Chase Utley, other former Phillies fall short of 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame

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Chase Utley, other former Phillies fall short of 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame

Anthony DiMattia, Delaware News Journal · Delaware Online | The News Journal

Tue, Jan 20, 2026 ·

10 min read

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Maybe next year a member of the 2008 World Series champs gets elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

There were no shortage of former Phillies on this year's ballot with many of the core players in contention but falling short following the announcement of the newest class on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Former starter and World Series hero Cole Hamels joined three other former Phils on the Class of 2026 Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame ballot.

Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies flips the ball to Cole Hamels against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 5 of the 2008 MLB World Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Oct. 27, 2008.

Hamels was joined by Chase Utley , Jimmy Rollins and Bobby Abreu , all of whom were on last year's ballot.

The former Phillies ace is among 12 first-timers up for election to Cooperstown.

Two others joining the 2026 class, former infield Howie Kendrick and outfielder Hunter Pence , also spent a portion of their careers in Philly.

However, none of the former Phillies could break through as former outfielders Carlos Beltr á n and Andruw Jones were elected to the hall along with second baseman Jeff Kent, who was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December.

Players need at least 75% of the vote for enshrinement.

Here's a look at the careers of each former Phillies player on the ballot and this year's results:

Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2026

Here's a look at the final voting ballots from 2026:

Carlos Beltrán : 84.2%
Andruw Jones : 78.4%
Chase Utley: 59.1%
Andy Pettitte: 48.5%
Félix Hernández : 46.1%
Alex Rodriguez : 40%
Manny Ramirez: 38.8%
Bobby Abreu: 30.8%
Jimmy Rollins:25.4%
Cole Hamels:23.8%
Dustin Pedroia :20.7%
Mark Buehrle :20%
Omar Vizquel:18.4%
David Wright :14.8%
Francisco Rodríguez :11.8%
Torii Hunter :8.7%
Ryan Braun :3.5%
E dwin Encarnación: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 González :0
Howie Kendrick:0
Daniel Murphy :0

Who is on the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot?

Along with the former Phillies, there were 23 others on this year's ballot.

None of the 15 returning players reached 40% of the vote last year, though Utley was the closest.

While some players have the statistics to get in, ties to steroid use as well as on- and off-field issues have kept them out.

Here's the list of the other eligible players:

Carlos Beltran, OF, Mets (4th)
Andruw Jones, OF, Braves (9th)
Alex Rodriguez, 3B-SS, Yankees (5th)
Manny Ramirez, OF, Red Sox (10th)
Any Pettitte, SP, Yankees (8th)
Félix Hernández, SP, Mariners (2nd)
Omar Vizquel, SS, Guardians (9th)
Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox (2nd)
Mark Buehrle, SP, White Sox (6th)
Francisco Rodríguez, Closer, Angels (4th)
David Wright, 3B, Mets, (3rd)
Torii Hunter, OF, Twins (6th)
Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers (1st)
Alex Gordon, OF, Royals (1st)
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Guardians (1st)
Edwin Encarnacion, DH Blue Jays (1st)
Howie Kendrick, 2B, Angles (1st)
Nick Markakis, OF, Orioles (1st)
Hunter Pence, OF, Giants(1st)
Gio Gonzalez, LHP, Nationals (1st)
Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers (1st)
Daniel Murphy, 2B, Mets (1st)
Rick Porcello, RHP, Tigers (1st)

How a player gets elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Players are eligible for inclusion on the ballot five years after their final game.

To be eligible for the ballot, a player needs to have played at least 10 seasons in the majors.

Players need at least 75% of the vote to earn enshrinement into Cooperstown.

Each voter can select up to 10 players each year.

The Era Committees consider players no longer eligible for election by the BBWAA. A vote of 75% or more is needed for election.

To remain on the ballot, a player must receive at least 5% of the vote. Players are eligible to remain on the ballot for 10 years if they receive the minimum percentage of votes.

Chase Utley Hall of Fame case

Utley, who played 13 of his 16-year career with the Phillies, was named on 39.8% of the ballots in his second year of eligibility.

He was a six-time All-Star – including five years in a row. He finished his career hitting .275 with 259 homers, and 1,025 RBIs. Despite never winning an MVP award, he was in the Top 15 in voting five times.

During his time with the Phillies, Utley hit .282 with 233 home runs and 916 RBIs. He was part of the 2008 World Series team and starred in the National League Championship Series that year, hitting .353 with six hits and three RBIs.

In 2009, he tied a World Series record by hitting five home runs in the series.

Utley was traded in 2015 to the Los Angeles Dodgers , where he spent his last four seasons.

Cole Hamels Hall of Fame case

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels throws a first inning pitch to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS in Philadelphia on Oct. 21, 2009.

Most of Hamels' 15 seasons were spent in Philadelphia , where he racked up numerous accolades before being traded to the Texas Rangers in 2015. His last start with the Phillies was a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs on July 25, 2015 – six days before he was traded.

During his tenure in Philly, the 2002 first-round pick helped lead the team to two World Series appearances and five-straight division titles. He won the 2008 World Series MVP and NLCS MVP, going 4-0 with an ERA of 1.80 in five postseason starts.

In 10 seasons with the Phillies, Hamels had a 114-90 record with 1,844 strikeouts in 1,930 innings, according to baseballreference.com .

Overall, Hamels went 163-122 and struck out 2,560 batters in 2,698 innings for the Phillies, Rangers, Cubs and Atlanta Braves. He was a four-time All-Star and had four Top-10 Cy Young award finishes.

Jimmy Rollins Hall of Fame case

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.

During his 16 years as a Phillie , Rollins helped the franchise capture its second World Series title in 2008, one season after being named National League MVP.

In 2007, Rollins became just the fourth player in MLB history to record 20 or more home runs, triples, doubles and steals in one season while leading the Phillies to the team's first NL East title since 1993.

Rollins, known for his slick fielding, excellent baserunning and timely hitting, was named to three NL All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger Award while in Philadelphia.

After being drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the 1996 draft , he formed one of the best double-play tandems with Utley. Rollins finished his 17-year career with 2,455 hits, 231 home runs and 470 steals. He holds the Phillies' all-time hits record with 2,306, surpassing Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt.

Along with the Phillies , Rollins had short stints with the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox in his last two seasons.

In his fourth year on the ballot, Rollins received 14.8% of votes for the baseball Hall of Fame .

Bobby Abreu Hall of Fame case

National League All-Star Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies watches a home run during the 2005 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby at Comerica Park in Detroit on July 11, 2005.

Abreu, who played nine years with the Phillies, was named on 14.8% of the ballot in his fifth year.

He had a career batting average of .291 with 2,470 hits, 288 home runs, 1,363 RBIs, 1,453 runs and 400 stolen bases.

He was a two-time All-Star and a Gold Glove Award winner in 2005. He also won the 2005 MLB Home Run Derby.

During his time with the Phillies, he hit .303 with 195 homers, 814 RBIs and 254 steals.

An on-base machine throughout his career, Abreu raked up 1,476 walks (20th all time) for a .395 on-base percentage during his 18-year career with the Phils, Houston Astros , New York Yankees , Los Angeles Angels , New York Mets and Dodgers.

Do any Phillies have a chance at Baseball Hall of Fame?

Hamels, Utley, Rollins and Abreu each have an interesting case at the Hall for different reasons.

Hamels put on consistently stellar seasons on the mound as well as an outstanding playoff run in 2008 despite not winning a Cy Young Award.

Rollins won an MVP and, like Abreu, totaled impressive stats in hits, runs and stolen bases while almost always batting at the top of the lineup.

Utley, on the other hand, failed to reach 2,000 hits – a usual low-bar for Hall of Famers – and other standard counting stats due to injuries and a late call up to the majors. However, his prime years match or surpass most other second basemen already elected to Cooperstown.

Here's a look at their wins above replacement totals and other Hall of Fame barometers, according to baseballreference.com .

Cole Hamels

Fangraphs WAR*: 51.6
Baseball Reference WAR*: 59
HOFm**: 57
WAR7***: 37.4
JAWS****: 48.2 (Average 61.3 for position)

Similar players (Based on methodology by Bill James) : Félix Hernández , Jake Peavy , Kevin Appier , Rick Rhoden , Bret Saberhagen , Adam Wainwright , Johnny Podres , Ervin Santana , Bruce Hurst and Johnny Cueto .

Chase Utley

Fangraphs WAR*: 61.5
Baseball Reference WAR*: 64.6
HOFm**: 94
WAR7***: 49.3
JAWS****: 56.9 (Average 57 for position)

Similar players: Ian Kinsler , Bret Boone , Hanley Ramírez , Bobby Doerr (HOF), Brandon Phillips , Bobby Grich , Vern Stephens , Ray Durham , Travis Fryman and Joe Gordon (HOF)

Jimmy Rollins

Fangraphs WAR*: 49.7
Baseball Reference WAR*: 47.9
HOFm**: 121
WAR7***: 32.7
JAWS****: 40.3 (Average 55.4 for position)

Similar players: Barry Larkin (HOF), Alan Trammell (HOF), Lou Whitaker , Roberto Alomar (HOF), Édgar Rentería , Ryne Sandberg (HOF), Jay Bell , Ted Simmons (HOF), Joe Morgan (HOF) and Ray Durham .

Bobby Abreu

Fangraphs WAR*: 59.7
Baseball Reference WAR*: 60.2
HOFm**: 95
WAR7***: 41.6
JAWS****: 50.9 (Average 56 for position)

Similar players: Luis Gonzalez , Bernie Williams , Dwight Evans , Garret Anderson , Torii Hunter , Dave Parker (HOF), Chili Davis , Steve Finley , Johnny Damon and Andrew McCutchen .

* The sum of a player's total contributions to their team . Fangraphs and Baseball Reference use different formulas to determine WAR totals.

** Hall of Fame Monitor, or HOFm, is a model created by baseball writer Bill James to estimate a player's likelihood of enshrinement with a score of more than 100 likely and under 100 less likely of a player's induction.

*** Jaw 7 is the sum of a player's best seven seasons, likely their prime.

**** Jaws is a score developed by writer Jay Jaffe which combines a player's career and 7-year peak WAR compared to present HOFers.

Which Phillies are in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Here is a list of players and coaches in the Hall of Fame who primarily played or were affiliated with the Phillies as well as the years they were inducted, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame :

Grover Cleveland Alexander, RHP (1938)
Ed Delahanty, OF (1945)
Harry Wright, Executive (1953)
Billy Hamilton, OF (1961)
Dave Bancroft, SS (1971)
Sam Thompson, OF (1974)
Robin Roberts, RHP (1976)
Chuck Klein, OF (1980)
Steve Carlton, LHP (1994)
Richie Ashburn, OF (1995)
Mike Schmidt, 3B (1995)
Jim Bunning, RHP (1996)
Scott Rolen, 3B (2023)
Dick Allen (2025)

Who was elected to Baseball Hall of Fame last year?

Last year's BBWAA's electees included first-timers such as Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia as well as Houston Astros closer Billy Wagner, who got in on his final try.

Phillies great Dick Allen and Pittsburgh Pirates legend Dave Parker were selected by the 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee.

Brandon Holveck contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Chase Utley, other Phillies fall short of Baseball Hall of Fame 2026

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