Nola owns a career win-loss record of 109-89 and an ERA of 3.83, making his Hall of Fame chances very long indeed. 

Fallen Out Of Contention 

After a promising 2024 season, 38-year old Yu Darvish posted a 5.38 ERA in 15 starts this year before suffering a major UCL injury that will cost him all of 2026. A phenom pitcher in his youth, his chances were very long anyway, and after the events of this year it's safe to say that he's fallen out of contention for the Hall. 

Retirees 

Paul Goldschmidt played his final season in 2025 for the Yankees, batting .274 and scoring 76 runs. The 2022 NL MVP and two-time runner-up collected 372 career homers, 1,232 RBI's, and 2,190 hits while making seven all-star teams. He also won four Gold Glove awards and five Silver Sluggers. I think he has done enough for Cooperstown, but is not a lock; his chances with the BBWAA will likely depend on how crowded his ballots are, but I'd like to see him inducted eventually. 

Clayton Kershaw had an outstanding final season in the Majors, going 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA and taking home a World Series ring. The owner of a 223-96 career record, a 2.53 ERA, 3,052 strikeouts, and three Cy Young Awards, Kershaw is a lock for Cooperstown and a definite first-ballot selection. 

Some Thoughts About The Steroid Era

From the late 1980's to early 2000's, baseball was plagued by the steroid era, a time of massive sluggers, shattered records, and immense scandal. As such, it is very difficult to properly judge players from that era, and most people struggle to form concise opinions on specific candidates. I think it is a mistake to take players from this era solely due to performance, since for many that performance was enhanced through artificial means (which is not only cheating, but also a false sense of a player's ability), and on the other hand, it is a slippery slope to play the detective and try to determine for oneself who was innocent and who was guilty. For those who look more critically than that, but still not critically enough, there are two principal errors that many people fall into. 

    The first error is committed by those who simply discredit the entire era as tainted. They either assume that everyone who played during that time was taking steroids and is thus undeserving, or merely deplore the entire time period and opine that the period itself does not deserve to be represented by the Hall (which is a subtle way of shying away from evaluating candidates because the waters are too murky). Tony Gwynn, a clean player who won batting championships throughout the steroid era, used to complain that his accomplishments fairly achieved were devalued because of the time in which he played. 

    The second error is to discount certain batters' achievements as products of an excessively offense-laden era, such as the 1930's. They were not truly great, some argue, but were carried by the time in which they played. In my opinion, this argument makes no sense. The primary reason for the boom in offense was because players were taking steroids, contributing to home run totals unheard of in baseball history, making it harder for clean batters to compete with them for accolades and recognition (not to mention league-adjusted stats). While steroid use was evidently more of a problem on the hitting side, many pitchers were juiced as well, presenting an additional challenge for hitters who refused to jab themselves. Therefore, the statistics of clean players from this era should not be devalued, but actually valued higher. 

    Two candidates previously advocated for on this blog who are relevant in this discussion are Moises Alou and Carlos Delgado. Moises Alou had a fine career (.303 / .369 / .516, 332 homers) but doesn't appear to be a Hall of Famer on the surface. However, his career statistics could have been better if he never faced a tainted pitcher, and his 128 OPS+ could have been 20 or more points higher if not for the other batters he had to compete with. All in all, if Alou had played in an era untouched by steroid use, then he would likely be a borderline Hall of Famer. 

    Delgado, on the other hand, is at least a borderline Hall of Fame candidate as it is (.280 / .383 / .546, 473 homers), but has yet been shown little interest by the Hall, most likely because he seldom beat out the steroid users for league leadership in offense. If not for rampant steroid use during his career, he likely would have 500 home runs, and his 138 OPS+ might have been closer to 150 or 160. In a perfect world, if he had achieved these figures, there would be little discussion about his worthiness of induction. 

2025 Contemporary Era Hall Of Fame Ballot Results

On December 7, the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee released the results of their 2025 election. 

Jeff Kent - 14 of 16 votes 

Carlos Delgado - 9 votes 

Don Mattingly - 6 votes 

Dale Murphy - 6 votes 

Fernando Valenzuela, Gary Sheffield, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds - fewer than 5 votes each 

After having been staved off the BBWAA ballot, Jeff Kent has finally made it to Cooperstown. The 2000 MVP and record holder for career home runs among second basemen, he is more than worthy of this honor. 

Read my previous blog post from 2023 in advocacy of his selection: 

The Cooperstown Advocate: WHY I THINK JEFF KENT SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

2026 Hall Of Fame Ballot

The following players are on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot for 2026. There are 27 total candidates, with 12 newcomers joining 15 holdovers from last year's ballot. Here is the list of new names, followed by the returning players: 

Ryan Braun 

Shin-Soo Choo 

Edwin Encarnacion 

Gio Gonzalez 

Alex Gordon 

Cole Hamels 

Matt Kemp 

Howie Kendrick 

Nick Markakis 

Daniel Murphy 

Hunter Pence 

Rick Porcello 

Manny Ramirez (10th year on the ballot) 

Andruw Jones (9th) 

Omar Vizquel (9th) 

Andy Pettitte (8th) 

Bobby Abreu (7th) 

Mark Buehrle (6th) 

Torii Hunter (6th) 

Alex Rodriguez (5th) 

Jimmy Rollins (5th) 

Carlos Beltran (4th) 

Francisco Rodriguez (4th) 

Chase Utley (3rd) 

David Wright (3rd) 

     Each voter can vote for up to ten players for the Hall of Fame. If I were a voter, I'd cast my ballots for Andruw Jones, Bobby Abreu, and Chase Utley. 

Andruw Jones was a standout defensive centerfielder (10 consecutive Gold Gloves) and a feared slugger (434 home runs). The highlight of his career came in 2005, when he placed second for the NL MVP Award in 2005 after leading the league in homers (51) and RBI's (128). However, a brutal end to his career leaves him with a .254 career batting average and a lack of certain counting stats, and so far the voters haven't been able to look past that. Despite the decline, I still think his career is worthy of inclusion in the Hall. 

Bobby Abreu was one of the most underrated players of his day. Rarely a league leader in offense, Abreu quietly collected 2,470 hits, 400 stolen bases, and eight 100-RBI seasons. His career slash line was .291 / .395 / .470, and he captured a Gold Glove in 2005. After an entire career and six years on the ballot without being fully appreciated, I think it's time for him to earn his plaque. 

Chase Utley was an outstanding defensive second baseman who also provided considerable power, belting 259 career homers, including three seasons with over 30. Perhaps an even bigger impact player during the postseason, Utley was vital to the Phillies' run of five consecutive playoff appearances from 2007 through 2011, even matching Reggie Jackson's record with five home runs in the 2009 World Series. 

As usual, I will bypass the steroid users on this list, as well as Carlos Beltran, who was involved in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal in 2017. I would like to extend honorable mentions to Torii Hunter, a nine-time Gold Glove winner who hit 353 homers; Francisco Rodriguez, who owns the single-season save record with 62 and 437 in his career; and Hunter Pence, one of the most inspirational players of his generation and a significant role-player on the San Francisco Giants' championship teams of 2012 and 2014. 

Lucky Hall Of Famer Number 56 - Kiki Cuyler

Kiki Cuyler was a Major League outfielder from 1921 through 1938, putting in his best work with the Pirates and the Cubs. A career .321 hitter known for his speed, Cuyler led the NL four times in stolen bases and twice in runs scored. He was elected to the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 1968. 

    While Cuyler was a fine player and a key contributor to some good teams, he was not an ideal choice for the Hall of Fame. While his .321 batting average looks shiny, it has to be taken with a grain of salt considering the era in which he played: for example, in 1930 (Cuyler's best season on paper), the entire National League maintained a batting average of .303, demonstrating a general boom in offense that needs to be accounted for. Even in a more statistically-balanced era, Cuyler's career statistics would be a little thin for a Hall of Fame outfielder, as he compiled 2,299 career hits, 128 home runs, and 1,065 RBI's, strong numbers but below the Hall of Fame average. While the Hall has certainly made worse selections, Cuyler missed out on his chance with the BBWAA and was scooped up by the VC, certainly making him a lucky Hall of Famer. 

My opinion: Kiki Cuyler wasn't an egregious Hall of Fame selection, but he is definitely near the weaker end.

Requiescat In Pace, Ryne Sandberg

In Memoriam

Ryne Sandberg (1959-2025)

Hall of Famer, 1984 NL MVP, 10x All-Star, 9x Gold Glove winner, 7x Silver Slugger, 1984 Sporting News Major League POY, 1990 HR Derby champ, 1990 NL HR champ. "Ryno."

Ryne Sandberg died yesterday at age 65. 

Eternal rest grant to him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.