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Buster Posey and Jon Lester headline Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2027 candidates
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- Buster Posey and Jon Lester headline Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2027 candidates
Buster Posey and Jon Lester headline Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2027 candidates originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jeff Kent,Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán got their call to Cooperstown, but who will be joining them next year?
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The three players were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday as part of the Class of 2026. Now, baseball fans can start looking ahead to the 2027 ballot.
Next year's ballot does not have nearly as much star power as the 2026 class. Still, a handful of players could be on their way to Cooperstown next summer.
Here's a look at the top names to watch in the 2027 Baseball Hall of Fame voting process.
First-ballot potential
Only a pair of players have even a remote chance at becoming first-ballot Hall of Famers next summer.
Buster Posey , now the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants , became a franchise legend behind the plate from 2009 to 2021. The star catcher earned three World Series titles, seven All-Star selections, 2012 NL MVP honors, 2010 NL Rookie of the Year honors, five Silver Slugger awards and a Gold Glove.
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Jon Lester is another three-time World Series winner atop the 2027 Hall of Fame ballot. The southpaw won 200 regular season games and posted a 3.66 career ERA during his 16-year career, which he primarily spent with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs . He won a pair of championships in Boston and helped the Cubs end a 108-year World Series drought in 2016.
Returning candidates
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Andy Pettitte
Chase Utley is the only returning player who received at least 50% of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 2026. The former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop jumped up nearly 20% from his second year of eligibility in 2025 (39.8%) to his third in 2026 (59.1%). A similar jump would get him past the required 75% to get into the Hall of Fame.
Andy Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees , received 48.5% of the vote in 2026 and only has two more years of eligibility remaining.
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Félix Hernández is another notable name to watch following a major second-year leap. The Seattle Mariners legend went from 20.6% of the vote on his first ballot in 2025 to 46.1% of the vote in 2026.
Returning longshots
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Omar Vizquel
Alex Rodriguez, who was prominently linked to MLB's steroid era, is entering his sixth year of eligibility after landing 40.0% of the vote in 2026.
Bobby Abreu (30.8%) is the only other returning player to receive more than 30% of the BBWAA vote in 2026. All other players listed above exceeded the 5% minimum vote in 2026 to stay on the ballot for 2027.
First-year longshots
Brett Gardner, Ryan Zimmerman and Jake Arrieta are among the World Series winners who will make their first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot next year.
