Baseball Hall of Fame Roundtable: Four Burning Questions Before the Class of 2026 is Revealed
The Baseball Hall of Fame's class of 2026 will be unveiled on Tuesday, as the Baseball Writers' Association of America's voting results are released. Jeff Kent was already voted in by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee last month, and Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones are expected to join him, based on publicly released results, though neither is a certainty just yet.
Over the past month, we've delved into the candidacies of Beltrán, Jones, Francisco Rodriguez, Cole Hamels, a quartet of second basemen, and all 12 first-time candidates. With just one day left until the candidates' fates are revealed, three of our staff members addressed some of the biggest questions surrounding this year's vote.
- Which of the 11 first-time candidates currently polling below 5% on Ryan Thibodeaux's Hall of Fame ballot tracker deserves a closer look rather than falling off the ballot?
Tom Verducci: Edwin Encarnación. Encarnación, who started his career at 29, hit 30 homers or more for eight straight seasons. Only Encarnación, Mike Schmidt, and Babe Ruth achieved seven straight 30-homer seasons in their 30s. The numbers are impressive: 424 homers, 1,261 RBI, and a 123 OPS+. Only 44 players have reached these thresholds, and 29 are in the Hall of Fame. The only eligible players not in the Hall and not connected to PEDs are Encarnación and Carlos Delgado.
Nick Selbe: Nick Markakis. Markakis, frequently overlooked throughout his 15-year career, made his lone All-Star appearance at age 34. He won three Gold Gloves, led the league in WAR in 2008, and consistently played 155 or more games in 11 different seasons. While he is not a Hall of Famer, making it onto the ballot for one more year would be a well-deserved achievement for one of his era's most consistent hitters.
Ryan Phillips: Alex Gordon. Gordon, one of the best defensive outfielders of his era, won eight Gold Gloves and helped the Royals win the World Series in 2015, despite being a three-time All-Star.
- Which returning candidate would you like to see a surge in support?
Tom Verducci: Jimmy Rollins. Rollins, a reliable shortstop with a below-average career OPS+, deserves a closer look. He made up for his lack of walks with an extra-base hitting machine, accumulating the most extra-base hits while playing shortstop. He is the only player with 200 homers and 400 steals at shortstop. Rollins also meets the 'fame' requirement, having won an MVP award, a World Series, and holding the longest hitting streak in the past quarter century.
Nick Selbe: Andruw Jones. Jones, in his ninth year on the ballot, is likely to earn enshrinement. However, other slick-fielding, power-hitting center fielders like Torii Hunter deserve serious consideration from voters.
Ryan Phillips: Andy Pettitte. Despite being a three-time All-Star, Pettitte's multiple PED dips matter. Felix Hernández, on the other hand, finished in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting six times, with four top-four finishes. Hernández had twice as many top 10 ERA finishes as Pettitte.
- Andy Pettitte and Felix Hernández are both polling above 50% after being named on less than 30% of ballots last year. Which pitcher do you think is more deserving?
Tom Verducci: Felix Hernández. Hernández's top 10 Cy Young Award finishes and more impressive peak make him a stronger candidate.
Nick Selbe: Felix Hernández, despite Pettitte's better career, has a Cy Young Award on his resume, which is a significant factor.
Ryan Phillips: Andy Pettitte. Pettitte's higher career WAR and JAWS rating make him a stronger candidate.
- What would be your hypothetical ballot?
Nick Selbe: Bobby Abreu, Carlos Beltrán, Mark Buehrle, Felix Hernández, Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Chase Utley, David Wright.
Ryan Phillips: Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones are no-doubters, and I'd also add Pettitte. No one else on the ballot is worthy of inclusion.
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