The Baseball Hall of Fame announces the official ballot for the 2026 election

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Cooperstown, New York, The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) announced this Monday the official ballot for the 2026 Hall of Fame election, composed of 12 new candidates and 15 returning former players after appearing in the 2025 vote.

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In the last two years, the BBWAA has selected three new members per cycle, including great figures like Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, Ichiro Suzuki, and CC Sabathia, all elected in their first appearance. However, the 2026 edition presents a more competitive landscape.

Beltrán and Jones lead the returning candidates

Among the players with the most previous support, the Puerto Rican Carlos Beltrán and former center fielder Andruw Jones stand out, who are seen as the main candidates to receive the 75% necessary to be exalted. Beltrán, in his third appearance, reached 70.3% in the last vote, remaining less than five points from the threshold. Jones, for his part, continues a notable recovery in the ballots, registering 66.2% in 2025 and having two more years of eligibility.

Emerging Candidates on the Ballot

The debutant group is led by the left-hander Cole Hamels, identified as one of the options with the greatest potential to sustain himself in future votes. His career numbers –163 wins, 3.43 ERA, and 2,560 strikeouts– place him in close comparison with other pitchers on the ballot, such as Félix Hernández. In addition to Hamels, prominent names appear for the first time such as:

• Ryan Braun
• Shin-Soo Choo
• Alex Gordon
• Matt Kemp
• Nick Markakis
• Hunter Pence
• Edwin Encarnación
• Howie Kendrick
• Daniel Murphy
• Gio González
• Rick Porcello

Other returning players

Among the recurring candidates with the lowest previous percentage, the following stand out: Alex Rodríguez (37.1%), Manny Ramírez (34.3%, last year), Bob Abreu (19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (18.0%), Omar Vizquel (17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (11.9%), Mark Buehrle (11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (10.2%), David Wright (8.1%) and Torii Hunter (5.1%).

Key Dates

The BBWAA voting results will be announced on January 20, 2026 at 6 p.m. ET, in a special broadcast on MLB Network. The elected players will be part of the Class of 2026, which will join those selected by the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot, the results of which will be announced on December 7. The induction ceremony will take place in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26, 2026