The 2026 Hall of Fame Ballot sees a plethora of first-timers and returning hopefuls. Players spend their entire careers working as hard as they can, performing at the highest level, day in and day out, to get a chance at entering the exclusive MLB Hall of Fame. Below are strong candidates to make the cut in 2026.
Notable First-Time Eligible Players
Ryan Braun, the face of the Milwaukee Brewers, is the franchise leader in home runs with 352, posting 202 in his first six seasons. During that period, he slashed .313/.374.568, made five All-Star teams, and earned 2007 National League Rookie of the Year and 2011 National League MVP honors. The only thing holding him back are reports linking him to PED use. He was suspended for 65 games in 2013 for violations of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Cole Hamels looks to follow 2025 inductee CC Sabathia as another lefty ace to reach the Hall of Fame. While his career numbers aren’t as good as Sabathia’s, mainly because he played fewer years, he still posted substantial numbers pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers.
He was a four-time All-Star and had masterful 2007-2016 seasons. His career ERA is 3.43, tied for 13th among starters in the Wild Card Era (since 1995, minimum 2,000 IP), and he struck out 2,560 batters. Over 10 seasons with the Phillies, only Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Robin Roberts had more strikeouts in franchise history.
Alex Gordon, the Kansas City Royals’ franchise icon, has had a decent career, especially with his glove, winning eight Gold Gloves and two Platinum Gloves. When defensive runs saved started to be tracked in 2003, Gordon’s 109 DRS stands taller than any other outfielder. He is also sixth in Royals history with 1,643 hits and 34.5 bWAR. He helped the team win pennants in 2014 and 2015, with a World Series ring coming in 2015.
Returning Hopefuls
Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, if their careers weren’t tainted with performance-enhancing drugs, would have been immediately voted into the Hall of Fame. Sadly, it’s a blip on the resume. People have been going back and forth on this in recent years, citing it was just part of the game at the time, and everyone was doing it. There’s potential leniency because of what they did for the sport could far outweigh the reasons behind it. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens, especially with Ramirez in his 10th and final year on the ballot.
Other returning members on the Hall of Fame ballot are Carlos Beltrán, Felix Hernández, and Francisco Rodriguez. Based on their numbers, should have a good chance at finally being elected. Beltrán, a notorious switch-hitter, made his biggest impact while with the Royals and New York Mets. Throughout his career, he was just 300 hits short of 3,000 and hit 435 home runs, not to mention his impressive 70 WAR.
“The King,” spending all his years with the Seattle Mariners, was a fan favorite and mowed down batters left and right while also keeping his walks down. He pitched a Perfect Game in 2012, the 23rd at the time, but unfortunately never got to make a big impact in the postseason. “K-Rod,” a prolific closer, set the Los Angeles Angels’ single save record in 2008 with 62 and is 6th in career saves with 437.
