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, Utley tied 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.