The BBWAA has officially announced the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. Fifteen players return this year, having finished with at least five percent of the vote in 2025. Twelve former players will be first-timers.
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones will be the focus of this year’s announcement, taking place on January 20. They were the only two returning players who received over 40 percent of the vote last year. Jones’ name was checked on 66.2% of ballots, and he will have to get the required 75% this go-around, his tenth and final year on the ballot.
Beltrán was just 19 votes short last year, receiving 70.3% of the overall tally. Beltrán, who the Mets just announced will be enshrined in the team’s Hall of Fame in 2026, will have a good chance to do so as a National Baseball Hall of Famer. The former outfielder played more games and accumulated more WAR as a Met than any other franchise, so the team could very well see just the third player go into Cooperstown with a Mets cap on. Beltrán will be on the ballot for the fourth time this year.
Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
David Wright will be on the ballot for the third time, after receiving 8.1% of the vote. Also returning to the ballot will be former Mets Bobby Abreu and Francisco Rodríguez, Chase Utley, Álex Rodríguez, Manny Ramírez, Andy Pettitte, Félix Hernández, Jimmy Rollins, Omar Vizquel, Dustin Pedroia, Mark Buehrle and Torii Hunter.
As for the newcomers, Daniel Murphy will have his name on the ballot for the first time. Murphy had his best seasons in the nation’s capital but will always be remembered in Queens for his legendary October run in 2015, when he homered in a record six consecutive games.
Joining Murphy as first-timers are Ryan Braun, Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp, Howie Kendrick, Nick Markakis, Hunter Pence and former Met Rick Porcello.
Those elected will be formally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on July 26.
