The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class has been confirmed with Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner officially inducted. Now, it’s time to take a look at next year’s ballot.

Suzuki and Sabathia were no-brainers for induction in their first year of eligibility. However, at a first glance, it appears that the new candidates on the 2026 ballot may not possess the credentials necessary for inclusion in the Hall of Fame.

Among the newcomers, Cole Hamels stands out with the highest career WAR (59) and Ryan Braun (47.1%) is known for being an MVP recipient, yet both may fall short of the qualifications typically required for induction, even with a more lenient perspective from voters during their decade on the ballot.

Returning candidates from the 2025 voting include Carlos Beltran (70.3%), Andruw Jones (66.2%), and Chase Utley (39.8%), along with several other returning players. The first-timers in 2026 will include Hamels and Braun, alongside Edwin Encarnacion, Howie Kendrick, Shin-Soo Choo, and Alex Gordon.

Here’s a closer look at the potential newcomers to the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2026:

2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot

(ranked by WAR)

• Cole Hamels (59 WAR): Maintained a career ERA of 3.43, made the All-Star team four times, and earned MVP honors in the 2008 NLCS and World Series.
• Ryan Braun (47.1): Winner of the 2011 NL MVP award, a 6-time All-Star, and 5-time Silver Slugger.
• Edwin Encarnacion (35.5): A 3-time All-Star with a total of 424 home runs throughout his career.
• Howie Kendrick (35.0): Achieved a .294 batting average, named 2019 NLCS MVP, and was selected as an All-Star in 2011.
• Shin-Soo Choo (34.6): Recorded an impressive .377 on-base percentage and earned an All-Star selection in 2018.
• Alex Gordon (34.5): An 8-time Gold Glove winner, 3-time All-Star, and recipient of 2 Platinum Glove awards.
• Nick Markakis (33.6): Achieved 2,388 career hits, a 3-time Gold Glover, and 2018 All-Star.
• Hunter Pence (30.9): A 4-time All-Star with 244 home runs and won World Series titles in 2012 and 2014.
• Gio Gonzalez (28.3): A 2-time All-Star, notably won 21 games in the 2012 season.
• Matt Kemp (21.4): A 3-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove winner, and 2-time Silver Slugger recipient.
• Also eligible: Jason Kipnis, Daniel Murphy, Rick Porcello, Matt Wieters, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Davis.