Manny? Omar? A Baseball Hall of Fame ballot conversation for 2026 class

Rams’ Myles Garrett reportedly on track to be activated in Week 9

Story by

Story by
Manny? Omar? A Baseball Hall of Fame ballot conversation for 2026 class

Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Tue, Jan 20, 2026 ·

19 min read

About Our Ads

CLEVELAND — Filling out the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was an exercise in trying to cram 11 names (or 12, or 13) into a 10-name ballot.

The 2026 Hall of Fame class was announced live on MLB Network on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Outfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones both reached the 75-percent threshold needed for induction .

It's a class that still includes split opinions on how to address players with suspensions related to performance enhancing drugs. It's also a class that tests the reasoning and value between a lengthy career and an elite, albeit shorter span in the majors.

Last year was my first as a Hall of Fame voter . Here's my 2026 ballot and an explanation for each vote, along with a conversation on a few notable players, including Omar Vizquel's complicated Hall of Fame resume.

Baseball Hall of Fame voting rules

The format for HOF voting is a key element in all of this, and it often factors into how voters fill out their ballots.

Players who are on the Baseball Writers' Association of American (BBWAA) portion of the ballot will be inducted into the Hall of Fame if they receive at least vote 75% of the vote.

They'll also fall off the ballot if they receive less than 5% of the vote, a fate that led to Kenny Lofton losing eligibility very quickly, which many writers viewed as a mistake.

Players can remain on the BBWAA portion of the ballot for 10 years, in which case they fall off and would need to be inducted via the Era Committees (formerly known as the Veterans Committee). Last year, Billy Wagner barely hit the threshold needed for induction in his 10th and final year on the ballot.

And, finally, perhaps the most important rule as it pertains to shaping votes: ballots are limited to 10 names in a given year. This has led to some voters giving votes to players who they feel deserve a longer conversation about their Hall of Fame case, even if they might not meet the criteria in the end.

Now, on to my 2026 ballot.Personally, I had seven returning votes, plus three new players on my ballot (and one, or two, or three players I would have voted for had I been able to check more than 10 names).

New York's Alex Rodriguez sprays left field umpire Jim Wolf with insect repellant in the eighth inning in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, in Cleveland.

Alex Rodriguez Hall of Fame vote explanation

Oh, boy, here we go, right off the bat with controversy.

A-Rod continues to be one of the faces of the steroid era in baseball, which is worthy of a discussion on its own. It's fair to say that Major League Baseball and former commissioner Bud Selig made an absolute mess of the entire situation. Steroid use was rampant, but no penalties were in place for years, which has created a split among voting blocks when it comes to the Hall of Fame.

Some voters see a distinction between pre-2004 and post-2004 steroid use, with that line of demarcation being the point at which MLB did implement a known penalty. A-Rod was suspended after that point, and his scorched-Earth attempts to cover it up didn't help his public perception on the matter.

I see the validity in voters separating pre-2004 steroid use (when official testing was put into place) and post-2004, but I still think it all falls under MLB's mess — everyone's numbers still count in the record books, players who were suspended technically served their punishment and the league still allows them to be on the ballot. I wouldn't bat an eye at anyone who refused to vote for someone suspended for PEDs.

Personally, I view it as a major mark against them, but not necessarily something that strikes their name off the list altogether because of the aforementioned reasoning. Some think of it as a penalty that drops them down whatever rating system they're using, a viewpoint to which I subscribe.

On the field, of course, A-Rod one of the best players to ever pick up a bat, and the official MLB record books recognize all these numbers. He was a three-time MVP, a 14-time All-Star and he hit 696 home runs while playing the left side of the infield. He likely won't get in because of a split in voting reasoning, though.

Former Cleveland player Manny Ramirez speaks after he was inducted to the team's hall of fame before a game against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 19, 2023, in Cleveland. — Former Cleveland player Manny Ramirez speaks after he was inducted to the team’s hall of fame before a game against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 19, 2023, in Cleveland.

Manny Ramirez Hall of Fame vote explanation

One of the most feared right-handed hitters of all time, Manny Ramirez is in a similar boat as Rodriguez .

His career slash line is one of the most impressive in baseball history: .312/.411/.585 over 19 seasons . A .996 OPS would make for a tremendous, MVP-caliber season today, and Ramirez accomplished that over nearly two decades. He launched 555 home runs. He was a 12-time All-Star. He never won an MVP but he was top 10 in voting eight consecutive years between 1998 ( with Cleveland ) and 2005.

He was also suspended multiple times after MLB implemented performance-enhancing drug testing. That willingness to keep using PEDs has driven some voters away. I see that reasoning but, again, what outweighs that is the thought that he served his suspension, and MLB made a mess of this whole thing, and in the record books he's one of the greatest hitters of all time.

The steroid era will always have its mark on the game's history, good or bad. I don't think including Rodriguez or Ramirez in it would alter that fact too much.

Carlos Beltran spent seven seasons with the Mets.

Carlos Beltran Hall of Fame vote explanation

Carlos Beltran is one of the best recent examples of a five-tool player. He was a nine-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glover in center field, and he finished his career as one of only eight players in baseball history with at least 300 home runs (435, to be exact) and 300 stolen bases. Although he barely eclipsed the 300-steal plateau, he has the best success rate (86.4%) of any player with at least 200 attempts. And his career fWAR and JAWS are right in line with those of the average Hall of Fame outfielder.

However, he also found himself in the middle of one of the biggest scandals in recent sports memory involving the Houston Astros , allegedly some trash cans and the stealing of opposing signs.

It's certainly a black mark on his resume, and it might prevent him from hitting the 75% mark needed for enshrinement. But, again, perhaps that is MLB's mess. I understand if there are those who disagree with Beltran even being eligible given that history. It's a nuanced discussion.

Mar 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees former pitcher Andy Pettitte throws out the ceremonial first pitch before an opening day game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Andy Pettitte Hall of Fame vote explanation

Andy Pettitte's Hall of Fame case is a great case study in how the benchmarks for starting pitchers to gain induction might need to be tweaked (meaning lowered).

The way teams utilize starting pitchers these days, with fewer innings and a lot more caution, is making it extremely difficult to reach the average Hall of Fame numbers. Thus, the "average fWAR of starting pitchers in the Hall of Fame" might be too high of a bar to reach moving forward.

Pettitte's 60.2 fWAR falls a bit short of the average HOF starter (73.3), but I'm not sure that directly applies anymore. Pettitte won five World Series with the Yankees , was a three-time All-Star and had about as much playoff experience as a player could possibly have in one career. His case (and several others') might be right on the line, but considering how I don't think we can simply not enshrine starting pitchers anymore, I think he qualifies.

Felix Hernandez #34 of the Seattle Mariners delivers a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 6, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

Felix Hernandez Hall of Fame vote explanation

King Felix is a great example of a player who had an incredible peak but a shorter career than most Hall of Fame enshrinees.

Hernandez was an elite starting pitcher for a eight-year period in which he won a Cy Young, finished top eight in Cy Young voting seven times and earned seven All-Star appearances. In fact there's an argument he was the game's best starter for that time period.

He never pitched in the majors after his age-33 season, which really hurt his Hall of Fame case. But he was one of the best pitchers in baseball for nearly a decade, and the same lowered benchmark for starting pitchers that applies to Pettitte also earns a vote for Hernandez. The Hall can't be void of starting pitchers just because they're used to a different degree in the modern game.

Second baseman Chase Utley flips the ball to pitcher Cole Hamels during Game 5 of the 2008 World Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Chase Utley Hall of Fame vote explanation

Chase Utley doesn't have the longevity of some other HOF candidates — he also fell short of the 2,000 hit plateau for his career — but he had a strong peak, was known to excel in several aspects of the game and played a key role in the Phillies ' 2008 World Series title.

Utley finished top 14 in MVP voting five times and was an All-Star five times in a six-year run between 2005 and 2010 . His 64.5 fWAR and 56.9 JAWS are just a hair below the average Hall of Fame second baseman. Although he got a bit of a late start to his career, Utley still put up HOF-level numbers and has the postseason credentials to boost his resume.

Known for his high baseball IQ, Utley carried with him the reputation for being more valuable to his team than what was shown in the box score. He also had some pretty incredible runs in the playoffs, including "The Utley Play" to help clinch the 2008 World Series and then a five-homer performance in the 2009 World Series.

Jul 15, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves former players Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones and Andres Galarraga on the field for the ceremonial first pitch before the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Andruw Jones Hall of Fame vote explanation

Speaking of a lack of longevity, Andruw Jones saw his career fall off once he turned 31 years old. So why is he even considered for the Hall of Fame? Because for a nine-year run before that, he was arguably (and statistically) the third-best player in baseball.

Despite not playing a full season after the age of 30, Jones, who made his MLB debut as a teenager, still slugged 434 home runs, and he displayed that power while not only playing a premium position in center field, but doing so while being considered arguably the best to ever do it. That combination of offense, defense and being among the best in the game was enough to earn a vote.

Jones won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves , more than any other center fielder not named Willie Mays. While Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz built Hall of Fame careers, Jones was patrolling center field for them.

Between 1998 and 2006, Jones averaged 35 home runs per season and compiled 57.3 fWAR, a number only bested by Barry Bonds and Rodriguez . Had Jones been able to avoid injuries in his 30s, this wouldn't have ever been a question.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bobby Abreu (53) works out prior to the game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Bobby Abreu Hall of Fame vote explanation

Bobby Abreu would have been my 11th vote last year, and it's entirely possible that was a mistake, and he should have been inside the top 10. I'm happy to vote for maybe one of the most underrated players of the last few decades this time around.

Abreu was only a two-time All-Star, and while he received MVP votes in seven different seasons, he never finished in the top 10. But unlike other players, Abreu has the numbers to suggest that he should have been considered for awards at a much higher rate given that on-base percentage was still in the process of being properly appreciated while he was playing.

During an 18-year career, Abreu put together a lifetime OPS of .870. He hit 288 home runs and stole exactly 400 bases. And, most notably, he had one of the best eyes for the strike zone of any hitter to play the game.

His 60.2 career fWAR and 50.9 JAWS fall just short of the average Hall of Fame right fielder, but not by much.

Among players with at least 10,000 plate appearances in the modern era (since 1901), Abreu's career on-base percentage of .395 ranks 16th. In fact, Abreu has a better career OBP that hitters such as Tony Gwynn, Willie Mays and Mike Schmidt.

He was probably underrated during his playing days, and he's probably being underrated during his time on the Hall of Fame ballot, too.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year.

Dustin Pedroia Hall of Fame vote explanation

Dustin Pedroia is another case of having a tremendous career peak without the proper longevity, but that was largely due to a spikes-up slide from Manny Machado that effectively ended his career.

In an 11-year run, Pedroia won an MVP award, the Rookie of the Year, four Gold Gloves, four All-Star selections and two World Series titles. Johnny Bench is the only other player in baseball history who can say the same. He's pound-for-pound one of the best baseball players of the last several decades.

His career peak was unquestionably worthy of a Hall of Famer, even if his shortened career left his final numbers a bit light in a few respects. His final fWAR of 51.8 and JAWS of 46.4 are both a bit short of the average second baseman.

But Pedroia gets a boost because he was arguably the heart and soul of both of those Red Sox World Series teams, a tougher-than-nails infielder who exemplified what it meant to be a hard-nosed baseball player. Other players had elite peaks like Pedroia's — David Wright is one, more on him below — but the postseason accolades and his importance within that clubhouse maybe push him over the edge in addition to his 11-year run as one of the best second baseman in the game.

Cole Hamels made 422 starts in 15 seasons.

Cole Hamels Hall of Fame vote explanation

Much of what was said about Pettitte also fits Cole Hamel 's Hall of Fame resume.

While Hamels didn't always feel like a Hall of Famer during his playing days, he ended his career with a better ERA+ (123) than both Pettitte and even Hernandez. His 47.2 JAWS is also the best of the bunch between him, Pettitte, Hernandez and Mark Buehrle .

A four-time All-Star, he also was named NLCS and World Series MVP in 2008 while going 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA, when he helped Utley, Jimmy Rollins and others win a championship.

The ending to his career left his HOF case in doubt, as did his 2009 postseason. But following the argument that modern pitchers need to have the benchmark for induction altered to reflect league-wide trends, Hamels earns a vote in his first year on the ballot.

My final 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot:Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Carlos Beltran, Chase Utley, Andy Pettitte, Felix Hernandez, Andruw Jones, Bobby Abreu, Dustin Pedroia, Cole Hamels.

Here are some notable players who didn't make my ballot but are worthy of additional discussion.

Photographing Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel was a treat. I shot this photo in the Flats in Cleveland. Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal

2026 Hall of Fame: Omar Vizquel

Omar Vizquel has one of the most complicated Hall of Fame cases of anyone on the ballot.

On the field, Cleveland fans viewed him as a beloved member of the 1990s teams that made two runs to the World Series. He won 11 Gold Gloves , was named to three All-Star teams and became a fan favorite for his bare-handed highlights at shortstop .

Every Cleveland baseball fan from that era remembers his triple during a 12-run comeback win over the Seattle Mariners in 2001, or his incredible, back-handed stop during Game 6 of the 1997 World Series, or a number of other memorable highlights.

But away from Cleveland, Vizquel was never really viewed as an MVP-caliber player. He appeared on MVP ballots only once, during his career-best 1999 season, and never finished in the top 15. He's undoubtedly one of the best defensive shortstops of all time, he amassed 2,877 hits and was able to play in the majors for 24 years. Those attributes are enough to build a fringe case for enshrinement. But he didn't have the type of career peak typically shown by Hall of Famers, and that is the major element missing from his resume.

His career fWAR (45.4) and peak fWAR during his best seven-year run (26.8) fall far short of the average HOF shortstop (67.7 and 43.2, respectively). His 36.2 JAWS is also well below the average of 55.5 at his position.

Vizquel's vote totals increased to their highest point in 2020 , when he earned 52.6% of the vote. It looked like he might have a shot at induction during the writers' portion of the vote (a 10-year limit, in which this is his ninth year on the ballot). His HOF case could be viewed as right on the line (though maybe a bit short if anything) when it comes to solely baseball-centric factors.

Then the allegations began piling up, and alleged off-the-field issues tanked his chances.

In October 2020, Vizquel's second wife, Blanca Garcia, accused him of alleged domestic violence via an Instagram live post stemming from an incident in 2016. It then became known there was another alleged incident five years earlier.

Vizquel has strongly denied all allegations of domestic abuse .

Then, in August 2021, a former Birmingham Barons batboy, who has autism, sued Vizquel for sexual harassment for an alleged incident that took place in 2019 when he was managing the Chicago White Sox 's Double-A affiliate. Vizquel was eventually suspended with pay and then "amicably" parted ways with the White Sox at the end of the season .

A confidential settlement was reportedly reached between Vizquel, the White Sox and the batboy in 2022.

Through that time, his percentage of the vote has dropped from 52.6 to 17.7 in 2024.

BBWAA voters are instructed to consider the "character clause" when voting (a theme that runs through the entire ballot), though it's up to each individual voter as to how to apply that rule. It has also been argued by some there's a bit of hypocrisy there, considering the clause was written during a time when MLB still enforced the color barrier, along with other factors.

Regardless of whether the clause should or shouldn't be a major part of the process, and how it all fits into each individual player's case, it's clear Vizquel has an uphill battle to be inducted via the writers' vote, as he has only has one year after 2026 before he falls off the ballot and the Era Committees would have to review his case.

All things considered, I just think there are more than 10 players ahead of him who deserve a vote, including another shortstop.

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins celebrates after hitting a home run against the Colorado Rockies during Game 2 of National League Divisional Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Oct. 4, 2007.

2026 Hall of Fame: Jimmy Rollins

If I had an 11th vote, it probably would have gone to Jimmy Rollins .

Like a few others on this ballot, Rollins was an instrumental part to the Phillies' World Series run in 2008.

As laid out by Jayson Stark in his excellent ballot explanation , he's the only shortstop in history to win an MVP (in 2007), a World Series and at least four Gold Gloves, with the MVP win being perhaps the greatest separator between Rollins and Vizquel. Rollins is also the only shortstop with more than 2,400 hits, 200 home runs, 400 stolen bases and 800 extra-base hits.

And standing 5-foot-7, he joins Pedroia as one of the best pound-for-pound players in quite some time.

After agonizing and scrutinizing over Rollins, Hamels and Pedroia, I ended up viewing Rollins as the 11th candidate on a 10-man ballot, but I do think he's HOF-worthy, separate from the voting rules for each voter.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Mark Buehrle (56) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Oct. 2, 2015.

2026 Hall of Fame: Mark Buehrle

When looking at Pettitte, Hernandez, Cole Hamels and Mark Buehrle , it's possible the line between Hall of Fame-caliber and just short of enshrinement runs right through them. Pettitte (postseason resume), Hernandez (elite peak) and Hamels (a combination of both) just had some extra credit compared to Buehrle's case.

The differences might be razor thin, but it might just be enough to tip the scales between "yes" and "no," especially given the 10-vote limit.

Buehrle was a five-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glover who exemplified durability. He pitched at least 198 innings in 15 consecutive seasons, an almost unheard-of run for a pitcher.

In terms of career fWAR and JAWS, he's right in line with Pettitte's career. It's almost difficult to separate the two. Although playing through an offense-heavy era, he finished with a career 3.81 ERA.

He was likely an under-appreciated pitcher during his career. Considering the belief that the HOF pitcher benchmarks need to be lowered, Buehrle could garner more votes in the future. He was just a little bit behind Pettitte, Hamels and Hernandez this time. Again, had I been able to include more than 10 names, Buehrle's name likely gets checked.

New York Mets former third baseman speaks during a press conference before having his number retired by the Mets before a game against the Cincinnati Reds on July 19, 2025, at Citi Field

2026 Hall of Fame: David Wright

For a solid decade, David Wright was easily on a Hall of Fame trajectory, but like Jones, Hernandez, Pedroia and others on this ballot, the end to his career fizzled due to injuries, leaving his Hall of Fame case up to debate.

Wright unquestionably deserves to remain on the ballot another year, and I hope he does despite being outside of my top 10 by some narrow margins.

In a 10-year run, he hit .301 with a .382 OBP, drilled 222 home runs, stole 182 bases, finished top-10 in MVP voting four times and was named to the All-Star team seven times. But injuries sapped him of several years of productivity.

In the end, his 49.2 career fWAR and 44.2 JAWS both fall well short of the average HOF third baseman. I likely would have also voted for Wright if I could have checked more than 10 names, but I eventually placed him just behind Pedroia as an elite infielder for roughly a decade who had their careers cut short due to injuries.

Baseball Hall of Fame voting results 2026

Carlos Beltran84.2
Andruw Jones78.4
Chase Utley 59.1
Andy Pettitte 48.5
Felix Hernandez 46.1
Alex Rodriguez 40.0
Manny Ramirez 38.8
Bobby Abreu 30.8
Jimmy Rollins 25.4
Cole Hamels 23.8
Dustin Pedroia 20.7
Mark Buehrle 20.0
Omar Vizquel 18.4
David Wright 14.8
Francisco Rodriguez 11.8
Torii Hunter 8.7
Ryan Braun 3.5
Edwin Encarnacion 1.4
Shin-Soo Choo 0.7
Matt Kemp 0.5
Hunter Pence 0.5
Rick Porcello 0.5
Alex Gordon 0.2
Nick Markakis 0.2
Gio Gonzalez 0.0
Howie Kendrick 0.0
Daniel Murphy 0.0

The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Explaining my 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, decisions on players

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: