2026 Baseball Hall of Fame: Who's in, eligible players & induction date

On December 7, the first inductees for the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame class were announced through the Veterans’ Committee. It begins what will be a lengthy few weeks to decide the individuals who will go into the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame. A who’s who of former MVPs, Cy Young Award winners, and superstars are among the players who are eligible in 2026.

Contents

Veterans’ Committee inductees
2026 Hall of Fame Ballot
Ford Frick Winner
2026 HOF Announcement Date
2026 HOF Induction Date

Veterans’ Committee inductees

Jeff Kent was the lone player to be voted in via the Veterans’ Committee.

The full Veterans’ Committee ballot included Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela.

Former players, select media members, and current & former owner(s) and/or baseball executives comprise the committee.

The 2026 ballot

Here’s a look at all the players who are on the 2026 ballot:

Unlike 2025, there are no “locks” for this year.

Discounting Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, both of whom have to deal with PED scandals, as well as the bubble names from past years, the most notable names aside from the returnees are newcomers Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, and Cole Hamels, plus Chase Utley & Felix Hernandez.

Braun (47.2 bWAR) was one of the most prolific power hitters of the late 2000s and early 2010s. A former first-round pick by the Brewers, Braun had 30+ home runs in five of his first six seasons, highlighted by a career-high 41 in 2012. Braun beat out Matt Kemp, also one of baseball’s best at that time, for the 2011 NL MVP.

However, a positive PED test, coupled with a drop in production after 2012, hurts his candidacy.

Hamels (59.0 bWAR) has a much better case. The former Phillies left-hander doesn’t have any regular-season award accolades to his name aside from four All-Star appearances. However, Hamels was a very reliable pitcher for almost all of his career. He won the NLCS MVP, World Series MVP, and a championship with the Phillies in 2008.

He ended his career with a 3.43 ERA, 163 wins, and 2,560 career strikeouts.

As for the returning notables, Andruw Jones is on his penultimate BBHOF ballot. Jones, a multi-time Gold Glove and terrific power hitter, came in at 66.2% last year. The 2025 ballot, though, was heavy on superstar, slam dunk talent. Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia easily got to the 75% marker, while Billy Wagner hit over 80% in his final ballot.

Carlos Beltran, who came in at 70.3% last year, may very well also benefit from the light ballot year.

Utley (39.8%) and Hernandez (20.6%) both received oveer 20% in 2025.

Ford Frick Inductee

Former Cardinals announcer and long-time MLB on FOX play-by-play man Joe Buck will receive the nod.

Buck is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he received the Pete Rozelle Award a few years earlier.

When will the results of the BBHOF ballot be released?

January 20, 2026.

When & where is the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony?

The 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony will take place in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26, 2026.

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