The Baseball Hall of Fame: Who's In, Who's Out, and Why It Matters
Last year, the Hall of Fame conversation was pretty straightforward. We were talking about Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner. But now, things are different. The 2026 cycle is here, and it's a wide-open race, with no clear frontrunner. This year's ballot is like a "Comfort Plus" zone, giving voters more room to champion players who might have been overlooked before.
Even with this flexibility, will anyone actually get in? I voted for Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones again, who previously received 70.3% and 66.2% of the votes, respectively. Beltrán is one of baseball's greatest switch-hitters, and Jones has a stellar postseason record. But it's possible that Jeff Kent could be the only one inducted in July, unless more voters change their minds.
I'm a "Big Hall" voter, meaning I believe it takes time to fully appreciate a player's historical significance. Hall of Famer Scott Rolen, who started with only 10.2% of the votes, proves that deserving players can take time to gain recognition. So, on my 2026 ballot, I voted for ten players.
I want to focus on two pitchers: Félix Hernández and Cole Hamels. They represent a segment of the ballot that I've spent a lot of time considering. Sabathia clearly belongs in the Hall of Fame. Other modern starters like Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Justin Verlander are likely headed there, too. Zack Greinke probably will as well. But in an era where innings are limited and wins aren't as emphasized, where do we draw the line?
Félix Hernández: A Case for Dominance
Hernández was in the top 10 for the Cy Young Award six times between 2009 and 2015, winning it in 2010. That's the definition of a dominant peak. He had a higher career strikeout rate than Sabathia, but Sabathia had more durability. Sabathia pitched 3,577 1/3 innings, compared to Hernández's 2,729 2/3. Sabathia ended up with over 500 more strikeouts.
Sadly, Hernández was only 33 when he threw his last MLB pitch in September 2019. If he had avoided injuries, he might have played with the 2022 Mariners, who ended a two-decade playoff drought. Instead, he retired without ever playing in the postseason. Players don't always control their postseason opportunities. The better measure is whether they had historically significant careers within their eras.
From 2005 to 2019, only three pitchers had more strikeouts than Hernández: Verlander, Scherzer, and Hamels.
Cole Hamels: The Underappreciated Ace
Hamels' career is very similar to Hernández's, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Their innings and strikeout totals are comparable. Hamels has a better ERA+ (123 vs. Hernández's 117), and a strong postseason ERA of 3.41 over 100 1/3 innings, including MVP honors in the 2008 NLCS and World Series.
Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright will be on future ballots, and their October achievements will boost their cases. Hamels, who pitched about the same number of innings as Lester and Wainwright, deserves the same consideration. For now, my ballot affirms that Hamels and Hernández were among the defining pitchers of an era where the standards for greatness were influenced by factors beyond their control.
This year, I have the flexibility to make that statement, and I'm happy to do so.
What do you think? Do you agree that Hernández and Hamels deserve Hall of Fame consideration? Are there other players you believe should be included? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
