The Baseball Hall of Fame has released the official ballot for the 2026 class of inductees, one that includes several prominent holdovers and 12 first-time nominees.
More than 400 voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will make their selections by the end of the year, with the results announced live Jan. 20, 2026, on MLB Network.
Last year, the BBWAA voted in three players — Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner — with Carlos Beltran (70.3%) and Andruw Jones (66.2%) just missing the required 75% support needed to gain induction to Cooperstown.
Beltran will be back for his fourth time on the ballot, while Jones will be eligible for the ninth time.
They’ll be joined by 13 other returnees and 12 newcomers on the 2026 ballot.
Here’s a look at some of the top candidates in their first year on the ballot:
OF Ryan Braun (47.2 career WAR)
Braun spent his entire 14-year MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year when he hit 34 home runs and led the league in slugging. He went on to win the 2011 NL MVP award and finish second the following year. However, he was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 regular season for violating MLB’s drug policy. Braun finished with 352 home runs, 216 stolen bases and a career slash line of .296/.358/.532.
OF Matt Kemp (21.6 career WAR)
Kemp spent 15 seasons in the majors, 10 of them with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the game’s best all-around threats in L.A., finishing second to Braun in the 2011 NL MVP race when he led the league with 39 home runs, 115 runs scored and 126 RBI, while also stealing 40 bases. Kemp was a three-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger. He finished with 287 home runs, 184 stolen bases and a .284/.337/.484 slash line.
SP Cole Hamels (59.0 career WAR)
Hamels was a workhorse pitcher who spent the first 10 of his 15 seasons in the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies. As a 24-year-old in 2008, he led the Phillies to a title — earning MVP honors in both the NL Championship Series and the World Series. A four-time All-Star, Hamels finished his career with a record of 163-122 and an ERA of 3.43 in 2,698 innings.
The ballot also has a Washington Nationals flavor with three former Nats among this year’s first-timers.
- Infielder Howie Kendrick, who hit the clutch home run in Game 7 to propel Washington to a World Series title in 2019.
- Infielder Daniel Murphy, who led the NL in doubles twice and earned two of his three All-Star nods as a member of the Nationals. He was also the 2015 NLCS MVP in leading the New York Mets to the World Series.
- Left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez, who led the majors with 21 wins after being acquired by the Nats in 2012. He went on to pitch in four playoff series with Washington and one with Milwaukee over his 13-year career.
Other first-time nominees:
- SP Rick Porcello
- IF Edwin Encarnacion
- 3B/OF Alex Gordon
- OF Shin-Soo Choo
- OF Nick Markakis
- OF Hunter Pence
Holdovers from the 2025 ballot
2025 voting percentage in parentheses; 75% needed for induction
- OF Carlos Beltran (70.3%)
- OF Andruw Jones (66.2%)
- 2B Chase Utley (39.8%)
- SS/3B Alex Rodriguez (37.1%)
- OF/DH Manny Ramirez (34.3%)
- SP Andy Pettitte (27.9%)
- SP Felix Hernandez (20.6%)
- OF Bobby Abreu (19.5%)
- SS Jimmy Rollins (18.0%)
- SS Omar Vizquel (17.8%)
- 2B Dustin Pedroia (11.9%)
- SP Mark Buehrle (11.4%)
- RP Francisco Rodriguez (10.2%)
- 3B David Wright (8.1%)
- OF Torii Hunter (5.1%)