My 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot - change is coming to Cooperstown
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- Carlos Beltrán is poised for Hall of Fame induction despite his involvement in the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal; his career WAR of 70 and elite offensive, defensive, and baserunning metrics place him among all-time great center fielders.
- Andruw Jones, after years of debate due to off-field issues and a decline after age 30, earned a Hall of Fame vote this year based on his exceptional peak performance, including 10 Gold Gloves and a rare power-defense combination.
- The author voted for nine players on the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot, including first-time candidates Félix Hernández and Torii Hunter, emphasizing star power and peak performance over traditional counting stats like hits or wins.
- Chase Utley
