The results are in! Carlos Beltran and Andrew Jones are the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Baseball Writers Association of America The pair were selected to Cooperstown’s Class of 2026 With 84.2% and 78.4% of the votes respectively. They are joined by Jeff Kent, Who were selected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December.
ESPN MLB experts Buster Olney, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers and Jorge Castillo explain what the 2026 election tells us and look ahead to the 2027 vote and beyond.
Besides those elected, who is the biggest winner on this year’s ballot?
Olney: Last year, Felix Hernandez received 20.6% of the vote in his first year on the ballot, and this year, he took a big step forward to 46.1%, in what now appears to be a steady march toward election. There was a time when King Felix was in the discussion for the best pitcher on the planet, winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2010, and it seems his lack of gaudy accumulation statistics – he finished his career with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts – are something voters will accept.
Rogers: Chase Utley is headed in the right direction. His jump on the ballot for the third time was large enough – from 39.8% to 59.1% – to lead one to believe he would be included sooner rather than later. His growth is similar to what Jones and Beltran experienced before being selected. Add in the fact that Utley finished with the highest percentage of votes among those who did not receive a vote this year – meaning he could be next. With seven years remaining on the ballot, he is now on his way to becoming a Hall of Famer.
Castillo: Félix Hernández and every other elite modern starting pitcher lack the historical prerequisites focused on counting statistics for pitching with major peaks. His jump this year not only suggests he’ll finally reach 75%, but also that he’ll reach that number sooner than previously thought after a career that ended with a 3.42 ERA in 2,279⅔ innings. This is a victory for him and other future starting pitchers who did not compile huge counting statistics among the top starting pitchers last year.
Doolittle: King Felix. I am troubled by the potentially low representation of modern beginners in the Hall. (More on this coming Thursday.) The surge in support for Hernandez is truly encouraging. His career is almost certainly going to look more like that of the typical Hall of Fame starter in the future than those Justin Verlander, max shazer And clayton kershaw. If the bar is set at that latter trio, we won’t have enough starters in Cooperstown. That said, Hernandez still has some way to go.
Who suffered the biggest losses in this year’s voting results?
Olney: The Hall of Fame is there because the steroid era lines in the voting processes have completely hardened. There was a time when some writers and non-polling pundits hypothesized that the perspective on PED use would loosen over time. The theory was that young voters would be more accepting of the idea that the business of baseball has effectively promoted PED use by looking the other way, and would stop punishing a handful of players for the sins of a generation. But this has not happened. Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez have not made any progress in their vote share, as have Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire and others. The Hall of Fame should be the model to provide a greater understanding of PED use, and instead, its goal is to punish some people without acknowledging that there are almost certainly current HOFers who have made similar choices.
Rogers: By definition, Manny Ramirez lost the most in this cycle, as it was his last chance on the ballot. He didn’t come close to making it. As Buster writes, HOF voters have been fairly consistent when it comes to known PED users: If you were caught and punished, you wouldn’t be in. Ramirez earned 38.8% of the vote, again showing that there is a voting block of about a third or slightly more that is willing to overlook players who break PED rules – but not enough to get him elected.
Castillo: Five years ago, Omar Vizquel appeared to be headed to Cooperstown. The former shortstop was on 49.1% of ballots in 2021, slotting between Scott Rolen, Billy Wagner and Todd Helton – all of whom have since been inducted. But Vizquel likely won’t join them after earning just 18.4% of the vote this year. When Vizquel’s chances went to zero He was accused of domestic abuse In December 2020, a lawsuit was filed by his ex-wife and a former Bat Boy on alleged sexual harassment. His credentials were hotly debated before the charges – he was a defensive wizard with 11 Gold Gloves and 2,877 career hits, but just a .688 OPS and 82 OPS+ in his 24-year career – and it seemed he would not be strong enough to withstand them.
Doolittle: It’s usually just people involved with PEDs. Manny Ramirez got a little extra support and now his BBWAA eligibility is up. A-Rod’s percentage increased by less than 3%. And Ryan Braun fell off the ballot after one year, failing to reach the 5% support level he needed to stay. Andy Pettit, on the other hand, added more than 20% to his support. I’m not sure any of this matters to me. Actually, I’m sure: it’s not.
What’s the one thing that stands out to you from this year’s poll?
Olney: Utley’s vote percentage of 59.1% reflects a shift in the way voters are thinking, away from relying on statistical accumulation – remember when 500 homers, 3,000 hits and 300 wins were important benchmarks? – and towards rewarding players for best performance. There was a time in Utley’s career when he was one of the very best players. This is a good sign for people like this buster posey In future.
Rogers: The leap forward that Felix Hernandez has taken is a reminder that we are about to enter a new era of starting pitching criteria. Wins are not a thing going forward, given that Hernandez had only 169 career wins, yet garnered 46.1% of the vote in his second year on the ballot. And this is without ever appearing in a postseason game. Even Andy Pettitte – who won 256 games – jumped in the voting. This is a good sign for future candidates including John LesterWho will appear on the ballot next year.
Castillo: Players disciplined for PED use will not be elected in the near future. Alex Rodriguez faces a tough challenge to get on the ballot after five years, while Manny Ramirez’s candidacy ended with a blow. Ramírez garnered only 4.5% on the ballot in his final year, falling about halfway across the finish line.
Doolittle: Chase Utley’s ascent continues and now it looks certain that he will be in. I am involved in this. But I don’t understand how he has such a huge advantage over contemporary center fielders like Jimmy Rollins and Dustin Pedroia.
Which player’s vote total is the most surprising to you?
Olney: Cole Hamels began his years candidacy with 23.8% – which is more than Felix Hernandez last year – and is a strong indication that Hamels will ultimately earn induction. Hamels did not finish in the top three for the Cy Young Award in any year of his career, but he was undoubtedly a leader on the Phillies staff. His career statistics are actually very similar to Hernandez.
Rogers: Cole Hamels had a good start. His numbers are almost identical to Hernandez who received double the votes. This bodes well for the future but doesn’t guarantee Hamels will be included – just that he’s likely to be in the 40% range by next year.
Castillo: Andy Pettitte, who admitted to using HGH twice in his career but claimed it was to recover from injury and not to improve performance on the field, has some real momentum with two years of eligibility remaining. The left-hander jumped from 27.9% to 48.5% on the ballot in his eighth year — trailing only Beltran, Jones and Utley, and ahead of PED users Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez.
Doolittle: It’s definitely petite. I think he has demonstrated accountability for his PED use and he deserves credit for that. I’ll keep him either way. But I don’t understand why usage is such a red line for some players, but not for others. And what has changed since last year?
Looking at the results of this year’s voting, who do you think will make it into the Hall of Fame on the next two ballots?
Olney: Two candidates who should be slam-dunk favorites appear on the ballot over the next two years – Buster Posey, the backbone of the San Francisco Giants dynasty, will lead the 2027 class of Hall of Famers, and 2028 will be the year of one of the all-time great hitters in history, Albert Pujols. Utley will also be inducted next year, following his strong showing his first time on the ballot.
Rogers: Of the returning players on the ballot, I think Utley is the only sure lock for the next two years. Several newcomers will dominate the vote in the next few ballots, which may reduce the vote totals for others, even if a vote for one does not mean a vote against the other. But the writers focus on the sure things first — meaning Utley will get in, but others may have to wait.
Castillo: Buster Posey will run for office for the first time next year and Albert Pujols in 2028. Chase Utley and Felix Hernandez could join them.
Doolittle: Utley could reach the top early next year, especially since the first-time starter after Posey isn’t likely to get much support. Hernandez’s momentum should carry him through 2028. And that year, Pujols is (hopefully) going to be a unanimous selection. Or at least he should be.
